Couple Kourtney and Trevor moved to Entebbe Uganda shortly after they were married. It wasn’t hard for Trevor to stand out in Entebbe, as Kourtney recalls. They were living and working in a somewhat remote area, where they quickly learned that most of the children had never seen anyone like him – that would be, a tall, blonde man with light skin almost totally covered in tattoos. On their daily walks, kids used to run up to them singing “crazy white man.” In Swahili, the word for crazy is wazimu, and it was about to change their lives forever…

One day in the middle of an Entebbe breakfast, their plans to stay there were abruptly altered by Trevor’s buzzing phone. A few months before they left, he had placed a bid at a military auction for a retired truck, and this notification was telling him he’d won. Showing Kourtney the email, she continued sipping her coffee while giving him a polite but skeptical nod. It really didn’t look like it had much potential, and she cringed thinking of the ugly monster truck parked outside their house.

But Kevin knew what he wanted, and that’s exactly where the truck ended up – for the next year and a half. And he and Kourtney had to spend plenty of that time explaining what a 1998 Stewart and Stevenson M1078 carrier truck, which was formerly used to transport soldiers and cargo, was doing sitting there to their friends and family. But in the meanwhile, they began planning and saving for their renovations – which would eventually blow everyone’s minds…

They certainly had their disagreements, and they would have plenty more to come. But one thing they agreed on right off the bat was this: they were building their new home. A year and a half later, they finally had enough money to begin the renovation process. First, Trevor removed the truck’s back portion and built a 130-square-foot shell from scratch, welding a box-like frame out of steel and installing plumbing, electricity, flooring, and even a shower deep enough to be a bath.

Come February 2019, the married duo and their two rescue dogs, a Doberman named Duke and an English Bulldog named Louis, took two suitcases each (including just eight items of clothing) and moved into their truck and out west. With a sink, a stove, a toilet, a shower, a television, a queen-size bed, and custom decorations lining the walls and shelves, they left with the feeling that they had everything they needed and their hearts set on adventure…

But despite their optimism, they set off with only a rough outline of potential, rather than a perfect plan for stability. Trevor is a contracted stuntman, while Kourtney does freelance marketing. They both share a wedding photography business, and would follow their weekend gigs wherever they may take them, with Kourtney editing their footage en route to the next destination. This first chapter of their tiny living adventure included Arizona, Virginia, Utah, Colorado, California, Nevada, and Texas. And it has been breathtakingly beautiful – but it has NOT been easy…

In 2017, traveling full-time was just a dream for Kourtney and Trevor. The couple had fallen deeply in love, and wasted no time heading out into the world to share new adventures together. Shortly after they were married, they got a photography opportunity with a non-profit in Entebbe Uganda and they entertained the idea of staying there to work with the orphanage…

When they first set out, they had already waited so long to hit the road that they didn’t anticipate much about life on the other side of the state line. Kourtney said the first wave of fear hit her somewhere between Kentucky and Arkansas, when she asked herself for the first time, “Dang. We’re doing this! Where are we parking tomorrow night!? What are we even doing!?“ They were surprised by how easily they downsized…but they had an onslaught of mechanical breakdowns on the horizon.

The unexpected mechanical breakdowns in unexpected locations didn’t quite fit into the picture the lovebirds had of their romantic nomadic life. At best, they slowed them down and caused them to miss some opportunities. But at worst, they left them stranded with no solution in sight, harboring a new kind of stress they’d never known before. Kourtney can say for sure that a lot of the goals she had for her lifestyle change hadn’t come to fruition…

She had a big list of things she expected them to see, learn, and do: pick up the ukulele again, learn more Spanish, hike a bunch of epic trails, and get new projects started. But, as Kourtney disclosed, “Life just has other plans sometimes. These first five months on the road has been what we are now referring to as our ‘trial expedition.’ But come hell or high water, we have always figured it out.”

And people told them, too, that the first six months would be the most difficult. They said, “Everything that can go wrong. WILL go wrong.” And “they” were right – many of their problems came in big wave swells, knocking them out when they were already down and trying to steal their hope. And they couldn’t have gotten through most of them without stress, failures, and a helping hand from others. But you know what else “they” said?

