What is Toaster Life?
When we first purchased our Airstream and started loading in our belongings for our road trip, we purchased a two-slice toaster and noticed the uncanny resemblance. From then on our Airstream was known as “The Toaster” and hence, Toaster Life.
ToasterLife.com is the documentation of our travels and new way of life through a lot of photos and quick journal-like updates. When the concept of this trip became a reality, everyone jumped on board. The response from friends, family, even strangers, is always either "I wish I could do that", "I can't wait to do that when I retire", or "I'm going to live my life vicariously through you two." From day one, those responses made us sad! Toaster Life has become an outlet for us to help inspire other people. You don't need to be rich, be retired, or have anything figured out to follow your dreams. You just have to make them happen. We think Toaster Life is living proof of that.
How did you decide to travel around the country in an Airstream? How were you inspired to do this?
Toni was halfway through her freshman year of college, stressing out about not knowing what she wanted to pursue with an education. She wasn't happy with three more years of college, or three more years in her hometown. Dan was recovering from a terrible motorcycle accident and struggling with being cooped up in his condo. He was never going to have a healthy recovery if his mind wasn't in the right place.
As a couple, we had done a fair amount of traveling together, but none of the trips were ever long enough. We always came back home feeling like we hadn't scratched the itch yet. We talked about a lot of options, but dropping everything and moving into an Airstream for a year was the only thing that got our hearts racing.
Where have you traveled to so far?
We started our trip on August 14, 2014 in Massachusetts. Since then, we have made it all the way north to Quebec City, Canada, all the way south to Key West, Florida, across the southern route of the country through Texas and Arizona, and for the past two months we have been working our way north from San Diego to San Francisco, California. We've driven almost 20,000 miles in our truck and we've still got four months to go!
What has been your favorite part of this journey? Do you have a favorite memory?
Our favorite part of the journey has been that this no longer feels like a vacation, it's just our lives now. We've grown to appreciate the life we've created for ourselves on a deeper level than anticipated. We have our necessary lazy days, but we no longer take days for granted, like we did towards the beginning.
We have so many favorite memories! How do you pick?! One memory that really stands out is our first day at Malibu Beach RV Park. We had been talking about the campground for a year. We backed into a beautiful site right across from the ocean and instantly felt wonderful. As soon as we unhitched, Toni ran into the Airstream and opened up the back window above the bed. The ocean was right there! We both sat in bed that night so content and completely happy.
Another would be the Glacier Point hike in Yosemite National Park. On our second day in the park we were ready for a challenge. We had been loving being lazy on the beaches of Southern California, but now it was hiking time. We set out to conquer the 10-mile hike that is Glacier Point. The hike is five miles straight uphill and we were practically unconscious by the time we reached the viewpoint at the top. We were standing higher than the tallest waterfall in the country! We couldn't believe we actually made it. And then we realized we still had a 5-mile hike back down, complete with jello legs and aching feet. We rewarded ourselves with pizza and fell asleep by 8:30 PM. We were so proud of ourselves!
How do you "Live Riveted" - not just Airstreaming, but what makes you come alive? How do your travels help you come alive?
Our travels come alive when we push the limits. When we reach the top of a mountain, light headed and tired, and see one of the most beautiful views in the country. When we spend our days volunteering in a garden and lounging in a hot spring instead of sitting at a desk. When we drive for an entire day to reach a destination, just because we wanted it now, not next week.
Our travels come alive when we find happiness in the smallest of things. When we're driving through an empty farm town and see the sun setting behind miles of rolling green hills. When we're laying on the warm white sand and hear seals talking to each other in the distance. When we're riding our bicycles down a busy street and no longer find ourselves overwhelmed.
Tell us more about your vision for your journey and adventures.
The vision for our journey and our adventures is happiness. Toaster Life has been about creating our own happiness, instead of waiting for it to come to us. It has been about taking our time to figure out what we want for the long term, instead of feeling pressured to decide. It has been about doing things for ourselves, because we're not always going to be young and we're not always going to be able to be selfish.
We started the trip with a few blueprints. Toni wanted to feel inspired, to live her life, and to start to gather some potential options for her future. Dan wanted to kickstart his recovery process, build up his physical strength again, and figure out what’s next for him. So far, we are doing pretty well, but we're also feeling less pressure to make these things happen on a time crunch. We've learned to just appreciate our life in it's current state. You can't force your brain to feel enlightened..you just have to let it happen.
We loved getting to hear about Dan and Toni’s story of how they are pushing their limits and exploring the world around them! To learn more about this adventurous and inspiring couple, follow them on Instagram: @DanGillan and @ToniNoe and check out their website, ToasterLife.com.
