In March of next year, two Harding graduates will embark on an adventure of a lifetime. Traveling a total of 14,498 miles, the couple will take a journey to see 47 national parks over the span of 2018.
Currently living and working in Minnesota, Kyle and Kallie Nossaman have always dreamed of living in vehicle in order to travel. This past January, Kyle Nossaman found a school bus turned tiny house, which has since been renamed “The Emerald Mile Bus,” or “Emmy” for short. The previous owners spent five months converting and renovating the bus into a fully functioning home with a bathroom and shower.
“We are so thankful for their hard work,” the couple said. “It’s exactly how we would have designed and built the bus ourselves.”
The inspiration for the bus’ name came from Kyle Nossaman’s favorite book by Kevin Fedarko, “The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History through the Heart of the Grand Canyon.” The book follows a true story of a man and his record-breaking speed river run down the Grand Canyon in a little wooden boat called the Emerald Mile.
“To us, the bus is a reminder to keep exploring, to appreciate and experience the world that God created, and to not take life too seriously,” Kyle Nossaman said. “Oh, and the bus has an emerald green stripe down both sides and will rack up countless miles on the open road… Hence, the Emerald Mile Bus (Emmy for short).”
In March 2018, the Nossaman’s will forgo their lease and begin the next 365 days on the road. They will visit all 47 national parks and make their way through 48 states. Kyle Nossaman, who is a Director of Digital Media for GearJunkie, and Kallie Nossaman, a labor and delivery nurse, will leave their jobs and resume them a year later.
“When we’re not traveling, Kyle can work remotely from the bus, which is fully self-sustainable and built to be a mobile office. It’s equipped with solar panels, land power hook-ups, a wi-fi ranger system, mounts for computer monitors, and plenty of outlets throughout,” Kallie Nossaman said. “In addition, I may start travel nursing so that we can continue driving all over the U.S. and move whenever we’re ready for the next adventure.”
Between now and March 2018, the couple will travel using the Emerald Mile Bus on the weekends and to visit family in the South. They plan on going throughout Colorado, Utah, Canada and all around Minnesota. Already, they have run into bus malfunctions, which they understand is inevitable with a moving vehicle that is also a home. The couple says that they are going to take life as it comes and they will handle everything together.
“The year-long U.S. National Park road trip is what we look forward to the most because we’ll be able to spend every minute of every day living and exploring together,” Kyle Nossaman said. “We are truly happier when we’re together and can’t wait to just escape from the typical routine of life and have an epic, unforgettable adventure.”
To follow their journey, visit nossaman.wixsite.com/emeraldmilebus or on their Instagram account @emeraldmilebus.