They said, “It’ll be worth it, and you’ll become a better version of yourself.” And Kourtney and Trevor can wholeheartedly confirm that it’s the truth. Through all of the financial, emotional, and even geographical turmoil, the two of them somehow find themselves unafraid. Moments of stress, worry, and frustration pass over quickly, but what’s constant is the feeling that they made the right choice. Which is probably leading everyone to assume that they must have the perfect relationship getting them through it all together…but think again…

As far as their relationship goes, Kourtney describes the two of them as extreme opposites. “Seriously. If there was a contest for most opposite couple, we’d win gold every time.” For starters, they aren’t even on the same sleeping schedule – Kourtney is a night owl, doing her best editing at two in the morning, while Trevor is up before the sun. Wonder which one decides when to pull out the bed and when to put it away the next day…

For another thing, their clothing choices do not match. Most days Kourtney sports yoga leggings or sweat pants, and refuses to take them off until she has good reason to. But she says it’s rare to catch Trevor out of work pants – complete with tools filling every available pocket. And when it comes to the weather, they’re from different sides of the planet as well: Kourtney wants warm beaches and sand all year, while Trevor’s dream life is locked in a cabin behind 12 inches of snow.

Their personalities are also full-on yin and yang. Kourtney likes to push buttons, and jump without looking. She lives by the motto, “Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” Trevor likes making and sticking to rules. Yet with work, it’s the complete opposite: Kourtney needs something explained several different ways and times, saying “I need directions to draw a stick person.” But she describes Trevor as an artist in every way – dreaming of something one night and creating it the next morning.

Though when it comes to the pets, they’re totally on the same page. They’re lucky to have good travel dogs, with their Doberman capitalizing on his many chances to roam, and their adorably lazy English bulldog taking his chilling “truck dog” reputation very seriously. “We rotate cool mats from the freezer for them to lay on during long drives,” Kourtney shared. But despite all of their differences, they do not like being apart.

Even before they moved in together, they only spent four straight days apart their entire relationship. Plenty of people have been judgmental about it, calling them unhealthy or codependent. But Kourtney says, “As I get older I’ve learned to respect other people’s relationships and understand that what works for me might be the complete opposite of someone else. Relationships are complex…so if it works, it works! Don’t let others project too much unwanted advice. In a world of constant comparisons, find what works for you. You’ll thank yourself later.”

On top of their relationship, even more people speak out to criticize their way of life. But they like to live by their favorite Winston Churchill quote, which hangs on their tiny wall and reads: “When you’re 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you’re 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you’re 60 you realize no one was ever thinking about you in the first place. You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

Trevor’s advice to the world is, “Every time I take a step in the right direction, the world reminds me of what I have done in my past. It hits you hardest when you’re already down. But I am doing my best to accept me, not for who I was, but for who I am. Slow down, look around, and even though it may look like you’re staring at the world through a dirty window, remember you can always clean the window, or better yet, go outside.”

Quotes can’t solve your problems, but it can make them easier to bear and lend some positivity to change how the same situation is experienced. Kourtney can remember one time recently when her fly was down during a photoshoot. She realized how tiny living has stretched her own inner control freak and sense of humor in so many ways, commenting, “Life is full of bloopers, mistakes and messy moments. Getting to a mental place where you can finally celebrate the mess, is so freeing.”

Kourtney says her favorite “tiny home moments” are at night when they climb into bed and everything feels tranquil, like how she used to dream a treehouse hidden away from the world would feel as a kid. Or, it’s the quiet, cozy environment they’ve built for themselves to get their work done in. It’s also staying as long or short as their “restless hearts desire” in any one place. But there’s one myth they want to bust about “living small…”

They insist that being constantly on the move and out on the open road changes how a person looks at size. The scales shift; things seem small, but suddenly, life seems huge. And Kourtney can say for sure that just like the space outside, the space inside has also increased: “In a world of overload and constant visuals and activities, I have space in my brain! It’s the space that used to be occupied by survival.”

