Burlington, VT – The tiny-house movement hits the road and comes to the campus of Champlain College on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Perry Hall Presentation Room. As part of an Open House earlier in the day (noon to 2 p.m.), on the Rozendaal Courtyard on campus, the couple will share their tiny-house-on-wheels – a 1957 “canned ham” trailer combining a solar powered electrical system with a golden-age, vintage look. Bring your own mug to enjoy a hot cocoa with them.

What started out as an expedition in 2012 has turned into a lifestyle. During the evening’s presentation, Shari Galiardi and Dave Hutchison of Boone, NC, will share what they discovered when they said goodbye to their professional careers in higher education and their three-bedroom, 2.5 bath house and hit the road. Going from 1,650 to 72 square feet was a challenging downsize in which the couple found “Freedom in a Can.”

As outdoor enthusiasts and advocates for sustainability, the couple has spent the past three years traveling 60,000 miles across the U.S. and Canada, visiting 44 states, and more than 50 national parks  and monuments, and many other public lands.

Along the way, they visited old friends, made many new ones, found meaning through seasonal work and volunteer service, and fell in love with their America all over again. The presentation will include stories, advice, and images of the places they’ve visited.

“It just seems like a natural next step for us and what we should be doing at this time of our lives,” they reply when people ask them if they are “living the dream?” They’ve been called brave, adventurous and just plain crazy, but they are dedicated to “living large by living small.” “It is a means for us to be outside and close to the natural wonders we want to experience, while never having to leave home.”

Galiardi and Hutchison spent the past several months in Down East Maine working as Environmental Education Rangers for Acadia National Park. Prior to this, they spent a combined eight months volunteering on organic farms from Maine to Hawaii. “Our ideal lifestyle is a balance of paid work, volunteering, and travel – committing  four months a year to each.”

As experienced educators, the couple has taken their story on the road and online. Over the past year, they’ve presented at the Grand Rapids RV, Travel, and Camper show, were interviewed on TV, contributed to an online RV Travel Summit, and authored their own travel blog at followshariandhutch.blogspot.com.

The program is sponsored by The Core Division, The Environmental Policy Program, and Sustain Champlain at Champlain College, Burlington, Vt. www.champlain.edu. 

For more information or to arrange an interview:

• Dave Hutchison, Hutchison02@gmail.com,  828.963.0224

• Stephen Mease, Director of Public Information & News, Champlain College, 802-865-6432, smease@champlain.edu