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A woman over 50 turned her van into a serene 'tiny home' and has lived in it for 3 years

"I needed my soul to heal."

Photo by Leo_Visions on Unsplash

A van in the desert.

Sometimes, when life gets too complicated, we need to slow down and get smaller. This was the case for Lori Losch, who woke up one day, post-50-years-old, and decided it was time for a change.

As she explains in a video posted to the Tiny Homes YouTube channel, "I decided to do 'van life' for a couple of reasons. One was to heal from some pretty traumatic life events. And the other was to find a smaller town to move to, to be able to interview small towns as I traveled."

Losch reveals on her website that she battled addiction for a quarter of a century. "I’m a soul who finally broke free from the addiction cycle after a 25-year battle. I used the pain of powerlessness, acute anxiety, and bouts of deep depression to point me towards truth and freedom." After leaning into 12-step programs, psychedelic plant healing, faith, and relying on her community, she shares she has truly learned what it is to be alive.

Part of that is traveling, and this is something she likes to do on her own terms. So, she custom-designed a van to feel like a "tiny home" where she lives, works, travels, and heals. She even bought a custom curtain to separate the front area (where the driving happens) from the back so that it feels less like an RV and more like a home.

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On her tour, she first shows the viewers a swivel desk. "It's been an amazing feature, this lagoon table." It serves as her office when she's talking to clients, but also as a hub if she just wants to sip a latte or watch a movie on her laptop with her dog by her side.

She designed her kitchen so that her sink would have a big window view, which changes daily. "I wanted to have a lot of counter space and also the butcher block creates just warmth in the van." Of the large sink, she loves that she can wash her 11-pound dog Tessa in it. Her tiny fridge/freezer is "low volt," above which she has organized food storage. "You learn how to live just much more minimally, but I cook great food in this little kitchen. You know how they say three-point kitchen? Well, this is a one-point kitchen and it's perfection."

Losch also notes that when you scale down to just the essentials, you might find greater value in those things. She alludes to having had large homes in the past, one with "1500 books." Now, she simply has the books she's reading or plans to read. "When I'm done with them, they move on to other people." (The books incidentally hide the interior antenna for her "weBoost system," which helps boost cell service "when you're in a dodgy spot.")

books, cozy corner, design, van life, travel An open book sitting on top of a table next to a candle. Photo by anotherxlife on Unsplash

The bathroom is incredibly innovative, but, ironically, she found she didn't need much of what was built. She points out that while she has an exterior shower, she thought she wanted an interior shower, as well. And although she has a super cool setup wherein she flips a little table over and puts up a shower curtain, she prefers showering outside. As for the toilet, "I got a Cassette Toilet. It's like the best thing you can buy and I've never put my butt on it." She continues, "I climb a lot of mountains. I'm mainly out in nature, and nature is fine." Instead, she uses the area for laundry and storage and claims, "I roll with it cuz it's here. I use it for something different than I anticipated."

Her bedroom is cozy and, though she designed it like a little cave, it has a small window too. She got a ten-inch foam mattress set up at the back of the van, and the doors hinge out. She shares, "When I'm backed onto a lake or a river, I open up both doors and they hinge 270 degrees. That was super important to me. So I'm just up here, room with a view—it's awesome."

lake view, van life, outdoor living, mental health, travel A lake surrounded by mountains. Photo by clement fusil on Unsplash

Every design decision came with a lot of research and intentionality. She has an AC and diesel heating system, which she explains, "...Uses your fuel. It pipes out from under the passenger seat into the van and takes about two minutes, literally, to heat this place up." She also meticulously built a garage that houses the electrical features. "I went with 300 solar watt panels on the roof and they charge 400 amp hours of lithium battery. And I've got a DC to DC inverter, so when you're driving the van, it's also charging."

