As we all know, professional baseball can be a series of moves after moves after moves. You can never truly settle into once place completely, because there is no certainty in where you will be, even the next day. My hubby, Dalton and I have done long distance our entire relationship; first while he was away at school, and then after he got drafted as well. I had a contract with my work that was keeping me back home in California where we are both from.

My husband is super easy going and nonchalant (almost to a fault) about his living experiences and situations. He has made several places home over the last few years, including hotel rooms, rotting/moldy apartments, and living rooms. Camping chairs and cardboard box tables have been deemed efficient because God forbid you spend $20 on a table that you’ll have to donate when the season is over… 

Don’t get me wrong, he has lived with some amazing, generous people and not all of his setups have been bad. But it can be really difficult to make those spaces homey and comfortable when you're there for an unforeseen amount of time. Air mattresses suffice and paper plates prevail.  

So when the opportunity arose to buy an Airstream, after much consideration, we decided to go for it. We thought a travel trailer would be the perfect solution to typical problems minor leaguers encounter. 

It had been sitting on our family friends’ lot for over a year and they were waiting for the right people to come along and invest in it. It’s a vintage Airstream, originally built in 1966; and therefore needed a TON of work. Luckily our family friends are super handy and had renovated their own Airstream in the past, so they had all of the necessary tools and equipment. We worked closely with them for just over a year and rebuilt our home from the frame up.

All of last offseason and the first couple months of this offseason were filled with work days & Home Depot trips. Dalton has devoted countless hours to our renovation. This project was a huge commitment of our time and finances, so it was not an easy decision for us. Ultimately, the pros outnumbered the cons, and looking back we are very happy with our decision. 

What the airstream means for us is that we can pick up our home at any time and move it with us, which is a luxury during the baseball season. Dalton had to be back in Florida early this year for rehab, so we have already moved in and have been living in our trailer for over a month now. We have everything we need here with us, and we don’t have to worry about apartment hunting and then buying or renting everything to furnish it. When we move for the season, we just hook up to the truck and drive to the next destination with all our belongings in tow. No packing and unpacking. No throwing away items that don’t fit in the car.

Now there are definitely negatives to living in 130 square feet with two people and a puppy. The obvious is a lack of space to spread out. We don't have an oven or a washer and dryer. There’s limited closet space. Instead of apartment hunting, it’s trailer park hunting. It’s difficult to have friends over because, well, they just don’t fit. However, Dalton and I would both agree that the trailer gives us so much more freedom while living this lifestyle. It’s a space we can call our own no matter where baseball takes us.

In retrospect, one of the biggest lessons I have learned (and am still learning every day) through professional baseball and even through the process of restoring our trailer is to just go with the flow. You DO NOT have to have it all figured out, and everyone’s story looks totally different. God’s plan for you is much greater and more extravagant than anything you could imagine. If you would have asked me a few years ago when my husband got drafted where I would be today, I would have answered a lot differently than what my life looks like now. But I’m so grateful for this time in our lives. Trust in God’s plan for you and let Him comfort your heart in the unknown. 

This is a short version of our story regarding our Airstream renovation and living, but if anyone has any specific questions or wants to hear more of the details, please reach out to me! I’m so thankful for the community baseball provides and that we all share a common understanding of the struggles and triumphs this life brings.