What am I afraid of?

[judi]

All my life I have taken chances and I've never been afraid of change. Move far away to go to school? Yes! Get out of a bad relationship and go through a nasty divorce while raising a bunch of kids? Difficult, but I did it and the kids are great. Return to school and change professions? No problem. Move to another state? Why not? Change jobs? Sure! My life has been interesting and I'm a very fortunate woman. However, right now I wake up in the middle of the night with questions and worries. You see, I'm making plans to rent out my home in Portland, Oregon, put all my stuff in storage, and take off for a year in my little RV. I have fears about so many things. How will everything work? My Roadtrek is the smallest one they make at 20.5 feet and can I live in it for a year? There is minimal storage. The finances would be fine so that's not the problem. In fact, when I'm rational I realize there are few problems with this plan. But will I miss my house and friends? Will I miss seeing my little granddaughter several times a week? Of course - I'm crazy about her! But Im already missing my grandchildren in California! I want to do this before I get too old. I want to ski all winter - will my RV be ok in cold temps? I'm making myself nuts! Help!

ps I took my little 18 month-old granddaughter shopping yesterday to REI. She's very tiny for her age, and she always tries to wear her daddy's backpack. I bought her one of her own and when she put it on she looked like a turtle with a big shell. It was adorable. Her mom told me this morning that she wore it to play school today and filled it with diapers and socks. She's obsessed with socks!

[VickieP]

I know this doesn't help you any, but I envy you. I think what might have been just a hint of nervousness has grown & now it seems to be the snowball effect. Maybe it's because all the other things you mentioned has been done by so many people before & you knew they made it, where this is something that those of us on the forum sees it as normal, others on the outside may not. What's the worse that could happen? You don't enjoy it & have to go back to Portland? So? At least you did it & have it behind you. But what if you love it? Does that scare you even more? We're here for your support team whatever you do!

[Rufflesgurl]

Judi - Maybe you could take an RV trip for a month or so at a time to get used to being away from your home even stopping to see the grandchildren on the way? Are you sure you want to rent your home? Renters can sometimes absolutely ruin a house - experienced that years ago when we had rentals. I have not done what you are wanting to do but I did move from a home I lived in for 29 years and relocated to another area in CA - that was almost 15 years ago and I've never regretted a moment and never looked back. The worse part is weeding out the house and getting it ready to sell. Don't think I could pare down to an RV for living and I've got a 35' diesel pusher Class A. Fear keeps us from so many things in life. And some times the more we contemplate, the more frightened we get???? You've already taken some huge steps in your life - this could be the most wonderful one!! And, you are brave too!

Good luck with your new venture.

Linda

[sharon]

What Vickie said! You're not doing anything you can't get out of! Go for it!

[IrishIroamed]

Judi - wish I could help, but the ladies who have "been there - done that" probably have a better response. Even though I don't have my rolling home yet, I have some of the same thoughts already, so I do understand. I'd have second thoughts renting out my house. If I had to, I'd do it through a realtor, they do the credit & background checks, and some around here even will do the landlord thing if need be.

I say YOU GO GIRL!! Once you're out & about, you'll probably wonder what the nervousness was about.

[judi]

I would use a home rental service that I have already contacted - they are not very expensive. I would rent my home unfurnished. I'm very fussy about my house but I would assume that I would have the interior painted before moving back in. I would pay for a gardener. I don't want to sell my home because I love it and I love my neighborhood, and would want to return to it. I have a second house that I already rent to Reed College students and it has worked out beautifully.

I've done some research about expenses and made list after list. My daughter has offered her guest room in case I hate being on the road and want to return before my house rental is over. Her in-laws have also offered to house me if need be. My problem is that I'm so damned independent!

Your responses made me cry - knowing people are there who understand what I'm talking about is very touching. Thank you.

[JudyJB]

I did not have as many fears about full-timing as you do, but it reminds me of the two times I had to get my knee replaced. (The day before, as you are making preparations, you start questioning whether you are crazy to really do something so serious. I asked, "Am I nuts to let someone remove my knee and replace it with a bunch of metal?") Logically, you know you want to do it, but emotionally, those questions crop up.

I agree that you should let your home sit empty and take a trip for a couple of months. The worst I see happening is that you will decide one of the following:
1) I hate this. Too lonely, too scary, or too "whatever." Time to go home and forget about renting out my house.
2) I love this. I can manage in this small RV.
3) I love this, but I need to sell this small RV and buy a bigger one.

After this test, you may want to rent or sell the house, or just continue to travel a few months every year. A lot of people do that. In any case, you will not have made changes that cannot be undone.

HOWEVER, if you do not try this, you may regret forever not trying it while you were young enough and in good enough health and could afford it.

Personally, I love full-timing. My motorhome has truly become my home in all senses of the word. Yes, I sometimes get a bit scared and a bit lonely, but I would have those problems sitting forever in my old condo.

