Heidi bought a toilet

OK. So I have not really bought a bus ... yet. 

But I have bought a toilet! 

It is a Sun-Mar composting toilet. It is funny how toilets can come into your life. While in Utah, I was talking about my plans for the next year with an old friend. He excited exclaimed, "I know a guy who is selling a toilet." After making a quick call after dinner, he got us the specs.  The rest is potty history.

Why a composting toilet? We flush billions of clean, drinkable water down the john every day in North America alone. Believe it or not, our poo can become essentially soil, just like any other animal's poo. How barbarous! But why not? Coming from a bus standpoint, whatever latrine system we have installed, we have to lug it around somewhere to dispose of it. Why not deal with innate, sterile, soil nourishing compost instead of poop-sludge? The "poop sludge" link really proves my point...

The best part of the deal is that we have found a lavatory that is buyable in its used state. Think about it. This thing had held the droppings of some stranger(s).  Our seller cleaned it up nice and was very forward about its issues. There is only one problem with the lu: its fan is broken. We could buy a new fan easily. In any case, we saved $ 1,600 buying it lightly used. AND is came with loads of peat moss, squirting liquids and crystals of all sorts to help control the fecal breakdown.

I recommend doing your research. If you check youtube for testimonies on sun-mar products you can find both the good and the bad.

Whether or not this toilet will work for us is another question. Keep reading and I will loyally, toilet-ly let you know.

Tread light,
Heidi

Why a bus?

Whenever I mention I mean to buy a bus to make it a home, I am usually met with a cynical yet intrigued, "Why the F *** a bus?".

The practical reasons:
A bus gives me a template for learning how to build the finer elements of a home: such as electrical wiring, woodworking, etc... The opportunity therefore gives me the chance to make an efficient home; I want to know what went into the bus and the direct cost of all parts. A school bus in particular has tons of windows. Although tons of windows does not do well for insulation, it does great for bringing in lots of natural light. Perhaps with some exploration-- a window-ey house can be efficient?

I am also done with throwing my money away to rent and energy. I have a budget. Now that I am 26 with a lot of undergraduate debt and adventures under my belt, but not as much money, career or whatever else gives a person house buying credit scores, I feel I am ready to invest in some do-able permanence that is not my friend's or parent's home / backyard. I am ready to gamble some of my future toward a little bit of unusualness and uncertainty.

The "romantic reasons":
A bus is (I should preface here that I am buying a used bus) the perfect outlet for the lusting creative, outdoor loving, shameless romantic in me that wants to re-use or salvage something to give it new breathe as a home. I also secretly enjoy breaking stereotypes and a school bus can be the perfect choice for breaking the "hippy bus" mentality, or as so many of my friends and family love to point out-- validate that mentality. However, this is not a platform for discussing semantics over what to call a person concerned about the well being of people and the incredibly beautiful world we live in... I'm past that. I'm doing.

I'm up for exploring what the essentials in life really are. I am interested in a gamble of my savings toward a work of art I have created and maybe with a little bit of that shameless romantic hope: can inspire.

I hope you reading this, find the bus journey as exciting as I do.

Tread light,
Heidi