A 41-year-old who lives with her dog in a motorhome travelling up and down the UK after quitting her job as an air traffic controller has said she now “knows how snails feel” and loves the freedom of life with her home “on her back”. Kat Bird, a blogger originally from Jersey, began living in a motorhome with her daughter and her husband, who she would prefer not to name, in 2017 to help home-school her daughter by taking her to places, rather than “learning out of a textbook”.
Kat believes her family benefited from this experience, with her daughter being able to “interact with adults a lot better”. Her daughter decided to go back to mainstream college to do her A-Levels, but once she went off to university, Kat quit her job to travel full-time.
Kat and her husband travelled until they separated in 2022, and Kat now travels by herself with her five-year-old spaniel called Mac, travelling all over the UK and abroad in places such as Ireland and Italy. She only spends around £1,000 a month, on petrol and Wi-Fi, and makes an income by blogging about her travel experiences, talking at shows and has written several books about motorhoming and van life.
Kat said: “I have the ability to go wherever I want with my home on my back – I know how snails feel. It’s amazing not having to pack or figure out where you want to go. I sort of wing it when it comes to where I go.”
In 2017, Kat’s daughter began having “some issues at school”, so the family decided it would be best to home-school her – but decided to do this from a motorhome.
“We got her through her GCSEs,” Kat said. “Instead of learning history out of a textbook, for example, we took her to different places to see it for herself, such as Germany to see things about the war.”
Kat believes that she and her family benefited as a whole from living in such close quarters.
She said: “My daughter is an only child, and I think the experience made her interact with adults a lot better. She heard us having conversations about money and things, and she was always included in higher-level adult stuff that a lot of kids perhaps don’t see. I think looking back she can see it made us closer as a family too.”
In 2018, Kat quit her job as an air traffic controller in order to travel full-time.
She said: “Initially the plan was to travel around my husband’s work, but after just a few weeks, I needed something more to do so started a small blog, called Wandering Bird, sharing my travels and adventures. The first month when I didn’t get a proper wage into my bank account was terrifying. It definitely teaches you to be more mindful with money and figure out what’s important and what you can live without.”
The pair travelled for the next few years until they separated in 2022. Now, Kat travels full-time on her own in a £50,000 Swift 685 motorhome.
“It’s around seven metres long and it has a lounge area and a drop-down bed,” she explained. “It’s the perfect size for me, with lots of storage, a kitchen, a shower and a toilet.”
Kat has travelled solo both abroad and in the UK – when she is in Europe, she tends to wild park, and in the UK, she usually resides in campsites.
“I’ve been to Ireland, all over the UK and even Iceland last year, which was amazing,” she said. “I think my favourite place I’ve been is Iceland or the Dolomites in Italy – they’re both incredible.”
Another benefit of Kat living in a motorhome is that her monthly costs are relatively low compared to living in a house.
She said: “My spending varies and depends on where I’m staying, but it’s definitely cheaper than a house. I reckon I average probably around £1,000 a month – that includes things like insurance and the dog. Most of it goes on petrol, I don’t stay in one place very often.”
On if there is anything she misses from being in a traditional house, she said: “I think winter in a van is definitely harder, especially when you’ve got a spaniel who likes water and mud, and generally becomes messy. I miss having a proper washing machine and a tumble dryer, but many of the campsites have got those facilities, so that’s not that bad.
“I also miss not having to empty the toilet! But I think, overall, just the convenience of having everything on hand is so much nicer.”
Kat has also been able to combat any loneliness by connecting with those with similar lifestyles online. She shares her travels on her blog, Wandering Bird, as well as on YouTube and Instagram.
She said: “I post videos of my day in the life and travels, plus tips and places that I’ve been. I run a Facebook group too where people share advice, it’s a really nice group.”
Looking to the future, she said: “I can’t see myself giving up this lifestyle any time soon – I have so many more plans on where to travel – I wouldn’t change my life one bit.”
Kat will be speaking at The Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show which is returning to the NEC Birmingham from February 13 to 18, 2024. Tickets are on sale now – ccmshow.co.uk
