A San Antonio Family Decided to Move into a Manufactured Home

When my family moved from downtown San Antonio to a doublewide in the Hill Country, I was thirteen years old and just about to start middle school. My parents made the move for financial reasons.

When I left everything I had ever known to travel to a place where there was a lot of corn and cows, I felt as though I had been uprooted. Seriously, what city kid in their right mind would want to give up the comforts of the city to spend their days staring at dirt? As I’ve become older, I now see that that was the very best thing that could have happened to me. My wife and I continue to make our home in the region, where we have a mobile home that we own.

As a child, I grew up about a 5 mins drive from central downtown and grew accustomed to either sirens, parties, or other noises that just seemed normal on my side of town. So much so that, when we spent our first night in our new double wide, my brother and I couldn’t go to sleep until the train passed giving us actual noise instead of the cool still quiet.

We had no prior experience with manufactured homes when we first started looking into them. The amount of labor that was required to clear the area, burn the vegetation that was unnecessary, and drill the holes for the fence is what sticks out in my mind the most. I recall having to do all of that. When I think back, it was these times that taught me the value of hard effort and the rewards that come from an honest day’s job. I can still recall how satisfying it was to use my hands to build something that was ultimately used by someone else.

At our new house, my parents let me walk, ride my bike, and skateboard the entire block. My friends and I got to explore the new subdivision where we lived. I even remember playing football in the neighbor’s huge open field and making my own paths through the wooded areas of the lots.

In the Hill Country just outside of San Antonio, we could have bonfires and huge family gatherings. We had a large family, at least 30+ 1st cousins, so it was nice to not have to worry about parking or the noise level. Even if our neighbors were being loud all I had to do was go inside and close the door. The distance and walls of the home drowned their festivities.

As a kid, I had sleepovers and we played hide and seek at night using the whole acre and wooded area as cover. Living in a factory-built home gave me so many more new experiences that I didn’t know existed while in the city. Things may have been more accessible, but I was now encouraged to use my imagination and become resourceful with what was available.

My parents made the finest choice for my sister and me when they chose to raise us in a mobile home. The sense of community is distinct, and the majority of people smile and wave simply to greet one another. Even while driving, it’s customary to give the person traveling in the opposite direction a quick wave to recognize their presence.

I currently still live in a single wide just about 10 mins away from where I started. The community is still friendly, kids still play in the streets at all times of the day and it’s still quiet at night. It’s my first home with my wife and I may not live here forever, but I do prefer a Mobile home over a stick built any day.