I was in the hospital when she came to me. Lying in my sterilized bed and dressed in my hideous hospital gown, I longed to be sleeping under the stars or racing on an empty road or curled up beside a campfire.

It all seemed so out of reach. That’s when I grabbed some markers and drew the logo for Camping Kitty. It was a way to manifest myself out of a terrible situation. She found adventure wherever she wandered and could rough it with the best of them, but always maintained a sense of style. She was free, roaming the world like a bohemian babe in hiking boots.

A year after I drew that little green tent with a “CK” kitty face, she still inspires me to follow my dreams of being a full-time gypsy. Today, I’m renovating a former school bus alongside Flannel Jack and preparing to take our tiny-house-on-wheels for the road trip of our lives.

We named our bus True North as reminder to follow our internal compass no matter where this big adventure takes us. We don’t always know where we’re going, but we believe all who wander are not lost. We roam and explore and test ourselves. We value experiences over things and opt for the outdoors over a penthouse in a tower any day of the week. We brake for fairy forests, food trucks, dance halls and hugs. Our road trip is our love letter to America.

With careers and families, taking the road less traveled may be out of reach for some, but everyone can come along this journey with us. I believe we all have a Camping Kitty inside of us — a free-spirit who sees life with all the possibility of an open road. We are all wild at heart and can face any challenge with mad style, and transform it into adventure. No matter where we sit, we’re all on the road trip of our lives.