Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Graaff.
Hi Melissa, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
We are the Graaff’s! Asher, Melissa, Isla & Colt, plus a tiny yorkie named Coral and a kitten named Sushi.
We have been living full-time in our RV since May of 2020. For our family, living in our RV became a little safe haven when the Covid shutdowns were happening. Unfortunately, we had to close my husband’s sports therapy business during that time (we didn’t know for how long at the start but ended up being 6 months). But what was not an ideal situation became one of our families’ greatest adventures!
With our 4.5- and 2-year-old kids in tow, we decided to ditch our life in San Diego, move into our 20’ travel trailer, and head up to Washington state to stay on the family property while we rode out the storm.
During that time, the rental house we were going to move into fell thru, so we decided to upgrade to our first Keystone fifth wheel. When researching reliable brands that were in our budget, we were drawn to the 2020 Keystone Hideout 308BHDS. Not only was the quality there at a price point we could afford, but the layout was perfect for our little family. We loved having two separate bedrooms, a bath and a half plus an awesome outside kitchen! We are so glad we decided to upgrade to that fifth wheel; it gave our family a home on wheels and a sense of security in such an uncertain time in our lives.
We were able to travel up and down the west coast a few times and thoroughly enjoy that time with our home in tow!
We have since upgraded to our 2022 Montana High Country 385BR and are primarily stationary in the San Diego area again. We are loving all the features in this fifth wheel, especially the kitchen and living room space. It really feels like a home with the residential fridge, combo washer, dryer, and the nice sized pantry!
Today Asher is back to work at his business, and I stay at home with the kids and do homeschool with them. I also moonlight as a makeup artist for weddings and special events.
When we are traveling, we love how our fifth wheel gives our kids their same home, same beds, and all their toys as we explore this country as a family!
You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @mountainstothesearv
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Our RV journey has been full of challenges! Financial challenges are the reason we live in our RV to start with. The RV itself has mechanical issues, space issues, struggles sometimes with being in such close quarters. But when we get to travel as a family this way, it has made us so much closer. I saw my kids blossom being on the road, exploring new places, and experiencing new things. Talking to new people and learning about different ways of doing things. Watching their dad fix things that come up, like a leak or fixing a tire on the side of the road. Struggles build confidence and character, and I’m glad we get to demonstrate how to overcome them when they come up. It happens often, so I guess it’s a crash course!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a stay-at-home mama that homeschools my two kids, I am a professional makeup artist, and I specialize in airbrush and special events. I love to share our lifestyle on Instagram and TikTok to help inspire others that you can live a different lifestyle with more time freedom and travel in your home on wheels!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think it’s all about having the ability to pivot. If something isn’t working or your circumstances change, you need to be able to pivot. That’s what we had to do with the Covid shutdowns. My husband is a massage therapist that specializes in sports therapy, and he was one of the last trades allowed to go back to work. He received threatening emails weekly from state board to not start working again, it was 6 months of no income! If we didn’t choose this path, we would have been homeless within 2 months. Our savings was only so much, and with the overhead we had, we couldn’t have floated it for very long. The last 4 years have built up a different confidence than I’ve ever had. Being able to ditch everything you’ve worked the last 13 years to achieve was really hard. But learning to live with less is such a great skill, especially in our maximalist culture in the US. I still find that we have too many things that we don’t need, and it’s a challenge to keep our eye simple. We don’t need the latest gadget or the newest iPhone, but when you’re bombarded with marketing that tells you otherwise, it’s tough.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @mountainstothesearv
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mountainstothesearv?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: @mountainstothesearv TikTok