She explains, "A question I get asked often is 'Why? Why the van? Why tiny living?' And I think for me, my life was always fairly contained. I liked to live below my means. I didn't like a whole lot of extravagance and waste. Then I got married and I found myself with someone who was extravagant in a lot of things, with multiple homes. When I came out of it, it's like the pendulum had to go way back this way for my soul to heal."

Losch shares her end game is to "find a piece of land" to build on and be self-contained. And though people tell her that her van is small, she says it's not about the size of the van, "It's about where the van takes you."

The comments, and there are over a thousand, buzz with support. One person writes, "I don't know which is more beautiful—this lovely woman, or the peaceful home she has created. Wonderful video, and I wish her healing and happiness in her travels."

So many seem to relate to her need for repair after addiction and are inspired by the idea that one can change their life at any age. "What a gorgeous woman! She is over 50—let that sink in... Oh, and the van is lovely—kudos to her!"


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What happens to solar power when it isn't sunny? A simple question with an amazing answer.

"How does solar energy work when there's no sun?" has been a question for pretty much about as long as solar energy has been a thing.

Of course people wouldn't want solar panels on their houses if installing them meant that, come sunset, the movie they were watching suddenly shut off, forcing them to read by candlelight like colonial settlers. Making solar power a viable option, even when the sun sets or disappears behind some clouds, was one of the first things scientists and engineers had to figure out.

Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images.

When the first devices that could capture the sun's energy were invented, they weren't very efficient.

Much like touch screens or video chatting or Dorito-flavored taco shells, solar power is one of those perfect ideas that took a while to get just right. Believe it or not, the earliest solar devices were introduced in the 1800s.

In 1878, Augustin Mouchot invented a device that could freeze water using the concentrated power of the sun. It was a cool experiment but not exactly reasonable or viable options for large-scale energy production.

No one wants this on the roof of their house. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Mouchot won a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris for his invention, but his device was gigantic, and coal was quickly becoming the go-to for efficient energy, so it didn't catch on.

The other downside to his invention? The solar-powered water-freezer only worked on (you guessed it) sunny days. But, that was 1878. Things have changed a lot since then.

Over the last century, the efficiency and feasibility of solar power has dramatically increased, and it's getting better every day.

Just look at this fun, easy-to-read chart!

OH GOD, MY EYES! Photo via National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

I know, I know, it's a lot to take in. Just know that it's showing you that since 1975, we've gotten better and better at efficiently converting the sun's rays into energy that can power our homes, businesses, and even a few cars and planes.

So how does solar energy keep providing power when the sun goes down?

The answer is pretty simple: storage.

Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images.

Today's solar panels are designed to soak up more energy from the sun than we actually need and store it for later.

The way they do it is pretty amazing. Photons (aka light particles) hit the solar panel really hard — so hard that electrons (aka what electricity is made of) get knocked loose. Then the solar panel guides those loose electrons into a battery or superconductor that can store them. If an area has a reliable electricity grid, homeowners can just hook their solar panels right up to it. For them, nothing changes from their normal source of power except (usually) a smaller electricity bill.

A lot of people don't realize that going solar doesn't have to mean going "off grid," says Dan Whitson, solar manager for Green Audit USA in Long Island, N.Y.

"The grid is pretty reliable here, so battery options aren’t necessarily cost-effective on Long Island," Whitson explained over the phone. "But that’s something we have to explain to homeowners that, you know, you’re still going to be connected to the grid even though you’ve gone solar."

If there are solar panels on your roof, it's not like your PlayStation is plugged directly into them. The solar panels run into your regular power lines and help offset some of the energy cost, or they run into a box that will store the electricity, quite literally, for a rainy day.

Solar farms are power-plant-scale versions of this concept.

A solar power plant in China. Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images.

They can be built in the middle of a desert where the sun is incredibly powerful and cloudy days are rare. The panels can even pivot automatically to follow the sun's path across the sky.

After the panels soak up as much energy as they can, the energy is transported to nearby cities. There's a solar farm in Austin, Texas, that produces enough power for 5,000 homes and offsets over 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

Oh and, yes, solar panels can still collect energy on cloudy days. They're just not as efficient about it.