That’s why, through the thick and thin, she wouldn’t trade this life for anything. She says, “I feel so lucky to have this life with my boys and this precious gift of mental clarity for this time. I don’t know how long this time will last, how long life will look like this. But I’m determined to be present in all the beauty and mess, for as long as it’s mine to embrace.” Overall, they have no plans to stop or slow down anytime soon!

Born to wildlife photographer-filmmakers in June of 1990, Tippi didn’t have an ordinary childhood. Her parents, a French couple, wanted to raise their daughter somewhat unconventionally. With that, Sylvie Robert and Alain Degré relinquished their lives back home for the freedom of nature in Southern Africa. There, Tippi grew up amongst wild animals for the first 10 years of her life. She spent her days not only making friends with elephants and cuddling meerkats but also becoming one with nature as the real-life Mowgli from The Jungle Book.

While this kind of lifestyle isn’t for everyone, Tippi’s mother definitely has no regrets about the decision to give her daughter this beautifully different and unique upbringing. During an interview with The Telegraph, Sylvie revealed that “it was magical to be able to be free in this nature with this child, she was a very lucky little girl — she was born and raised until the age of 10 totally in the wild. It was just the three of us living in the wild with the animals and not too many humans.”

Sylvie also disclosed that when she was a little girl, Tippi’s daily life and responsibilities consisted of tasks that included making sure monkeys didn’t steal her bottle. Aside from that, Sylvie recalls that on many occasions, Tippi would call her over before pointing “to an elephant eating from a palm tree and say ‘mummy, be quiet, we’re going to frighten him.'” While most children at that age wouldn’t have such strong instincts in regard to wild animals, it was evidently clear that Tippi was different…

We think it’s safe to say that Tippi was quickly able to acclimate and integrate herself into the lives of the wildlife that surrounded her, despite her young age. It was pretty obvious to her parents that Tippi was fearless as she — according to her mother — “was in the mindset of these animals. She believed the animals were her size and her friends. She was using her imagination to live in these different conditions.” And what a beautiful imagination this little girl had…

By the time she was just 10 months old, Tippi was already on the move. While many babies at this point in life are usually still crawling on all fours, Tippi was not only walking around but also running through the jungle with her wild pals. Considering, though, that Sylvie mentioned Tippi spent her infancy making sure no wild animal stole her bottle away from her, this early development must have made it that much easier to keep up.

At this point, we can all admit that Tippi didn’t necessarily have a normal upbringing and wasn’t an ordinary kid. While most children learn how to look both ways before crossing the street or how to tie their shoelaces, Tippi faced other dangers that her parents avidly taught her how to deal with from a very young age. She learned several survival techniques as a child including constantly having to be on guard and watching out for ferocious beasts and anything else that could harm her.

At one point, Tippi met and befriended a lion cub named Mufasa — a moment that was captured in photographs taken by her parents. A year after meeting her friend, Tippi and her parents went for a visit with Mufasa. Naturally, that little cub that Tippi once knew had grown into a very large cat. While the lion was super friendly with Tippi, even giving her a friendly rub, his tail nearly knocked her over. That’s when her parents decided to step in and keep her away from the kitty cat.

As we mentioned before, Tippi’s parents were extremely pleased with their decision to raise Tippi in Africa. They had not one single regret and even admitted that it “was incredible to think you offer all of this to a child. Because I was at ease, because I liked it, and because we had lived with the meerkats in the Kalahari desert for six years before Tippi was born, I believed it was fantastic to have that to offer to a child compared to what I would be able to offer to a child living in a city for example.”

Tippi was only a year and a half when she met her dear friend, Abu — an elephant. While you’d think that she’d see the size of this wild animal and run in fear, Tippi did the exact opposite. Instead, the little baby would look into Abu’s eyes and speak to him as if he was an old friend. According to Sylvie, the bond that her daughter and Abu had made so quickly was just absolutely “incredible.” If only we could have been there to see it for ourselves…

Aside from her friendship with Abu, Tippi once revealed during an interview with The Telegraph that her best friend is a leopard named J&B. He had been adopted by a local farmer, as his mother died in a trap. Although he was extremely calm with Tippi, he certainly never lost his killer instincts. Tippi even recalled a time that the cat attacked another child. Once Tippi walked up to him and told him to stop, though, J&B retreated and ran away…

