Changing the scenery…
Last weekend, I faced a choice. A literal coin-flip.
I knew I wanted to take a #OneNightStand getaway to someplace close by. I could either take the train to a nearby city and enjoy some culinary tastiness for an overnight… or… go someplace which would allow us to enjoy the amazing weather as Spring set in.
And that’s when I came across Gypsy.
Gypsy is a vintage Airstream camper, retrofitted in a completely modern way, just outside of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. It’s part of a community of tiny houses/glamping sites from @tinyhavenliving, an experience-based labor of love owned by a couple who, I take it, decided to embrace the #tinyhouse movement while using their passion to bring joy to people, like me, who were looking for something unique to help recharge the soul.
Let me tell you, it was just amazing. As my friend said, “the photos on AirBNB don’t do it justice.”
It was cozy, yet, comfortable. Spacious, yet small. Some would say "cute...."
When is the last time you slept in a California King bed in the back of a camper?
We brought some light provisions with us, and were able to keep ‘em cool and fresh in the modern fridge. We didn’t cook anything, aside from S'MORES over the fire, but had we wanted to do so, the four burner gas stove was ready for us to do what we needed to do. The kitchen and water were hot, provided enough space and more to do the dishes, to clean up the S’MORES ‘mess’ from our time at the fire pit and more.
The dining/lounging area at the front of the Gulfstream were amazing and spacious, albeit, again, cozy. While there, I read the story of how the owners came across this Airstream. According to the "book" which is like the "guide" to the house you'll find in most every AirBNB, one of the owners found Gypsy in Southern California. The owner, also from California, went out to the West Coast, purchased the trailer, and then, pulled it back across the country - her first time ever doing so. And that's how Gypsy came to find her new place in Maryland, just outside of Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. It's one chapter in what is a pretty compelling story of a couple, with a dream, which has become a passion and which seems to be a pretty amazing business for them now.
Gypsy had this… magic. It was so enchanting that I left with this feeling that 24 hours was not enough time, and my friend and I went to work searching for a new date - or dates - where we can return to that amazing place, less than an hour away, just minutes from wineries and breweries and hiking and parks and more… so we can recharge once again.
While we were there, as we sat around the firepit, enjoying the evening air, a FIREBALL lit up the night sky. As it cast a blue-green-white flash which lit up the amazingly clear view of the sky, followed by a couple of shooting stars, which, I take it might have been fragments of the larger fireball entering the atmosphere, I realized just how perfect this space really was. It was almost as if life showed up to say, “wasn’t this better than an overnight in a big city hotel?”
You can’t pay for memories, experiences or moments. They just happen. At @TinyHavenLiving that day, they certainly did.
You can find ‘em on @AirBNB like I did - or you can book ‘em directly. I’ve tagged ‘em here. If you want to know more, DM me.
Thanks, #TinyHavenLiving… I can’t wait to come see you guys again soon.
You can also find them listed on AIRBNB if that's more your speed. If you have stayed in a Getaway House before, this is the same sort of experience, only, much more personal, and owned/operated locally by a couple who seem to have had an incredible dream. And what's NOT to love about supporting dreamers who make their dreams happen...
Note: I didn't receive any compensation to write about this - or any - of the experiences I've had which you read about here. I do have a financial interest in AirBNB via personal investments, but that's just because I like the company and Jony Ive is consulting them now when it comes to the Human Experience.