Greetings from Arizona/California!

[ConnieJHL]

Hi everyone! I am a native Northern Californian, currently living in Arizona. For the past year I have been blessed with having a dream job that allows me to work remotely, so I've decided that it's time for me to take advantage of that to pursue my other longtime dream of RV living. I am an avid traveler who moves WAY too often.

My current thoughts are to spend about 1/3 of the year in Arizona (where my mom and several other family members have retired to), 1/3 of the year in California (where most of my friends and other family are) and the other 1/3 going where ever the spirit takes me. I recently parted ways with a 25-year partner, although happily we are still good friends. Sadly he didn't exactly share my passion for the nomadic life - so I am looking at this as an opportunity to embrace my freedom to roam.

I can't begin to say how thrilled I was to find that there are so many wonderful resources online for this lifestyle, especially places like this, for women going it alone! I have previously travelled alone throughout Europe and have been to 48 of the 50 states during a 3-month solo road trip by car, so the concept isn't entirely new to me - although I confess the idea of driving such a large vehicle by myself is a just a wee bit intimidating!

I still have a little less than a year on my current lease before I can actually buy an RV, and am using this time to purge, downsize, do a ton of research, take RV driver safety lessons and make a couple test runs by rental. I look forward to learning all the lessons you more experienced folks have to teach, and being inspired by your stories! I will read through the forums and see what I can learn there before bothering y'all with a ton of questions, but I look forward to getting to know you, both here on the forums and eventually out on the road!

Happy travels,
Connie

[Bethers]

Welcome, Connie! I'm currently in Tucson. If you are near, I'd love to gtg. But I am heading north in a few weeks.

Please, join in wherever and whenever you want.

[JudyJB]

We are a very friendly group, and a lot of us are very willing to show you our rigs and share our experiences, so keep checking the morning coffee area to see when we are in your area, and give us a shout via private message or on the forum. By seeing how we live, you can better see the challenges and the good parts. For example, I took out the uncomfortable dinette and put in my old leather recliner. I work online teaching, and tell people I have the best office in the world, always with a good view! (This is after decades spent in windowless offices.)

Alice lives in Arizona, and a lot of us either pass through there or like the area for parts of the winter. And we ALL have that weird travel bug. I'm a full-timer and have been on the road for five years. I'll be headed from Ohio to Grand Canyon in early June, and will be back in the area for December through February, mostly.

Welcome to this fun and adventurous group!

[OregonLuvr]

Hello and welcome from southern Oregon. I just returned from 2 1/2 months in Arizona. It was too dang cold and windy this year, just my luck. Give a shout if you get up here to Oregon. I am not a full timer but am free to go whenever I want now that I am retired.

karen

[snowball]

welcome to the forum!!
I am currently in Quartzsite AZ but will be leaving in a few weeks
then I will be in the even colder north country
sheila

[ConnieJHL]

Thanks so much for the replies!! I am currently living Northwest of Phoenix - in the town of Surprise, and I would love to meet up with any folks who are in the area! I realize that the weather is going to start heating up here soon so many folks will be heading for cooler temps - can't say I blame you a bit, ha ha! I hope to be able to do the same soon. I will be up in the Vegas area for work conferences the last week of May and again in mid June, if there are any folks up that way as well. Is anyone here a member of the RVing Women chapters and if so, have you gone to any of their rallies? Or are there any other associations that are good for meet-ups with other RVers? Would love to start connecting with folks so I can feel like a part of the community when I finally get my wheels!

[BirdbyBird]

Welcome to the forum from SW Ohio. I look forward to meeting you someday and reading about your adventures any day!

[bluepinecones]

Welcome from northern AL

[SoCalGalcas]

Welcome from San Diego! Although, I am today in Florida. I will be heading west beginning tomorrow. Keep watching this forum and maybe we can have coffee when I pass through AZ. This is a great place to get info about almost anything under the sun! Lyn

[gypsyrose1126]

Hello from WI

[Rufflesgurl]

Hi Connie - welcome to the forum from N. Central CA. You sound excited to get on with your adventures - happy travels!! There are a few of us in N. CA.

Linda

[BarbaraRose]

Hi Connie and welcome! This is a great group of women and you are welcome to jump into any conversation or start one of your own and ask as many questions as you want!

I was living in Phoenix the past 6 months and was planning to move to San Diego in February but my dad passed away suddenly and I had to change my plans quickly and moved back to MN 3 weeks ago to help my brothers with his estate and get his house ready to sell. My plans are to head back to California maybe by the end of this summer, hopefully with a new travel trailer in tow!

Hope we can meet up some time! Do you have any pets? We are very big on animals here!

[mtngal]

Another welcome from N Cali; although currently in Texas for a couple weeks.

[MandysMom]

Welcome from another California born and raised, and still here Californian ! We live near Sacramento.
Velda

[IrishIroamed]

Hi from Illinois Connie. Sounds like you have a good plan going forward. Have fun (?) with the purge part and enjoy the search and planning. All part of the fun.