2015 Fall Grand Valley Magazine - (Page 32)

OF F T HE PATH Living in less than 98 square feet Alumni join tiny house movement to support careers, strengthen relationships by Michele Coffill Two people and two dogs are traveling the country, coexisting in 98 square feet of living space. On some nights their backyard has been the vast openness of the Yukon Territory in northwest Canada, other nights it was Bridge Street in downtown Grand Rapids. Kelly Tousley, '11, and Curtiss O'Rorke Stedman joined the tiny house movement in June after purchasing a utility trailer and outfitting it for adventure. They took their dogs and some of their belongings and left their Juneau, Alaska, home in June to hit the road to build O'Rorke Stedman's rising music career. Also in June but in the southwest U.S., Kristin Connolly Schillaci, '05, and Tony Schillaci, '06, returned to Santa Fe, New Mexico, after spending a year on the road living in an 18-footlong, 1980 Coachman trailer. They traveled 25,000 miles to 30 juried art shows in 35 states to sell Kristin's fine art photographs. They also were on the road with two big dogs. THE SCHILLACIS Kristin, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in photography, said the couple first talked about traveling the country two years ago when they were backpacking in the Grand Canyon. "We were at the bottom of the canyon for three nights and it was the happiest we had been in years," she said. "Everything we needed was on 32 Fall '15 Tony, '06, and Kristin, '05, Schillaci traveled with their dogs to 35 states last year to sell Kristin's artwork. photos courtesy of Kristin Connolly Schillaci our backs. We thought, 'Something needs to change.'" The tiny house movement, while glamorized by television networks like HGTV, is more than the romantic notion of traveling the country in a trailer or camper. At its root is the need to downsize lifestyles, whether for economic reasons or environmental concerns. For these two couples, it meant learning to live with less to support a career. Tony graduated with a bachelor's degree in music education. He worked for seven years as the band director at Santa Fe High School; Kristin was a part owner of a Santa Fe print shop. "I was helping other people with their artwork but couldn't find the time to support my own photography," she said. Spending each weekend traveling in the southwest to an art show became the norm, albeit a tiring routine for them. Tony said he would come home from football games on Friday nights to help Kristin set up for a show, return on Saturdays to be with his band for regional competitions, then help Kristin tear down on Sundays. "We were like two ships passing in the night," she said.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2015 Fall Grand Valley Magazine

Campus News
Research
Athletics
Arts
Scientific symbiosis
Focal Point
Seidman College expanding EMBA
Sailing at 1/12th scale
Same song, different verse
Q&A Lynn 'Chick' Blue
Off the path
International Education

2015 Fall Grand Valley Magazine