A woman has shared the fascinating reason she chooses to live in her Tesla with her two pets – despite owning a condo.
Content creator Stephanie Virovec has been living with dog Snow and cat Finley on the road since the coronavirus pandemic, and explains that she feels safer on the move rather than in one place.
“I feel like a sitting duck in a house/apartment,” she explained in a comment. ‘In the car I can jump into my driver’s seat and go fast if I ever want to.’
Stephanie often posts videos detailing her lifestyle under the username @littlehippygal on TikTok, and in a recent clip, she took viewers on a ride through her Tesla Model Y.
The social media star, who is Canadian but spends a lot of time traveling across America, uses the front trunk of the electric vehicle for storage — keeping kitchen utensils, fire pits, treats for her pets and non-perishables safely stored away.
Content creator Stephanie chooses to live in her electric vehicle and explains that being a ‘sitting duck’ in one place gets her stressed
In the footwell of the passenger seat, she stores water, a tub of canned and dry food, a cooler, dog food and boots.
Stephanie sleeps in the back of the car at night, folding the passenger seats so a double-sized mattress can fit through the trunk.
There is another trunk under the mattress where she stores even more pet supplies, as well as some solar panels, folding chair and fold-down kennel.
At night, she puts a mattress on top of the bunk for her cat to sleep on, and a litter box is placed behind the driver’s seat.
To take a shower, Stephanie stops at recreation centers, gyms, truck stops, friends’ houses, rivers and lakes.
“It’s taken a lot of trial and error to get to this point, but I’m super happy about it,” she explained.
The car enthusiast added that living in an electric car is the best option for her right now.
“The charging is usually free and I have air conditioning for the pets,” she said.
Stephanie sleeps in the back of the car and folds down the passenger seats so a double-sized mattress can fit through the trunk
In addition to giving tours of her cars, Stephanie also shares her tips for staying safe while on the road.
Her first tip is to always park the car facing forward if you need a quick escape, and make sure you have a full tank of gas – or a fully charged car – before going somewhere remote.
Other tips include investing in security cameras, having more food than necessary and buying window screens for privacy.
Stephanie also has a few trusted friends and family members with whom she shares her location and encourages people to arrive at campsites before dark and always have a backup plan in case something falls through or doesn’t feel right.
“Life is too short not to live a life you love,” she explained. ‘And it’s one that I really enjoy.’