That's because clouds don't block all the sunlight, just some of it. If you walk outside on a cloudy day and can still see, that's because there's still sunlight, even if it's a bit more muted than usual.

The sun is unstoppable. Photo via iStock.

That's where storage and the grid come in. Energy companies rely on the grid to offset any dips in production they might experience on a cloudy day.

"All of the reputable solar production calculators out there take in 20 to 30 years of weather data based on region," Whitson said. "So they can predict how much sun you’re going to get throughout the course of a year. Most projections are taking into consideration that it’s not going to be sunny every day."

Also, as previously mentioned, efficiency is one of the key things scientists are constantly trying to improve about solar panels.

"How does solar energy work when there's no sun?" is a simple question that cuts right to the core of a pretty huge idea.

It's the type of question that scientists, engineers, researchers, and experts around the world have to ask every single day in order to get better at what they're doing.

Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images.

It's the type of question that brought solar energy from an obscure experiment to a feasible source of electricity that powers millions of homes around the world.

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One of America's most famous highways is about to become an awesome science experiment.

"Get your solar power kicks on Route 66."

There's a highway in America that's so famous, it has its own rock song which goes like this:

"Well if you ever plan to motor West, just take my way, that’s the highway, that’s the best…”

(That's the Chuck Berry version, obviously.)

Image by Vincente Villamon/Flickr

Designated in 1926, Route 66 traversed almost 2,500 miles, starting in Chicago, Illinois, and ending in Santa Monica, California. It was the most direct path for many folks traveling west during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s.

As such, it was one of the first official highways in America.

After 90 years, ol' Route 66 is making history — again.

It's about to become the first public roadway to receive a solar panel makeover, thanks to Idaho start-up Solar Roadways.

Solar panel hexagons. Crazy. Image via Scott Brusaw/YouTube.

The project is starting small but has plans to scale up quickly. To start, the solar panels will be applied to the walkway around the highway's welcome center in Conway, Missouri, but the plan is to eventually extend the paneling to the highway itself.

Julie and Scott Brusaw, the creators of Solar Roadway, who also happen to be childhood sweethearts. Image via Scott Brusaw/YouTube.

These solar roadways will be made up of hexagonal solar panels that conduct clean energy.

According to the start-up's "very conservative" calculations, if all the roads and walking surfaces in America were covered in these solar panels, they'd generate three times as much energy as we use. Not only would this make the U.S. much more environmentally friendly, it would drive energy costs way down.

But that's not all they're capable of.

The panels are intelligent — meaning they can be programed to act as roadway signs and can be changed as needed to alert drivers to animal crossings or downed trees, and they can heat up in the winter to prevent ice from forming. That means municipalities wouldn't have to spend tax dollars on things like street painting, signage, or snow removal from roadways.

Sounds pretty great, right?

Close-up of the glass plate texture. Image via Scott Brusaw/YouTube.

Of course, no innovative technology is without potential drawbacks. Yes, installing and repairing smart solar roadways will be more expensive than regular asphalt roads. Yes, the Solar Roadway glass panels, while apparently rough like asphalt and able to withstand the weight of a truck, could easily be worn down over time and might need to be replaced often. And yes, there are concerns about the safety of driving on glass panels in various extreme weather conditions.

However, since these concerns were first raised back when Solar Roadways first made headlines in 2014, the company has worked hard to improve the panels.

Image via Scott Brusaw/YouTube.

Solar Roadways has found ways to cut installation costs and increase solar energy gain by 25% per panel, and it's running numerous tests on the sheerness of the panels and weather/moisture impact.

They also raised over $2,000,000 on Indiegogo (over twice their goal), partnering with the Missouri Department of Transportation to launch the inaugural project and install the panels alongside Route 66.

"I appreciate the Missouri Department of Transportation for taking a pro-active approach and embracing new technologies that will pave the way toward a brighter future,” Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said in a statement.

