My summer romance turned into living together in a bus and traveling the world
TWO adventurers have revealed how their holiday romance blossomed into a life together on a school bus.
Andrea, 24, from Puerto Rico, and Lewis, 26, from Ireland, have visited more than 20 countries.
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The couple has amassed over 1.67 million subscribers on YouTubewhere they give an insight into their lives.
Speaking to The US Sun, they opened up about their unconventional living situation.
Love at first bite
Lewis and Andrea were just teenagers when they met in 2014 while vacationing in Florida.
“While we were having lunch by the hotel pool, a seagull swooped down and stole Lewis’ cookie just as he had taken a bite,” Andrea said.
“When I saw this, I burst out laughing.
“My friend saw it and forced me to go to Lewis and introduce myself.
“From that moment on we had the summer romance of our dreams, until Lewis went back to Ireland two weeks later.”
After their chance meeting, they spent four years in a long-distance relationship.
HOME ON WHEELS
The couple married last year in an outdoor ceremony in Mexico.
They felt like their money was “going down the drain” when they decided to rent an apartment together in Florida for $1,600 a month.
After being so impressed by the bus travelers on social media, they decided to invest their money in the nomadic life.
“We’ve always loved to travel, so this sounded like the perfect trip to see the United States,” Lewis said.
“We wanted to decide in what state we would ultimately raise our children.”
They also thought it would be a good way to save money so they could invest their monthly rent in something they could own.
In the beginning of our relationship, we couldn’t live in each other’s country.
Lewis Kelly
The duo were “like a deer in the headlights” as they had no DIY experience when they started renovating their school bus in 2022.
“We haven’t added up the total costs over the last three years, but it’s definitely over $60,000,” Andrea said.
“That amounts to about $1,600 a month over three years.
“But now that we’re done, we no longer have to pay rent every month.
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“We know a lot of people who have done it for $5,000 to $10,000, but it just depends on what you want to do with it.”
“It’s like a blank canvas and it can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be,” Lewis added.
WORLDWIDE TRAVELING
Family and friends were not surprised by the couple’s decision to move from an apartment to a bus.
During the six years they dated, they visited more than 20 countries together.
“Because we were in a long-distance relationship, we had to move constantly because we couldn’t live in each other’s country in the beginning of our relationship,” Lewis said.
They have been traveling by bus across the US for two to three months now.
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The vehicle is currently parked at Andrea’s father’s farm in Puerto Rico while they travel internationally.
“We will always have our bus no matter what, but we definitely plan on getting our own space in the future,” Lewis said.
“Just like we designed and built our own bus, we also want to build our own house.”
NOT A SMOOTH RIDE
The couple regret not having more insulation and a second air conditioner installed in their bus.
But it’s not the only challenge they face as bus drivers.
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“Many RV parks are not friendly to self-renovated school buses,” says Andrea.
“Sometimes it can be quite difficult to find a site that accepts us.
“Fortunately, we are accepted at most campsites, which we find a lot more pleasant anyway.”
Lewis said many people don’t consider a renovated school bus home, but he’s “never” lived anywhere that feels more like home.
“It’s our own creation, completely from scratch, and we absolutely love it,” Lewis said.
“People also often ask about safety, but in the two years that we have been travelling here, we have never found ourselves in an unsafe situation.”
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