Keri Gailloux's tiny house – a converted school bus – is now also retired thanks to the pandemic. Ms. Gailloux, 68, had lived and worked in San Francisco doing a hepatitis C training program for family doctors. After she retired, she converted the school bus, which she called "Skoolie", into a mobile home so she could travel. She set out six months before the pandemic.
"It should be my home forever," said Ms. Gailloux. But it shouldn't be.
She had planned to stay at Mustang Island State Park on the Gulf of Corpus Christi, Texas until the coronavirus curve flattened, but the morning after she arrived, a ranger told her the park would be closed. Ms. Gailloux needed a fully connected park because she didn't have a portable generator, had limited resources, and couldn't find a store that sold you for less than $ 1,000.
"I went to the golf with my dog, stood in the water and cried," said Ms. Gailloux. "It was really one of my deepest moments."
She convinced the ranger to let her stay a few more days, but shortly afterwards, Texas Governor Greg Abbott closed all campsites and public properties in Texas. Then Ms. Gailloux's tiny house collapsed and had to be towed.
Today? Your beloved bus is in storage, all personal belongings have been removed and is for sale. Once it is sold, Ms. Gailloux plans to pay off the debts she accumulated during her trip. She currently lives with a friend's mother in Long Beach, California, and takes care of her. In a big house.
"I hope to get back on the road in a different form in the future, but this is a good place at the moment," said Ms. Gailloux.