There’s no denying that Tippi had something special, even from a young age. Unlike most people, Tippi was able to make connections with animals on levels that many can’t even begin to grasp. Her mother, Sylvie, explained that “Tippi always said that everybody was gifted and this was her gift.” This gift — being able to communicate with wildlife — allowed her to meet many types of animals, and her parents were luckily able to capture some pretty amazing photos along the way…

Let’s be real — most little girls would cry at the very thought or possibility of even touching a frog. But like we’ve mentioned before, Tippi was different. She was friends with animals that were not only 10 times her size but with small, and even slimy ones as well. Here, in this photo, Sylvie and Alain were able to capture a sweet moment shared between their wild child and an African Bullfrog, the largest frog in South Africa.

While most ostriches in the wild would normally run away from humans — as they see them as predators — it seems like Tippi won this one over. It actually turns out that this ostrich, Linda, was owned by a local farmer. As you can tell from this photo, Tippi looks carefree and at peace. With the wind blowing through her hair, Tippi rides atop this large bird’s back with a wide grin plastered on her face. And we have to say, Linda looks pretty content as well…

Throughout their travels, it wasn’t uncommon for the Degré family to encounter tribespeople. In fact, Tippi even made friends with the bushmen and people of the Himba tribe in the Kalahari. Not only did the tribe teach Tibbi how to survive on roots and berries as well as use a bow and arrow, but they also taught her their language. According to Sylvie, Tippi spent a lot of time with the tribe, revealing that “when we filmed the San Bushmen of northern Namibia we would let Tippi spend the day with the group without us until she would fall asleep among the kids.”

From the very beginning, Tippi was accepted by the local tribe children. When she and her parents arrived at this particular village, the children fell in love with Tippi within a matter of seconds. According to Sylvie, “Tippi was the clown and people found her so cute.” With that being said, the tribe children were completely accepting of Tippi. They absolutely loved playing with her and were especially fascinated by her hair. Sadly, Tippi never really found that acceptance when she left Africa to return to Europe.

When Tippi was around six years old, she and her parents took a family trip to the Mauritian offshore islands, which happen to play a crucial role in supporting some of the largest breeding colonies of seabirds in the Indian Ocean. Therefore, it’s really no surprise that they decided to vacation here. What else isn’t very surprising? The fact that Tippi basically became one with the flock. Here, you can see Tippi hanging with her new friends — arms outstretched and completely in sync with her surroundings.

Whether we’d like to admit it or not, there’s no way we could ever be okay with a snake slithering up our face, no matter what age. But once again, Tippi isn’t just anyone and her strong connection with animals is crystal clear in this photo. Tippi happily holds this snake as it slithers up her bare skin to give her a smooch. Her parents were able to snap this photo at the perfect moment, showcasing just how brave this little girl is. Seriously — would you not run away screaming?

While most children fall asleep with a stuffed animal of some sort, Tippi really gave that concept a whole new meaning. Aside from playing with wildcats, Tippi also enjoys taking the occasional snooze with them too. Here, in this photo, Tippi is cuddling a lion cub as she naps in the desert sun. From the looks of it, this kitty cat doesn’t seem to mind and looks very much at peace with Tippi’s presence. This truly isn’t something you see every day…

Unlike the “Do Not Feed the Animals” signs you typically see at a zoo, there aren’t really any rules in the wild. Take this photo, for instance. Here, we can see Tippi feeding a zebra on top of a hill. And we have to say, the zebra seems pretty enthusiastic about whatever Tippi has to offer in that container. As per usual, Tippi is totally laid-back and calm as she feeds the animal. And just like that, she has a new friend! Then again, food is a great way to make friends no matter what or who you are…

As Tippi got older, she began to take an interest in film and decided to study cinema in France. Although her parents are filmmakers, it still seems a bit surprising that she didn’t choose to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. However, Tippi is still very much involved when it comes to wildlife. She spends a lot of her time working for conservation — protecting wild species and their habitats in order to prevent species from going extinct — and filmmaking is an undeniably effective way to spread awareness.

