The tiny-house movement hits the road and comes to The University of Vermont on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the Davis Center’s Mansfield Room. As part of an Open House earlier in the day on the Andrew Harris Commons outside the Davis Center (1:30 to 3:30 p.m.), the couple will share their tiny-house-on-wheels – a 1957 “canned ham” trailer combining a solar powered electrical system with a golden-age, vintage look.
What started out as an expedition in 2012 has turned into a lifestyle. During their presentation, Shari Galiardi and Dave “Hutch” Hutchison of Boone, NC, will share what they discovered when they said goodbye to their professional careers in higher education and their 3-bedroom, 2.5 bath house, and hit the road. Going from 1650 to 72 square feet was a challenging downsize in which the couple found “Freedom in a Can.”
As outdoor enthusiasts and advocates for sustainability, the couple has spent the past 6 years traveling 90,000+ miles across our country, visiting 49 states, over 75 national parks & monuments, and a few other countries. Along the way, they visited old friends, made many new ones, found meaning through seasonal work and volunteer service, and have fallen in love with what makes our America great. The presentation will include stories, advice, challenges, and images of the places they’ve visited.
“When we hit the road, we thought we might travel for a year, maybe a year and a half, but we’re still loving it 6 years in – and haven’t looked back,” said Galiardi. They’ve been called brave, adventurous and just plain crazy, but they are dedicated to “living large through living small.”
In the past couple of years, Shari and Hutch have spent 18 days crossing the North Cascades ecosystem (Washington) under human power, bikepacked over 200 miles to return to Hutch’s 25th class reunion at Kenyon, spent 3.5 months volunteering in a small village in Kenya, and worked at a small, locally-owned vineyard and winery in northern Michigan. Previously, they spent 8 months volunteering on several organic farms and served as environmental educators. “Our ideal lifestyle is a balance of paid work, volunteering, and travel – committing approximately 4 months a year to each.”
As experienced educators, the couple has taken their story on the road and online. Over the past couple of years, they’ve presented at the Grand Rapids RV, Travel, and Camper show, spoken on VPR’s “All Things Considered,” and written the Full-Time Camper column for The Dyrt’s online magazine, among other endeavors.
The program is sponsored by the UVM Transportation Research Center and UVM Outdoor Programs.