Route 66. Photo by Einar Jørgen Haraldseid/Flickr.

While pricey, over time, these solar roadways should eventually "pay for themselves," as the project's catchy video suggests, by churning out a significant amount of energy just for being on the ground.

Once these solar panels are installed on public roadways and walkways, it will become clear just how quickly taxpayers can expect a return on their investment. Sure, it's a bit of a gamble, but aren't all technological innovations at first?

If these solar panels work as well as they promise to, they could be a real game-changer for energy consumption — making energy cheaper, more adaptable, and much, much cleaner.

As Chuck Berry sings in "Route 66": "Would you get hip to this kindly tip. Yes and go take that California trip. Get your kick on Route 66."

And there's no better way to get your kicks than by supporting solar energy initiatives on one of America's oldest and most notorious highways.

Learn more about Solar FREAKIN' Roadways here:

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For the children at one refugee camp, the ZubaBox will be a game-changer.

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We hear a lot about the ways in which technology has changed lives, but it's easy to forget just how technologically privileged some parts of the world are while others are not.

While many of us can easily hop on our computers, phones, and tablets to devour everything from the latest celebrity news to innovative medical advances, there are children in many parts of the world without access to the internet to complete their homework; teachers with outdated materials who can't search for a new study to share with their students; medical professionals who are unable to read about breakthroughs in their field in a daily email digest.

Image by Computer Aid, used with permission.

While the internet is an integral part of our lives, it's a critical missing component for so many — something that could vastly improve their experiences if they could only access it.

That's where the ZubaBox comes in.

Image by Computer Aid, used with permission.

A ZubaBox provides rural areas with solar internet centers, offering those who need it most a technology many of us take for granted.

So, what does that mean?

Solar panels are placed onto a container that's converted into a tech hub for people who do not have 24/7 access to the internet.

Image by SixZeroMedia/Computer Aid, used with permission.

The implications are life-changing.

David Barker, former chief executive of Computer Aid — the organization powering this technology — spoke to BusinessGreen about the impact:

"This allows the doctor to contact specialists in the city hospital, school children to access educational material, and local people to expand their businesses, David Barker [explained]. 'Now even the local bank comes round via Macha and it plugs into the internet link, sets up its little booth, and gives you your cash,' Barker said. 'Suddenly you’ve got teachers who want to work there because they can get paid.'”

Image by SixZeroMedia/Computer Aid, used with permission.

And this is just the beginning.

There are currently 10 ZubaBoxes located in neighborhoods throughout Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Nigeria. And on May 26, 2016, South America received its first ZubaBox in Cazuca, Bogota. William Jimenez, regional coordinator at Tiempo de Juego, said this to Computer Aid:

"Since the Lab arrived, the younger generation has naturally been curious and excited but the emotion that this event has stirred in the elders has been really moving. The fact that someone has finally considered Cazucá a priority is not only important [because of the] technology and training provided, but also because of the optimism it inspires in the entire community."

The ZubaBoxes provide a necessary technology, but just as importantly, they provide hope and the promise of a path forward to communities that have long felt neglected.

Image by Computer Aid, used with permission.

Next stop? The Kakuma refugee camp.

Kakuma, located in Kenya, is one of the world's largest refugee camps.

Teachers at the Kakuma refugee camp are currently teaching 150 to 200 students at a time, with one textbook for every 10 students and no computers. Think about what a difference a ZubaBox will make for those kids. And think about what a difference it would make for those teachers.

Image by SixZeroMedia/Computer Aid, used with permission.

SAVIC, an organization run by Kakuma refugees, is working hard to raise awareness and funding for the ZubaBox. They aim to provide up to 1,800 young refugees an outlet through which they can expand their horizons, connect with the modern world, and share their stories.

If their efforts are rewarded, they'll be able to provide their community with access to what is quickly becoming a basic necessity, one that can show them options for how to begin to rebuild.

Watch this video to see how the ZubaBoxes are built.

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