- Alex and Ashley Morris live on a converted Greyhound bus with their two children.
- The family chronicles their everyday lives on social media and their travel blog.
Traveling the United States while living on the road is a fantasy to some, but it's a lifestyle for the Morris family.
Alex Morris, 32, and Ashley Morris, 33, live on a 45-foot-long Greyhound bus with their two children, 9-year-old Declan and 5-year-old Hadley. Also known as The Wanderlusters, the family chronicles their daily lives — from gassing up the bus for $500 to living with solar power — on social media.
Alex told Insider that his family achieved the so-called "American dream" when they lived in a traditional Michigan home in 2017, but later discovered that they wanted something different out of life.
"We were both working full-time jobs, so our kids were pretty much being raised by a nanny," Ashley said. "We just wanted that time with our kids."
The Morris family tentatively tried living on the road in 2019 before fully committing to the lifestyle in February 2020. Now, the couple is sharing what an average day looks like in their home.
Alex used to work a corporate office job, but now he works remotely full-time and starts his day just before 6 a.m.
Alex worked a traditional 9-to-5 job when they lived in Michigan's Port Huron area in 2017, but he said that changed when he was let go from his work in August 2019. Although he and Ashley debated their next steps, they eventually used Alex's severance check to purchase their first travel trailer that November.
"I started lining all these other opportunities up, and Ashley was like, 'let's go live on the road,' because she'd been trying to convince me for years up until that point," Alex told Insider.
These days, Alex says he works remotely as a mortgage banker and wakes up around 5:20 a.m. and works around nine hours each day. The family created an office space near their bedroom so he has room to work.
Depending on which time zone the family stays in, his workdays sometimes end around 3 p.m. when the sun's still out, he said. When Insider first spoke with the Morris family in August 2022, they spent time on an island near Washington State's coast.
Ashley gets the kids ready at around 8 a.m. before pivoting to The Wanderlusters' growing social-media presence
According to Ashley, she wakes up a few hours after Alex between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. The family recently bought a puppy, so taking the dog out in the morning is Ashley's first task before making the kids breakfast and getting them ready for the day, including school.
"Breakfast usually depends on the day. For example, if we have to leave early for a hike or it's a travel day, then it's something quick like toast or cereal," Ashley said. "If we have more time Alex will cook us all up some pancakes, or eggs and bacon on our Blackstone grill."
Ashley said Declan and Hadley are "road-schooled." This means they're homeschooled while the family travels full-time. Declan is currently enrolled in an online curriculum.
"Declan's school is pretty independent, so I just log in for him, and he gets all set up," Ashley said, adding that she steps in whenever he has questions. "He loves it because it's on the computer, and I think he thinks he's getting extra screen time when he does school."
Hadley is still in preschool, so Ashley said she works with her on basic skills like writing letters and reading books.
Then, Ashley pivots to managing The Wanderlusters' travel blog and social-media pages, which typically cover their day-to-day travels and answer questions from viewers. As of Wednesday, the family has more than 561,000 followers across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
By noon, the children typically finish school and eat lunch.
After Alex gets off of work at 3 p.m., the family decides what adventure they'll tackle that day
Ashley said the family likes to enjoy the area they're based in, which could be any of the 18 states they've visited. They uploaded a video of them hiking in Oregon's Succor Creek State Natural Area in October 2022, and one month earlier, they volunteered at a horse rescue in Washington. If it's a "travel day," Ashley said the family will spend the afternoon driving from one location to another. If it's an average afternoon, it looks quite different each day.
"If we are in a campground then the kids are off playing with their friends and riding their bikes. If we are dry camping off grid then we could be going on a hike and exploring as a family," Ashley said. "Some days if we just want to relax, we hang around home and relax outside."
Around 6 p.m., the family has dinner and winds down before the children's bedtime between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
According to Ashley, the family are big fans of Alex's fried chicken he grills on their Blackstone.
"We all love to hang out outside while he cooks and sit together as a family to eat," Ashley said. "We go around the table and each person says what the best and worst part of our day was, then we talk about it. It's a great way to stay on the same page and help each other through our struggles and celebrate our victories."
Then, Ashley said the family might play a board game, start a fire, or watch a movie before getting the children into bed around 8 p.m. Both children will shower, brush their teeth, change into their pajamas, and get a bedtime snack with a glass of milk.
"We have a special goodnight routine that we do every night with them," Ashley said. "It's a secret handshake that involves playing rock paper scissors, thumb war, head bonk, foot bonk, Alex has to juggle, the kids flip a hat to make it land on Alex's head, then finally a kiss and hug goodnight," she said.
Alex and Ashley usually play an audiobook on Audible for Declan and Hadley to fall asleep to.
"It's a great way for them to wind down and also get to read many different books," Ashley said. "A few of their favorites have been 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' 'Charlottes Web,' and 'The BFG.'"
The couple said one of the reasons they committed to the lifestyle is spending quality time as a family.
"You get such a short window of time while your kids are little, and we felt like we were missing out on it," Ashley said.
Alex added: "We didn't want to miss out on it anymore."