Family, Hippie & Seniors: 6 Stories

Not only young families are looking for adventure, even at 75 there is still enough life energy to change one’s lifestyle. The escape from everyday stress, divorce, career-related or the desire for more time and experiences with the family. The reasons couldn’t be more different, but they all have one thing in common, the desire to change and improve. Follow these 6 cases of dropouts and be impressed by their individual stories.

Tiny House: Alone in the forest for 6 years

Marc (45) had made a stark cut in his life after a burnout and bullying. He moved to the forest, out of civilization. After 15 years as a golf instructor in the 1st league, he built his own cabin himself for less than 3,000 euros, including the electrical installation!

In doing so, he thought everything through, which is why he placed his bed over his homemade stove to extract the warmth. But despite his self-fulfillment, he had a few incidents that will send a shiver down your spine. Check out the video to hear about the witch’s laugh or the propped up fork on the edge of the bed!

• 15 years as a golf instructor in the 1. League
• Isolation in the forest with dog
• Cottage for under 3,000 euros
• Self-built oven + heating

Are you interested in small minimalist houses? Read more about the Tiny House here.

A family gets off: Around the World by Bus

Many people wish for it, but only very few dare to do it: throw everything away and then up and away. The Meinhard family from Lüneburg Heath really did it. They sold all their possessions, converted an old omnibus and went on a world tour with it. For an indefinite period. Father, mother and three children. Read more about travelling with children here.

Since one year the children do not attend school anymore, but are taught by father Axel. There they learn the basics of mathematics, writing and reading, just as the older one continues her education with the help of the internet. Instead they learn something much more valuable, the impressions and ways of life from all over the world and enjoy the time of their lives, while in Germany the winter rages. Accompanies the family on their journey south through Europe, Africa and South America.

• Whole family on a world tour
• Old converted omnibus
• Father takes over schooling + online continuing education
• Journey through Europe, Africa and South America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPTMWuH835w

Minimalist emigration in a roof tent on Tenerife

Mona has quit her apartment and job in Bavaria and wants to start again after her divorce. Alone she sets off in a roof tent to Tenerife. After months of research and visits to camping fairs, she decided to buy a roof tent, because it is cheaper than a camper and not as complicated as building your own Tiny House. Mona has everything she needs in a very small space. In the trunk she stows her kitchen items and personal care products. Mainly she eats out at restaurants and showers at the gym where she has a membership. Minimalism on four wheels guarantees the change Mona has been longing for.

• Quit job after divorce
• Life in the roof tent
• Kitchen utensils and care products in the trunk
• Restaurant food
• Showers in the gym

Jobs quit for a self-determined life

Vanlife in Portugal – Imke (30) and Dominik (27) quit their jobs and have been living in a van with their two dogs for 6 months. Their motives were mainly the desire for change, out of the everyday life.

They are at the perfect age and living situation because they don’t have children yet and were unhappy with their current jobs. In total, they have invested 30,000 euros in the car and travel from savings. While this change was quite a shock to the family, they didn’t completely give up everything. They continue to pay their rent in Germany to have something to return to with their two dogs.

• Couple, Jobs Quit
• In the van for 6 months
• 30,000 invested
• Continue to pay rent in Germany

From a Sprinter to a Gypsy Snail Shell

Pernilla is a musician in a band called “Safran Sun”. She has converted a Sprinter into a loving hippie mobile. Of course, being a musician, she is on the road a lot and her apartment was empty for days. As a result she didn’t feel like paying for something she doesn’t use. Her concerts mostly take place in Holland, which is why that is her main place of residence. Her plan was very spontaneous and partly thoughtless. Shortly after she got her driver’s license, she set off with her Sprinter, which is why she had to endure a very cold winter without heating during her concerts in November. Today the young musician is happy about little extras like her kitchen, heating and sockets.

• Singer has been traveling a lot
• Apartment was empty
• Spontaneous decision
• Kitchen, heating and sockets in the Sprinter

On the road in a motorhome at 75

At the age of 67, Gisela radically changed her life after several operations, changed her diet, sold her house and bought a mobile home. Since then she has been living on the road: Gisela on the road. Some friends and relatives just shake their heads. They can’t understand how anyone could live like that – especially at her age. But that hasn’t stopped her from fulfilling her tramp. Her autoimmune disease left her dependent on everyday help, to the point where it changed everything.

Today she lives and travels alone, enjoys the visit of her family once a year at Easter. She spends the cold winters in Morocco and the warmer summers in Europe. Of course, Germany, Spain and Italy are particularly good places to travel around in Europe, because these countries are also good for a short holiday.

One journey was particularly close to Gisela’s heart – the trip to Poland, to the old Prussian region of Angerburg. Her family fled from there to Germany after the Second World War. On her journey she visited her old family home and the church where she had been baptized.

