Welcome back to the build series. This time around, I will be walking you through the design process, which was largely based on what my “must-haves” were, my budget constraints, and the platform of my truck. All of my plans and ideas and designs and anything you could possibly think of are written in my “truck bible,” and this post will outline a lot of the preliminary plans and initial purchases.

Since my freshman year of high school, living on the move has been on my mind. I watched thousands of #vanlife videos, build series, and how-to tutorials on creating a home on wheels. Eventually, I had saved up enough money and created a very detailed, comprehensive plan about how I was going to do it. So, this is the first of many posts explaining, in detail, the process of building out Dorothy, my 2018 Toyota Tacoma.

Since people usually get some sort of time off for Thanksgiving, we decided that it would be a perfect time for our family to get together in a new place. We decided to head north of our hometown and see the redwoods.

Hey all. Last time I talked to you guys, I was sadly moving out of my summer oasis in Jackson Hole, but my summer wasn’t over yet. Evan and I packed up his truck, and instead of heading back to Fort Collins, we hit the road for two weeks. I had very meticulously planned a road trip with the best trails, the best views, optimal shower availability, and some kickass campsites. So, with a plan in hand and two bikes over the tailgate, we headed north.

Alright, so, I know I may sound like I am exaggerating, and I know you may not believe me, but the summer of 2020 was probably the best summer of my life (thus far). I didn’t really know what this corner of Wyoming was all about, but now I am definitely convinced that it’s one of the best places to be. In a nutshell, it is bikes, mountains, wildlife, and rivers galore. However, for me it started off in a bit of a rough patch.

Hey all. So, I don’t know about you, but living abroad is an experience that I have dreamt about for a long time. I never thought I would get the opportunity to do it so early in life, but boy I am grateful. In the spring of 2020, I ended my backpacking trip through the southeastern hemisphere in New Zealand. Here, I bought a cheap car, swam with dolphins, and continued going to college. It was a pretty great place to set up camp, if you ask me.

As my backpacking through the south Pacific ocean was coming to a close, I got on one of my last flights to the best state in Australia (in my opinion), Tasmania. Now, normally I am not one to pick favorites when it comes to places, but damn, Tasmania has my heart. I was going to be there for four nights and four days, so I rented a car upon arrival and headed to a new friend’s house for advice.

My arrival in Victoria was were I began the completely solo leg of my trip. I rented a car and decided that I would do the Great Ocean Drive. I flew in to Melbourne, and immediately headed south and west.

After leaving Indonesia, I met up with the one and only, Maddie Mason, for a week. Her and I mooched off of our friend, Boomer, who let us stay in his house, and showed us around Western Australia. Though a lot of Western Australia is very remote, we definitely had an awesome time experiencing the land, the culture, and the wildlife.

On my island-hopping, backpacking trip, my second stop was in Indonesia. I spent most of my time on the small island of Nusa Penida, and a couple of days on the famous island of Bali. Cliffs, islands, and natural bridges were among the many things that captured my attention in Indonesia. And a possible scooter accident…

Howdy peeps. After some consideration, I decided to buy a plane ticket and do my first international backpacking trip. In January of 2020, I left for the Philippines. I had a long grocery list of things I wanted to do with my time there, and I couldn’t wait to get started.

Hey all, I thought it would be a good thing to talk about my experience working for the United States Forest Service in Colorado in the summer of 2019. I have spent an extended amount of time in the Arapahoe and Roosevelt National Forests on the noxious weeds crew. This forest is in northern Colorado, in the same valley as Winter Park, Grand Lake, and the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.

As I am sure many of you know, I’m much more a mountain-lady than a desert-dweller. However, that does not mean I can’t appreciate beauty and awe at geology every so often. This trip to the Moab area of Utah definitely left me with my jaw dropped.

As y’all may know, I am always looking to try new things. Thanks to Colorado State University’s Outdoor Program, I was able to go on an introductory ice-climbing trip in Wyoming. They provided gear, loaded us up into a van, and we headed out to the Snowy Range.

In June of 2018, I moved out of California so I could head to college in Colorado. I drove out so I could bring Lolita with me (my car), and my dad and I decided to make a pit stop in Joshua Tree to do a little bit of exploring at Joshua Tree National Park. It was definitely a change of scenery from what I am used to.

Hey y’all. Zion National Park was on my list of parks to visit for a long time. Who wouldn’t want to see a valley of paradise framed by dramatic red cliffs? In May of 2018, I was finally lucky enough to pay Zion a visit.

The spring before I (Izzie) moved away from California, I realized I hadn’t ever been to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. How could this be? Trees are kinda my favorite thing…

Hey all, today I’m going to tell you about my experience on the Big Island of Hawaii. My family and I went on a week long trip for spring break one year, and we snorkeled, saw some waterfalls, and explored Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Hey there! As you may have read in my other posts, during my visit to Peru, I volunteered and I explored the city of Cusco. Now, it is time for me to finish my stories about Peru, and what better way to do so than to tell you about my experience hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!

Hey! Now, you may have read the blog post that talked about the World Vets volunteer experience I had in Peru. Outside of volunteering for some time, we also explored Cusco, went to an animal sanctuary, and hiked the 4-day Incan Trail to Machu Picchu.