This week, we went to work. Not traditional work, but van work. At present, the van doesn’t look much different from when we bought it. It looks like the inside of a cargo van with a mounted bed and silver strips adhered to the sides for sound-dampening.

For the most part, the van will be very similar to this when we roll into Chicago in November for the big “van build”. With that said, there are a few things we want to do before then:

1. Insulation
2. Additional sound dampening
3. Temporary shelving

On Thursday, after making the bed frame a more silent driving companion, we began work on the insulation. We started by making cardboard templates of large pockets of the van that need to be insulated.

Once Colin cut the template, he would bring it to my “work station”: a large sheet of poly-iso insulation sitting atop two work horses.

We would trace the template and then I’d get to work, cutting away with my utility knife. Unlike my twin, who was banned from using sharp tools in our high school Student Council due to accidentally slicing a finger or two, I am not considered a danger to myself.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The day really started when I discovered Colin dumpster diving in our apartment’s garbage area.* Clearly, one of our new neighbors didn’t realize how small a micro studio really is and overpacked. What should have been dropped off at a donation center was lazily placed next to the dumpster in a clean Rubbermaid container which Colin set his sights on right away. Most of the items inside were artsy books, bad movies, and an unused notebook or two but there were a few treasures like duct tape, 3M command strips, and, my favorite, the Lion King DVD. So, that happened. Not even one week after I leave my job, I’m walking away from a dumpster, the proud owner of the Lion King. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

On the other hand, I did put in some solid hours of manual labor that day. So let’s call it a wash. By the time we quit “work” for the day, we had 13 pieces of insulation made and ready to go.

Once we have all the insulation we need, we’ll get to the super fun stuff – adhering them to the inside of the van with insulation foam! AHHHH I can’t wait!! This is right up there with the excitement of getting myself a pair of overalls. After all, anything worth doing, is worth doing right.

*Our lease at the micro studio ends September 1. Until then, we are living between two homes: the micro studio while we’re in town and the van while we’re out adventuring. Come September 1, we’ll be completely mobile!