[judi]

JudyJB, your talk about your knee surgery made me chuckle. I have been a skier all my life, and put myself through college being a ski instructor. Hence, I had a hip replacement 7 years ago and had all the same thoughts. I still ski and I'm happy I had the surgery. But it sure was crazy to think about having your boned sawed off!

I'm now making a spread sheet for traveling for a month. I made one for a three month trip but that would be a stretch without renting out my home and it would be difficult to find a renter for 3 months. And I wouldn't want anyone using my furniture! A month long trip just may be a good plan. Thank you!

[Lopo]

Judi, there's another aspect that might be at play here. Some of us are more comfortable with having things settled and decided, and some of us are more comfortable with things a bit (or a lot!) open-ended. My best friend is the first type. She is anxious until she has her calendar filled. I'm the second type. I am anxious, and I mean truly anxious!, as soon as I make a commitment, because that means other doors are closed to me. Since you've made so many changes already, I'm guessing that you might be like me. I would be much more comfortable not renting my house, for example, "just in case." The more options I have open to me, the better I feel. So it might be something very specific, but it might be a difference in "style" rather than "substance," and needing to work this out so that you're in your own personal comfort window.

[snowball]

you asked in there if you could live in your trek in the winter and ski...hmmm but why don't you take it for a week and hit the slopes and see if you can live with the cold...and if you can't come to Q and see who ever is here I will be
If skiing is what you want to do in the winter months need to see if you can stay warm enough
sheila

[BarbaraRose]

It sounds like you have given this a lot of thought and planning already. You just need to go for it. It is a leap of faith, but is also not forever.
I had lots of anxious moments when I was selling everything to move to California from Minnesota. I didn't even know where I was going to live or work until I got out there! But it was something I knew I really wanted to do and I also knew that if it didn't work out I could go back to MN. I also knew I would regret it if I didn't give it a try. No regrets here! I had a wonderful 2 years out there and even tho it wasn't easy and I changed locations a few times, it was fun and I have great memories!
The fearful, anxious thoughts are normal for any big changes in life, as you know. You just have to "feel the fear and do it anyways!". Things always work out one way or another.

[JudyJB]

When you are putting your month trip together, remember that this is not a vacation. It is real living, so you need to plan on downtime, or days when you do very little other than relaxing in a chair or watching TV. You also need to allow time for laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, and all those normal things we full-timers do.

Vacationers race from place to place, and try to fit in as much geography as they can. Those of us who full time, travel and live more slowly because there is no home to return to so you can rest up for the next weekend.

In other words, if you plan to do too much, you will get worn out and tired. However, if you plan too much downtime, you may get bored and figure this is not for you. Most of us eventually figure out the right combination for our specific needs, but this sometimes takes a while. For example, I had trouble with boredom when I first started out. Books, walking, and sightseeing didn't always help, nor did work I had to do for teaching. My solution turned out to be a satellite dish. I also learned not to drive so far each day and to plan rest days. Course I might be a bit older than you are and need more rest time!

[judi]

JudyJB, I think we are about the same age - most Judys are! I don't imagine I would be bored and I love down time. After years as an RN and then an architect, and running hither and yon and always on airplanes, running to meetings and working until midnight to prepare, I now find I enjoy the mundane chores of everyday living. On the rare occasion that I have to wake up early, I very much resent the alarm clock, and want to smash it into bits with a shoe. I wish I had come to the realization earlier that over-achieving it not necessarily a good thing. I felt like I had no insides left - if you tore open my chest, little bits of paper upon which I had written to-do lists would come flying out. Now I find satisfaction and calm in just being. Not being anything, just being. I wouldn't think of a month-long road trip as a vacation, but as a test of how suited I am for the possibility of a year on the road. Until now I had been thinking about this as a long trip from the start, but thinking about a month-long test feels more doable.

[MelissaD]

If your worried about the size of your Roadtrec just remember the cab of a semi is roughly 8' x 8' or 64 sqft. Millions of drivers live in that space. Lived out of my semi for 3 years. Every 12-16 weeks I took a break and visited my folks for a week. Did not have an apartment, so all I had was the cab of that truck. Your Roadtrec would be down right spacious. Just a matter of perspective.

Enjoy the adventure and remember you can always drive to a better climate.

[mtngal]

Hi from another Roadtrekker! I agree with what all the gals said about giving it try for a month or two before making a long term commitment. What I will add is that I hope you are aware that Roadtreks don't have the insulation of the bigger RVs. While I have stayed many nights well into the 30s and even a couple 20s, it's not something I would want to do long term. Even with all the tricks to keep out the cold (reflix in the windows; yoga mat on the floor); then there is the concern with water in pipes freezing. Sorry to be a downer, but important things to think about for camping in COLD conditions in a Roadtrek. Hope to meet you on the road someday!