The Bow Tied Bus
Ever since the pandemic, I’d been craving a life on the road. Truth be told, the dream started long before that—if you dig back far enough, you’ll find my “Comparing Richmond” blog series from 2013 that already hinted at a restless spirit. But when 2020 forced us all to slow down and sit still, I took the time to really dive into the idea of turning travel into a lifestyle. First, I looked into RVs. Then came the discovery of Skoolies—school buses converted into mobile homes—and I was hooked.
By January 2021, I was deep into research. A few months later, I found myself in Delaware, buying a 1999 International bus from a guy who had already done some of the work. Seats removed, rough framing for a bathroom, a wooden couch, a retractable bed in the back—it wasn’t perfect, but it was a solid head start.
With a quick Facebook post looking for a place to park and work on the bus, an old friend from middle school, Gibby, offered up his farm. He ran a construction company and had connections who could help bring the vision to life. It was the perfect setup.
After three months of building, the bus—now lovingly known as the #BowTiedBus—was ready for its first big test. In conjunction with my annual Food Bank Tour, we hit 16 cities in six weeks, racking up nearly 5,000 miles. From boondocking in a grocery store parking lot in Virginia Beach (and getting the boot from the police) to cruising through downtown Charlotte with music blasting from the emergency exit, we discovered what it meant to truly be a Mobile DJ.
The journey took us through Raleigh (where the door fell off), Columbia, Charlotte, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Atlanta. The speakers lived in the emergency exit doorway, and all it took to throw a party was opening the door and hitting play.
From there, we traveled through Alabama to New Orleans, where we finally indulged in a hotel weekend (shoutout to Windsor Court for their hospitality). After that: Nashville. Each stop featured a brewery that donated $1 per beer to a local food bank—a mission that made every mile worth it.
We wrapped things up in Chattanooga before circling back to Atlanta for a wedding, then I made it home to Richmond in time to celebrate my 37th birthday.
Fall 2021 was spent in Virginia, but when winter rolled in, I headed south again—this time to Key West, where things took an unexpected turn.
After just a few days of enjoying paradise, I was hit with parking tickets and then arrested for “lodging in a vehicle.” Apparently, Key West doesn’t take too kindly to van life. So I hid out on nearby Geiger Key until my court date, volunteering at a food bank and finding community among other Skoolie owners. Eventually, the charges were dropped, and I hit the road again.
From there, I visited old favorites—Tampa, New Orleans, Nashville, Atlanta, and Charlotte—before making my way back to Richmond. Highlights included the Skoolie Swarm in North Central Florida (160 buses strong!) and an unforgettable Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
By Spring and Summer of 2022, I stuck closer to Virginia, taking smaller trips across the Shenandoah Valley and the Peninsula. But something had shifted. I knew I wasn’t done yet—but I also knew the bus couldn’t sit idle forever.
Settling in Atlanta
That brings us to 2023. After so much time on the road, I found myself craving a little stability. So I settled—at least temporarily—in Atlanta. What started as a pit stop turned into a home base. From late 2022 through most of 2023, I called Atlanta home. It gave me a chance to reconnect with friends, plug into the local creative scene, and use the city as a launchpad for new adventures.
Atlanta became more than just another stop on the tour. It was a place to refocus, rebuild, and reimagine the next journey. I still took trips—still DJed, volunteered, and explored—but for the first time in a long time, I had a place to call home.