The Scariest Things About Living in a School Bus

Moving into a school bus is definitely one of the scariest things we’ve decided to do. As many of you know, we are not at the point yet where we are living full-time in the bus.

That being said, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things that I am admittedly fearful of when we do. I know that it’s not going to be easy all of the time, but addressing the scariest things ahead of time might be a good way to hash out some solutions. So here goes:

Scariest Thing #1: Our bus breaking down in a really bad spot.

When I say bad spot I mean like on a busy highway in traffic. This is something I’ve thought about a lot. However, I know that Ben is a great driver. He’s been driving for work for years and I have no doubt in my mind that he’d know how to handle the situation.

I also firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. Reminding myself of that helps me to remember that if it does happen, something great may come out of it, or we may have avoided something worse. Keeping an optimistic attitude, in my experience, has been the best way to get through times of high stress.

Scariest Thing #2: I’ll never get time to myself.

I know this probably sounds selfish but anyone who has kids can probably relate to this fear. Parenthood is extremely busy, especially with young kids that have a ton of energy. I’m getting old! I need some R&R every now and again! And I know that there’s no way we’re fitting a full-size bathtub on the bus, so I’ll have to find an alternative escape.

The great thing about being on a bus is that no matter where we are, I can always go for a walk. We are also going to attach our bikes to the back of the bus, so if need be I can go for a bike ride. I’ll finally have some motivation to exercise! So really, it’s a win-win.

Scariest Thing #3: The kids won’t have room to run around.

Our kids are still very young, two and seven to be exact. As mentioned above, they have a lot of energy and need to have a way to let it out. Also as mentioned above, we can get outside and ride our bikes or go for a walk. It would give us an excuse to get outside and, again, for me to exercise.

The primary purpose the bus will serve will be for us to have a place to eat and sleep. Our goal is to be out most of the time doing and seeing things, so we won’t really be spending all of our time on the bus anyway.

Scariest Thing #4: It will be hard to control the temperature.

I’ve heard a lot of other people who have converted buses complain about their buses getting too warm in the summer or too cold in the winter. This is something I worry about mainly because of the kids. I want them to be comfortable and safe, as any mother would want for their children.

All things considered, I think that as long as we are smart about how we insulate the bus in the conversion process and where we place our heating/cooling elements, we will be just fine. Being a bit uncomfortable from time to time is something in life that we just have to accept, and I think it will be worth it for the experiences we will get to have.

And honestly, I’m hoping that we can avoid the winters altogether. If we choose where we travel throughout the year according to ideal temperatures, I think that would also be helpful. In other words, we’ll just have to spend Christmas in Florida. And I mean, I probably wouldn’t be upset about that.

Scariest Thing #5: Homeschooling.

Up until this point, Isaac, my seven-year-old, has been in public school. I have no experience with homeschooling and often times wonder if I’m capable of providing my children with the education they need to succeed. This one is probably more of an “all-in-my-head” fear, but it is there and I should address it.

I do have several friends and even family members who homeschool and are a great resource for helping us to get started. Once we actually begin that journey, I think we will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is.

However, for the time being, I worry. Especially because Isaac has autism and learns a bit differently than a typical child. But perhaps the individual focus and short school days will be just what he needs.

I’d rather take the leap and give it a try than wonder forever what would have happened otherwise.

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