How awesome is this photo?! While it doesn’t come as much of a shock that Tippi rode elephants throughout her childhood, there’s no denying that this is a beautifully captured moment. You can see the genuine bond these two share with each other. The fact that this big guy is cradling Tippi in his trunk just goes to show the amount of respect, trust, and love they have for one another. Aside from the fact that Tippi looks absolutely serene and peaceful, it’s clear that this elephant enjoys her company just as much.

We think it goes without saying that Tippi was accepted with open…trunks into the local elephant herd. Not only were they more than happy to give her a lift when she needed but they were also welcoming when it came to their bathing and cooling downtime in the local pond. From the photo, it’s clear that Tippi is excited as she splashes the water. Still, her big friend remains calm, showing once again just how trusting the elephants were of her.

Although Tippi’s childhood was unconventional, there’s no doubt in our minds that she loved every second of it. From her home to her clothing and especially her friends, Tippi wasn’t an ordinary little girl. While most young girls grow up wearing dresses, this wild child primarily wore animal skins and loincloths. She carried a suitcase made from local trees whereas most little girls carry purses around. Tippi’s version of cuddling with stuffed animals was snuggling with live animals — something that almost no other young girl would do…

Besides the local tribe children, Tippi’s playmates — as we’ve mentioned — were animals, which also included monkeys. Not only do monkeys have many similarities to current day humans but they have also come to be known as one of the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom. This photo, for instance, displays the deep understanding and bond that Tippi clearly shares with this animal. As they sit there studying each other, the monkey puts its hand out for Tippi to gently caress.

During the early years of her childhood, Tippi’s parents home-schooled her. They used their knowledge as well as the environment to teach their daughter all she needed to know. Since turtles can teach great moral lessons about patience and determination — you all remember The Tortoise and the Hare — it’s believed that Sylvie and Alain used the behavior of turtles as well as other animals in various lessons. After attending public school for a short time when they moved back to Europe, Tippi and her parents realized that homeschooling was the best option.

If you didn’t believe us before about Tippi getting accepted into the herd, then you will after taking a look at this photo. Let’s be real — you can see just how much these two love each other. Despite the fact that the African Elephant is one of the largest land animals on Earth, Tippi doesn’t seem to mind its size. They can grow up to 13 feet tall and weigh up to seven tons. These magnificent creatures can also live up to 70+ years old!

In all honesty, there’s no denying that Tippi hands-down has the best childhood photo album to ever exist. Thanks to Sylvie and Alain, you’ve already gotten to see tons of moments that the wild child has shared with various animals including elephants, lions, monkeys, and even turtles. At this point, it’s safe to say that Sylvie and Alain have an eye when it comes to not only raising their daughter but also capturing the most special moments.

From the looks of it, riding elephants came with ease for Tippi, even as a little girl. In fact, it was a bonding activity with a friend rather than a tourist attraction. The unfortunate reality is that many circuses and other forms of entertainment have been criticized for mistreating their animals. Many of these animals are forced to perform stunts and entertain spectators, and sometimes under very harsh conditions. In the wild, though, life for these creatures is a lot more peaceful…

It made no difference what kind of animal it was — cute or ugly, big or small — because Tippi never discriminated. She had enough love to share with each and every single animal around her. If that wasn’t clear to you guys by now, this picture will help you gain a better understanding. Once again, you can see Tippi getting close with another friend for a big kiss. This time, though, it’s a tiny and slimy reptile. While most parents would pull their child away in fear of them getting bitten, Sylvie and Alain knew their little girl could handle the situation just fine on her own.

Similar to our favorite little Mowgli from The Jungle Book, Tippi spent the first 10 years of her life in minimal clothing. Many times, she is photographed wearing just a loincloth or other light fabrics. There’s a reason for this, though. Tippi wore these garments throughout her childhood in order to keep cool in the hot African climate. We can only imagine how challenging it must have been for her to have to transition to everyday clothing, like jeans and a t-shirt.

