Ashley Petrone shares her wholesome family life on her Instagram page @arrowsandbow 

Along with her husband, Dino, and their three children, Ashley lives without a zip code in a completely (beautifully!) renovated R/V while documenting her family’s transcontinental adventures. Ashley is honest, open, and friendly in her softly-hued posts, which is probably why she’s amassed such a wide following. ARTRPRNR got the opportunity to ask her a few questions, and here’s what she said:

What are the first 3 things you do when you wake up in the morning?

I start my mornings with some quiet time, reading my bible and praying. Then I grab a cup of coffee, and start making breakfast for my kiddos. While reheating my coffee 3-5 times.

              
What inspired you to live in an R/V?

We found this amazing piece of land, and were planning on building our new house there. After selling our five-bedroom home, we needed a place to live while the new house was being built. Our options were an over-priced apartment, over-priced rental home, or living on the land in an R/V or a tiny house. The R/V was the most cost effective, and once we said the idea… we fell in love with the thought of it. It’s different and we wanted to experience something different, we wanted to be able to travel freely and save money for adventures.

What is the biggest challenge you face living with your family in such a small space?

When someone gets sick, or the weather isn’t too great, that’s when it’s the most challenging. 180 sq. ft. isn’t a lot of space, and for a family of 5 to be stuck inside or feel sick… well, let’s just say we have to get creative. We give ourselves a lot of grace. But, the longer we live here, the easier it gets!

Where do your kids go to school?

I homeschooled the kids for the first few months in the R/V. They were homeschooled when we were living in a full-sized home, so we didn’t see any reason to change that at first. After that school year ended, though, Dino and I decided the coming fall would be a good time for them to start traditional school. And I’m so glad we did it. Being so close all the time, it was good for them (and for me!) to have some space.

                                    
If you could take one person with you anywhere, who would that be? Where would you go?

Dino, my hubby. We love to travel together and go on adventures. We have been dying to go to the Maldives. That’s definitely on our list!    

What accounts do you follow for personal inspiration and what about them inspires you?

I love following real people. People that post about traveling, family life, share their hearts, and humor! Some of my faves are: @darlingiloveit @cynthiaharper @shelbygoodman @kimmyintx @everydavismoments @lifejustso

What message do you want to convey to your followers?

I want to be myself. IG is no fun when you are trying to catch up to something or be someone else. I love encouraging my followers to do the same! Enjoy life and find joy in every season!

Do you feel that content creators on social media are misrepresented or misunderstood? 

Oh, for sure. I think people use social media for different reasons. It seems that most content creators are using the platform for business, now. I don’t necessarily see any harm in that, but some authenticity definitely goes out the window when you constantly share ads. So I think most people think of content creators as walking ads, and I believe that the best of us are much more than that.

So far, what is the best experience you’ve had while working with a brand?

I actually don’t work with a lot of brands. I am very selective, on purpose. I want my posts to reflect how I live naturally, including those I work with brands on. So when I do share a brand, it’s meaningful! But my favorite experience was when our entire family got to do a photo shoot for @zappos It was so much fun and we had an amazing time!  

How do you think social media can elevate humanity?

I think there is so much good in social media. I think if women can encourage, support, and life each other up, we would all we better for it!

As social media continues to grow, what do you consider the biggest challenge content creators will face?

Being seen. I think as social media changes, which it always is… it gets harder and harder to be seen. So you really have to connect and engage and think outside the box.

On and off of social media, how do you manage your life? Do you have any apps that you find especially helpful?

I try to keep things simple. I like to take most of my design photos ahead of time, so I’m never scrambling. I take advantage of a clean house or a sunny day to snap some pics. I use Apple Calendar to keep my life organized.

Tell us something about you that your followers might find surprising.

I’m such an open book with my followers, not much would surprise them. But maybe that I’m actually more of a social introvert! I love being active and having fun, but in many settings I can be very quiet and reserved. Which is pretty opposite of how I am on camera!

 

Follow Ashley’s adventurous life on her Instagram or at arrowsandbow.com