A couple lives in a 215-square-foot tiny home on wheels with their 2 golden retrievers

Before they arrived at school, their university paired them up through a program that allowed students to exchange mix CDs with another incoming freshman so they would have a built-in friend.

They kept in touch throughout their senior year of high school, and when they met in person the following year, they hit it off.

Todd and Tyler have been together ever since. They got married six years ago.

They have always been passionate travelers, and they began to crave more permanent freedom.

"We realized when we had to go back to our jobs how much we actually didn't like them," Tyler said. "We were just doing it for a paycheck. So we thought, 'Wouldn't it be cool if we could find a way to have a paycheck and be able to continue to travel?'"

They decided to invest in property to rent out, which gave them an income that didn't force them to be tied to an office.

Once their business was in order, they bought their tiny home and set out on the road. The RV cost $7,000.

They were traveling full-time up until the coronavirus pandemic. The Gibbon-Thornes, who are Canadian, were parked in Florida when things got bad in the US, so they had to drive back home in a hurry.

"We know that we'll always want to continue traveling, but not having a home base or a contingency plan if something ever happened was a little bit reckless on our part," Tyler said.

After the experience, they decided to set up a permanent residence with their tiny home in a rural area in Nova Scotia.

They told Insider they love having access to so much land, as it ensures their 215-square-foot home never feels cramped.

The living room features the couple's sitting area, as well as two separate work areas.

Since both Tyler and Todd work from their home, they didn't want to feel like they were on top of each other.

The main living area is their favorite part of the home, and they also like that it has a door that separates it from the bedroom. It gives each of them a space to be alone if they need it.

The couch doubles as a pull-out bed, and it also has room for storage underneath it, which is a big plus in a tiny space.

The couple also uses the ottoman for storage, ensuring their home doesn't feel cluttered.

"Now we're most comfortable in a boho style," Todd said.

"But we also try to bring in a lot of Moroccan and Portuguese type colors, like blue tiles," Tyler said. "We're not afraid to have color and texture."

"We like it warm and soft and cozy, but with something to draw your attention," Todd added.

The space has a textured backsplash as well. The combination of colors keeps the space dynamic.

The kitchen also features a refrigerator and oven, and the Gibbon-Thornes combine storage with style through hanging spice racks and cutlery.

The bedroom features neutral colors, with subtle additions like the green cabinet and tile backsplash to break it up.

Because the bed is nestled into the wall, everything looks as if it fits perfectly.

The couple's closet sits behind the curtains next to the bed, which lifts up for additional storage space as well.

Their home is a couple's RV, so the shower is in an open area.

Small details like built-in lights near the bed make Todd and Tyler's home extra cozy.

Tyler and Todd have a composting toilet, which helps minimize the smell of waste and ensures the couple doesn't have to empty a tank constantly.

The couple also made the bathroom stylish as well as functional, adding funky wallpaper, custom tile, and artwork to the space.

Because of how much outdoor space they have, Tyler and Todd rarely spend time indoors during the day.

"There are days where it's 10 o'clock at night and we say, 'Whoa, we haven't been inside since 8 o'clock this morning," Tyler said.

For instance, the couple often uses this covered gazebo area as an outdoor office.

It allows them to be more versatile with what they cook, which many people who live in tiny homes can't do.

The hammocks are great for relaxing or working, and the dogs love spending time in them too.

It's one of the couple's favorite spots to spend time in during their day.

Todd told Insider that he struggled at first with the unknown nature of the nomadic lifestyle.

"Prior to this, I was very calendared and everything needed to be planned out," he said. "So I think going with the flow was the biggest challenge for me. I think I've come far from where I was on that, but I still have work to do."

Tyler, on the other hand, struggles a bit with how dependent they are on the weather as a result of their lifestyle. For instance, they love spending time outdoors, but when it rains, they're cooped up in a small space.

Before Tyler and Todd started living tiny and working remotely, they worked long days and then continued working on flipping houses at night.

The dogs were alone a lot, but now they're with the duo constantly.

"They're truly living," Todd said. "Every single day they get to go swimming, and they get to go for a drive. They get to do all of the things that dogs want to do."

Because they aren't paying a mortgage on their own home and are bringing in money from the properties they rent out, the couple spends a lot less.

They said they spend more when they travel because of gas and RV upkeep, but they still save even when they are on the road.

Renovating the RV was fairly inexpensive as well. Combined with the purchase cost, Tyler and Todd have invested $12,000 in the RV, which is much cheaper than the cost of a traditional home.

The financial freedom is one of the biggest benefits of the lifestyle for the couple. "People do van life or tiny living because you're able to truly live instead of just existing," Tyler said.

The couple put a lot of their belongings in a storage unit before they started traveling, which they recommend to anyone just trying out tiny life. This ensures that they don't regret giving anything away if they discover tiny living isn't for them.

"If it's for you and you like it, getting rid of that stuff is the easiest thing you'll ever do, because it's worth having this life," Todd said.

"And I think it's also important because if I had gotten rid of our stuff before we went out, I would've kept more stuff that I didn't actually need," Tyler added. "But now that we've been living this life for a year, like all of it can go. We don't need any of that."

Tyler also recommends taking photos of items you have a sentimental attachment to but giving away the physical thing to save space.

You can learn more about Tyler and Todd on their Instagram and follow their adventures on YouTube.

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