This being the first post I figured I would give some insight as to the purpose of this blog and the project. We are reaching out to the community to tell our story in hope that others could give us advice and share experience with us about their Spartan project. We also hope that through this blog we help others in the future learn from our experience with renovating their own Spartans.
Also, I would like to give a bit of history to why we ended up with our Spartan in the first place.
It all started with two very different people meeting by chance in this crazy world we live in at just the right place, at just the right time.
I was working at Cracker Barrel and going to school full time at the local community college. It was the day before Thanksgiving almost two years ago and I was slamed with preparations for the day to come. For Cracker Barrel, Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year. For the the people that work there, that means running around like a chicken with your head cut off getting the store ready, baking pies, taking pie orders, and taking take out order early.
That night I had just finished up with some of my work and actually had time to breath when a guy walks in wearing a Fedora, shorts and a Carhartt jacket. I immediately knew that this guy wasn't from around here. Though it is the sunshine state it does get cold in FL and November is when the shorts go away and the pants come out.
This guy takes a quick walk around the store, then walks casualy up to the counter where I was working. He took my breath away with those amazing eyes peering out from his thick framed glasses. Then the life changing moment happened, he spoke. "Do you know what geocahing is?" I had heard of it but honestly had no idea and for the first time in my life I played it cool, well at least I thought so. "yeah! Sure! Why? Is there one here?" he looked at me and smiled and that was it! I was hooked, smitten I could have died a happy girl. He had the most amazing laugh and smile I had ever seen in my whole life and I had the dumbest look on my face and I knew it. After a beat he said "yeah? Well this one is called" off your rocker" and I have looked everywhere and I can't find it. Would you happen to know where it is?" I had never clue so I was honest and told him the truth that I didn't know and after a few more moments pondering and another world shattering smile he told me he was going to go look for it and he would let me know if he found it. He gave me a wave and went back outside. Then I realized, wait! I didn't even get his name! Oh well, another missed opportunity come and gone.
Some time latter a guy I worked with came in and told me this strange guy was looking around on the porch, looking under rocking chairs. I laughed to myself and went about my business. Then I saw it again. That tan Fedora out of the corner of my eye. He looked dead at me this time and was wondering around the store once again. I knew what his plan was so I played along.
After talking some more I learn that he was working with this guy who owns a food stand and travels to different events selling fair food. But this was only temporary. From March to November he worked with a traveling carnival selling tickets. I thought it sounded like fun but it didn't sound like something I would ever do. Later he gave me his name and told me "look me up on Facebook and maybe we could hang out sometime." I stuck the paper he gave me into my apron and life continued on.
A couple days later after life settled back down, I was cleaning out my apron and found a little piece of paper with the name "Justin Bowers" written on it. Panic arose, I couldn't believe it! I forgot about him! I ran to my computer and got onto Facebook. Typed in the name and over 50 Justin Bowers existed. Just my luck, I know. After looking through all 50 plus persons with the name, I gave up and started adding them all. Over half didn't even have a face as the picture. I figured the right one would respond. Later in the day I got a message and it was him! We went out on a couple of dates and we where inseparable. The only problem was telling my family. I knew they wouldn't approve of a carnie being my boyfriend but I didn't care.
After being thrown out of my house we started our life adventure together. Justin already had a tent that he was living in in the middle of the woods so I just joined him and we spent all those nights talking about how we would make it and how we would prove them all wrong some day. That we would be better off than all of them because we would be happy and it's happening now. I don't really see my family more or less turning on me as necessarily a bad thing because I love where this path has taken me. After being unable to find a job Justin decided that he would go back to work with the fair in March and send money to me to save for us. I couldn't leave my job and quit college, I worked too hard. I thought long and hard and figured out that this life had nothing for me and I was ready to run away from this place as fast as I could. So we did, we got away from the unhappiness of my family and started life the way we wanted. So we packed up my Nissan sentra and headed to Georgia.
After working with the fair for a year and living in a tent, we bought a jeep and a pop up camper. We got used to the minimalistic life style and really enjoyed the idea of being able to virtually live where ever you wanted.
The pop up was good for the time being but we had bigger dreams. One day Justin said to me "hey baby, do you know what an airstream is?" It seems that all life changing moments happen when Justin asks me a question phrased this way.
After hours of research and the development of dreams we fell in love with the idea of owning a vintage airstream camper. We where determined to have one and worked this past year again at the fair and saved like mad men.
In the mid of the year our pop up tore apart. The mechanism that lifts the roof off of the living part failed and we could no longer lift the roof. This left us again homeless. We where more than ever determined to get our airstream.
We looked and searched all over the place for a camper but the price range was so high. This caused stress and arguing. We then decided to just wait until we get to the end of the season to find one.
One day, with hope still in my heart that I could find one before the end of the year, I was looking on Craigslist and there she was! A beautiful 1946 Spartan Manor! I had talked about getting one before but it just seemed that airstream had a larger gathering and in the end would make it easier in the end with renovation.
In the end we fell in love with the style of the Spartan. It just seemed to have a certain attitude about them. The style and shape gave it character and made it stand out.
Our only delay was it was in Florida and we where still on the road. Favor was kind to us. The Spartan was located 5 minutes away from my grandmother's house and the guy would deliver within a 100 mile radius. We where so happy and waisted no time. She was ours a couple days latter.
Right now she's sitting on my grandmother's property waiting for us to come home to her. When we first looked at the camper we noticed that it needed a lot of work and that's exactly what we wanted. We wanted a trailer that would be gutted out or almost gutted out so we could remodel it to meet our living needs.
We can't wait to get started on the renovation! Stay tuned to see the progress!
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Advance is welcome and very much needed!
Thanks So much!
