Have you ever dreamed about living life on the road full-time? Will and Kristin (@numberjuanbus) and Kelsey and Jay (@kelsandjay) decided to make it happen. They converted buses into their homes and now travel around the United States.

Their social media channels feature content about their refurbished buses and their travels. Recently they posted a video series on YouTube about a geocaching competition they created with their friends. You can watch Part I of the exciting series on Kelsey and Jay’s channel and Part II on Will and Kristin’s channel. After seeing the thrilling competition, we knew we had to talk to them about life on the road and geocaching.

Kels and Jay – 

Instagram: kelsandjay

YouTube: Kels and Jay 

Will and Kristin – 

Instagram: numberjuanbus 

YouTube: Number Juan Bus

How did you decide to make the jump to living full-time bus life? What is the story behind it? 

numberjuanbus: We were both working from home and traveling so much for work. Every time we would get back home we’d realize the only thing we missed was our bed and dog (we didn’t have our daughter back then). We took a road trip in 2015 and lived out of our rental car for a week and loved it. Ever since that trip we dreamed of traveling full time, and in 2017 all the stars aligned and we bought a bus to convert into a home.

kelsandjay: We chose to live full time on the road because we always have had a passion for travel, and we figured if we didn’t do it now then there would really be no better time. In terms of choosing to do it in a skoolie/bus conversion, this idea came about after we saw a few conversions on YouTube, and we were hooked from there on in. I mean what’s better than traveling in something you built from the bare bones up?!

What has been the most rewarding aspect of buslife? 

numberjuanbus: The freedom to see the country and spend all our time together as a family. 

kelsandjay: Definitely the community. We have met and made some of the strongest bonds and friendships with people we have met on the road. Also just having the comfort of your own home with you wherever you are! Whether that’s at the beach or up in the mountains.

When did you first hear about geocaching? 

numberjuanbus: Will was a Boy Scout growing up and they would geocache. We just recently remembered it and decided to start doing it again as a family. We were sitting around a fire with friends and the topic came up and we decided to see if there were any caches near us (there were) so we went searching for it and a hobby was born!  

kelsandjay: We were all sitting around a campfire one evening in Joshua Tree when Jamie mentioned how it would be cool if there was such a thing as an adult scavenger hunt app. To which one of the group said, “Wait, you’ve never been geocaching before?” Before we knew it, it was 2am in the Joshua Tree desert and we were 10 geocaches deep.

When did you know you were hooked? 

numberjuanbus: After that night we were hooked! We came up with the idea with friends to create a game competition out of it!

kelsandjay: As soon as we found the first geocache. It is such a unique experience, hunting for treasure and then reading the history in the notes and all the cool trinkets that are hidden inside some of them.

What is the best part of geocaching? 

numberjuanbus: The hunt! 

kelsandjay: The best part is when you are just about to give up hope on a cache and then you stumble upon it. Either that, or how it enables you to explore new areas and go on some crazy adventures.

What have you learned/taken away from geocaching? 

numberjuanbus: Patience pays off and it’s always very exciting when you find a cache!

kelsandjay: We’ve learned that sometimes the best fun could be hidden right on your doorstep.

How do buslife and geocaching compliment each other? 

numberjuanbus: When we travel around in our home we get more opportunities to search for caches we wouldn’t get to find if we didn’t live in a bus. 

kelsandjay: We feel they work so well together because every week you’re in a new spot. New hikes to explore, caches to find and fun to be had. What also makes it the perfect mix is that you are traveling in a vehicle so the ease of going from one spot to the next is pretty seamless.

Any dream geocaching destinations? 

numberjuanbus: We just found a cache in Costa Rica on top of a mountain with an ocean view…that was a dream! 

kelsandjay: Heard there is one on the ISS?!!

Source: Geocaching