Would you trade the good ol’ American Dream for a nomadic life on the road, driving a truck that’s almost 80 years old?
Would you trade your porch for a view that changes every time you drive out?
Would you trade your fully-kitted kitchen for just a stove and a kettle? It may seem outrageous to some, but this photographer did that.
Richard Villacres was staring down the end of his domestic life.
His children are all grown up, and he is about to divorce.
Looking back at his accomplishments, he realized that his artistic career was dedicated only to money.
With nothing left in his domestic life, he decided he wanted to focus the rest of his career on a profound purpose.
But he needed to do something first – he needed to get a “moving house.”
He wasn’t looking for an ordinary vehicle he could upgrade.
In an interview with Tiny House Giant Journey, he said he wanted a vehicle that could make his heart skip a beat and make him smile.
After all, he’s trading every piece of comfort he has for that.
Fortunately, his friend saw something on Craigslist, a 1952 Dodge M152 Command Truck, and Richard’s jaw was on the floor.
He drooled over military vehicles, so it was love at first sight.
The logistics weren’t easy, however.
He spent $6000 to buy the truck with nothing working in it, then spent another $3000 to have it delivered from Ontario.
To fund the renovations and overhaul, Richard sold his belongings. It took him a year and a half to finish the first iteration, then another year to drive it on the road for the first time.
The truck, now named Hella, is a thing of beauty.
We won’t sugarcoat it, but the truck is cramped.
The backside of the truck cab fits a bed that Richard lays diagonally on just to fit.
It has a small upcycled railroad table and a two-seater couch – three if you’re willing to squeeze another in.
As Richard said, he didn’t need a super spacious place.
He just needed a place to rest his head because the rest of his life was outside the truck anyway.
He has two half-tubs for his downsized wardrobe, a single stove he can sling on the back door, and a pump hose for bathing and general water use.
Hella is a character herself.
Richard made sure to preserve the outer appearance of the truck.
He shared that he got different attention just by driving her.
People honk happily as they pass him or take pictures of the vintage truck.
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Most of all, it brings him closer to his purpose.
Now, the nomadic photographer takes portraits of families in homeless shelters, especially those who escaped domestic abuse.
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“Even though I have less than I’ve ever had in my adult life… I’ve never had so much gratitude and it just keeps growing,” he said in the interview.
You can follow Hella and Richards’s journey on jackdaw.love.
Watch how this man trades his domestic life for a nomadic lifestyle.
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