• 67 years old
• World trip after many surgeries
• Travels in a motorhome
• Once a year she visits her family
• Winter in Morocco, summer in Europe

A new start with a camper, van or car

It’s never too late for a fresh start. The travel lifestyle with a camper, van or car with a roof tent is certainly not for everyone, but these examples show that people of all ages, professions and current life situations can make it. Especially Gisela serves as an inspiration for many. However, you have to ask yourself, when is the best time for something like this?

For her, it was just in time to change her life and attitude. The question is, do you have to wait until retirement first? What many families are criticized for, dropping out in the middle of life, leaving everything behind and throwing security overboard.

Perhaps this is exactly an important approach, to use the limited time, to create experiences, to discover the world, which has a greater value than slaving for days for luxury goods and wealth. In any case, the 6 examples provide convincing advantages to think about it again.

Road trip with the whole family. Roof tent from Campwerk.

Tiny House – Invention in the USA & Movement in Germany

What exactly is a Tiny House and why do people decide to live in such a small space? As expected, the trend of Tiny Houses comes from the USA. The USA is not only known for its crazy inventions, but also for great cities like Miami. Their beginnings can be found already 100 years ago, when tinkerers decided to transform domestic comfort into mobility. The so-called “motorhomes” were reminiscent of fully equipped miniature versions of houses with wheels and the front part of the car.

Minihouse Movement in Germany

In Germany and many other parts of Europe the idea is still in its baby shoes. It is rather an exceptionality to see something like that with your own eyes here. Really popular are but rather other types of travel, such as camping and package tours.Inspired by the books of Sarah Susanka arose an incredible hype already at the end of the 70s. The trend came from the USA. It satisfied the great need of many people to get rid of unnecessary luxury and live in a minimalist way in their own four walls without big costs or debts.

One speaks of three kinds of the small houses:

• Mini House
• Tiny House on Wheels
• Modulhouse

All are a maximum of 100 square meters and are limited to the bare necessities. Such a size can be practical, but also bring disadvantages. Here you will find the most important advantages, as well as disadvantages before buying or completing a Tiny House:

Advantages Tiny House

The advantages of Tiny Houses are manifold. On the one hand, you have low construction costs, after all, you have much less material and area to plow. Likewise, your maintenance costs are much lower, after all, you need less to heat, but also less electricity for light.

• Low construction costs
• Low maintenance costs
• Tiny Houses are good for the environment
• Less time spent on cleaning, tidying and maintenance
• Mobility and flexibility
• Possibility to quickly add living space
• Minimalism trend

Disadvantages Tiny House

Even the most beautiful ideas have their quirks and drawbacks. Especially in nature, you have to reckon with the fact that it can get cold very quickly and the comfort is smaller and tighter when it then comes to family planning or guests.

• Tiny Houses are not suitable for families
• Great planning effort
• Elaborate approval procedure & insurance
• Less living comfort
• No room for guests
• Winter cold
• Restrictions on household effects

Young woman builds Tiny House for 5,000 euros

Elisabeth (35) was fed up with her old life in the north of England, was unhappy with her job and wanted to live more simply and sustainably. In Andalusia she fulfilled her childhood dream and built her own little wooden house. By watching a lot of YouTube videos she realized how easy it is to create something so great with enough confidence and the right imagination. And she did it inexpensively with partly recycled furniture and household appliances from flea markets.

Fancy a DIY project? Learn more about the costs and benefits of a van conversion here.

Her way was not completely without complaints, she also made many mistakes, but she had nothing to lose. The end result is definitely something to behold. After a year of working 4 days full time in the beginning and the rest of the time into finishing, this is what her Tiny House on Wheels looks like:

Consumer dropouts: With children in the mini-house

Rewrite – Young families in particular dream of a life without a professional hamster wheel and expensive rent. They want to remain flexible, economize and have time for each other. Alina and Flo have realized their dream and live with their two daughters in a yurt. Katharina and Kolja are also getting out, out of consumption. Together with their daughter Klara, they move into a self-built mobile mini-house.

Even though everything didn’t start out so colourful and there was a lot of astonishment from family and acquaintances, the couple decided to go through with it. While Kolja and Katharina invested 26,000 euros in their Mini House on Wheels, Alina and Flo opted for the cheaper option on the organic farm in the yurt.

For both, however, it was clear that all the savings would go and their lives would change 180 degrees as usual. With only 650-700 euros a month, the families try to get by and work only the bare minimum in mini-jobs (despite having finished their studies) to have more time with the family and less exhaustion in everyday life.

First Tiny House village in Germany

Steffi and Philipp live their dream on 25 m². Both have founded the first Tiny House village in Germany in Mehlmeisel. After graduating from high school, they both started traveling, Phillip first through Australia, then the two of them together through the USA and Canada. On their travels they discovered their first Tiny Houses. At first Steffi was very sceptical, but once she had seen them from the inside, she became friends with the idea. Unlike in the USA, finding a plot of land in Germany is very problematic. When they both bought their perfect property, there was still a lot of space for more residents. This is how the idea for the first Tiny House village in Germany came about!