Aisha Trent: seasonal worker, minimalist, car dweller

Aisha Trent is a 31-year-old seasonal worker, minimalist, and car dweller who’s spent the past two and a half years living out of her Toyota 4Runner—and doesn’t see herself going back. (@norent_trent)

After losing both parents in a tragic car accident, Aisha decided life was too short to wait for permission. She downsized everything she owned, traded a Ford Fiesta for a 4Runner, and built a life centered on nature, healing, and independence. Now she sprays invasive weeds and algae from boats and shorelines each summer in Illinois, saving enough to take winters off for time with friends, or more recently, long solo road trips through Colorado, Oregon, and Arizona.

We talk about why she prefers waking up surrounded by windows instead of walls, and how she and her boyfriend make “driveway living” work. Aisha also reflects on growing up insecure, her time in eating disorder treatment, and how outdoor simplicity became her therapy.

She’s currently considering a short return to full-time work—just long enough to pay off her student loans and car debt and buy back even more freedom. But first she'll be collecting her inaugural passport stamps in Austria and the Philippines.

Aisha's favorite quote: “It’s all lies. Back to nature—the only truth.” (from the music producer Rick Rubin)

Full transcript: dirtbagrich.com/aisha