When Tippi was 12 years old, she and her parents returned to Africa to film a few documentaries for the Discovery Channel. While Sylvie remembers it being a wonderful experience, Tippi disagreed. During her interview with The Telegraph, the wild child revealed that “it was great to see the elephants and the lions, but it would have been better if it hadn’t always been in front of the camera. It was hard work, it was difficult, it was hot, and I was not happy all the time. I was worn out at the end of it.”

As you can tell by now, Tippi was photographed with various different wild animals throughout her life. It turns out, though, that many of these animals were tamed by local farmers. Sylvie revealed that “in the arid or semi-desert regions of Southern Africa, people have farms of 10,000 to 20,000 hectares. The farmers often keep orphan animals and raise them in their house. Sometimes they are tame or used to humans and so this is how Tippi was able to be so close with them.”

According to Tippi’s parents, their little girl never had a problem approaching any species. She welcomed any and all animals into her life whether they were bigger or smaller than her. It made no difference what kind of reputation the animal had because Tippi truly saw the best in each one. She was, and most likely still is, the definition of fearless. Just take a look at this photo — just from one glance, it’s clear that Tippi has zero problems cuddling up with these meerkats.

Despite the fact that Tippi was constantly amongst thousands of wild animals, she was actually only bitten once. Her first bite was on the nose by a meerkat, which is sort of ironic considering the fact that Tippi’s middle name — Okanti — means mongoose or meerkat. Besides that little nibble, Tippi only dealt with one other incident in which Cindy the baboon attacked Tippi’s hair and ended up pulling out a handful. Sylvie believes that this was done as an act of jealousy towards Tippi.

When the rest of the world learned of Tippi, her life story became a focal point in the media. People really couldn’t get enough of this wild child and wanted to know everything about her experiences. Multiple documentaries have been made about the real-life Mowgli including Le Monde Selon Tippi (The World According to Tippi), Tippi en Afrique, and Around the World With Tippi — which included six wildlife and environmental television documentaries that were released on the Discovery Channel in 2004.

After living in the African jungles for her first 10 years, it came time for Tippi to enter mainstream society. That’s when she and her parents moved back to city life in France. The Degré family moved into a small flat that didn’t even have enough room for a dog. At this point, Tippi realized that her life was going to change. After all, she went from having the whole African continent as her backyard to a concrete jungle gym — the very definition of urban living.

It’s no surprise that Tippi had a tough time transitioning into her new life for the first few years. While her parents tried to help her acclimate by sending her to a local state school in Paris, Tippi found that she had little in common with the other children. At this point, she and her parents realized that homeschooling was just the way to go. In order to alleviate her desire to be around animals, Tippi’s parents bought a budgie — a long-tailed, seed-eating parrot that can also be called a parakeet. According to Sylvie, the little birdie would go everywhere with Tippi, “even on the train flying right by her side, sitting on her head or falling asleep on her shoulder.”

As Tippi got older and looked back at her childhood, she realized just how blessed she was to have had the experiences that she did. She began running her own website by the time she was 10 years old to discuss her experiences living in the wild writing, “My name is Tippi. I am African and I was born 10 years ago in Namibia.” According to Sylvie, Tippi believes that she’s African and dreams of obtaining a Namibian passport. At one point, she wanted to become an ambassador for Namibia but the pressures of modern life distracted her from her life’s calling…

Despite the fact that all she wanted to do was return to her life in the wild, Tippi knew that she must first complete her education. Once she had fully adjusted to her new life, Tippi began attending public school and eventually went to La Sorbonne Nouvelle University. There, she studied film and was last reported supervising tigers at Fort Boyard — which happens to be the site of a popular game show. This picture of Tippi was taken at the FICMA, an international environmental film festival.

Believe it or not, but Tippi isn’t the only kid to have lived this kind of life. In fact, there have been several other cases in which a child was raised by animals. For example, Marina Chapman — who was believed to have been kidnapped and later abandoned. For five years, Chapman found refuge with a group of capuchin monkeys who taught the girl how to catch birds and rabbits with her bare hands. Then, in 2001, a young Chilean boy was found to have been living amongst a pack of dogs for two years. The dogs reportedly protected him and helped him hunt for food.