Reflections and Thoughts on Rving...

[rvgrammy1953]

Well, since I'm in one of my "thinking" mode (don't I sound like Pooh Bear )...I've some thoughts to share...(Geez, this morning I've posted alot, haven't done that in quite awhile. )

Life is too short for not to's....Not to forgive, not to retire early, if you can, not to "down-size", not to get that rig, not to hit the road, not to do it all while you can.....Worrying on what people think, if the grandkids can survive without weekly visits with Grandma, and worrying about if food, gas,and campground rates will go up or down, will keep you in one place....The key to Full-timing, part-timing, or even frequent weekend camp-outs, is the planning and the budgeting...anyone can go anywhere if you do....no matter the age, gender, or marital status....we all prove that everyday here....

So, get your ducks in order, do your planning & budgeting, then hit the road and never look back... Hey, it's a New Year...time for new beginnings and new adventures....You CAN do it!!

Okay, the 58 yrs.old "cheer leader" is done with her "rah, rah" session....

Love you all....

[Carolinagal]

You are so right, Lori, and that is exactly what I plan for this yr. One day I am going to drop dead and leave all my "stuff" and someone(my daughter) will have the heartbreaking job of going through all of it. (and find out some of my secrets ) These facts help me going through all this junk and my prized possessions, this way, I can give them to the ones I want to have them.

I have no idea what is ahead, but I do know its going to be fun and I will see so much and visit with so many, which is impossible just setting on my butt somewhere , where I have no family and the economy has made the friends I did have move to where jobs were.

Your thoughts and theory are right, as far as I am thinking also. We don't know what tomorrow holds, but we don't have to be bored and set and wait for whatever, get out and have fun while you wait , uncluttered LOL.

Everyone needs to follow their own heart and do their own thing, and if you do that, its NOT WRONG !

Thanks for the thought, for discussion. I always like these topics

CArol

[Irmi]

Lori, I totally agree with you. Neither of us are retirement age but decided to take the plunge to see what we can see and do what we can do. When I tire of this lifestyle, I suppose I will do something differently, but right now, I can't imagine that happening.

[asirimarco]

If everyone waited for the exactaly perfect timing - time, money, kids feelings, etc. etc. no one would ever get anything done.
Our kids think we were crazy coming back to Mexico this winter after Bill's heart attack and surgery this past summer. According to them we should be sitting in Indiana snow bound in the house. Instead of on the beach with good friends. When we lost our son we got a good lesson in how quick things can change. We know we eventually will have plenty of time to sit around the house sorting through all the "suff" we've managed to accumulate but until then - catch us if you can.
Bill is 75 and I'm 73 so we figure we've only got - what - 5 to 10 years at the most to get out and about......so away we go. Recalculating all the way.

[Bethers]

Fantastic post and responses.

Every year I recalculate - and every year I keep going - no matter what the figures say At 52 I took one year off to travel the country. At 59 I'm still going and haven't stopped. Just added workamping into the fro and like some others said, maybe someday I'll decide something else will be right or better ... but maybe not. We can always find reasons why not - sometimes it's harder to find the reasons why.

[JudyJB]

I am working on it. Just so much STUFF, however. I thought I cleaned stuff out 14 years ago when I bought my current condo, but it has multiplied and grown since then!

My goal is a little at a time--maybe a drawer or cabinet or closet every other evening?? My son came over christmas and took a pile home, so that helped.

[JoanE]

I love my wheel estate! Putting my house up for sale, selling everything and taking a flyer on a motorhome was a great decision. I had a good time traveling around for three months, meeting some forum friends and others, seeing beautiful parts of our great country, reconnecting with friends and family, visiting some areas that I had never seen before. As I told my daughter, it is both exciting and relaxing. Waking up each day and deciding to leave or stay. If I leave, what new sights will I see? If I stay, what more do I want to see or experience. Tired? Stay put for a couple of days and relax. Getting restless? Turn on the GPS and go!

I returned "home" to spend the holidays with my daughters and friends. Ended up working for the company I left last year BUT only on the condition that I work from my rig and can continue my travels. Even though I plan to stay put in Florida for at least two months, I will probably make it to the east coast to camp with my cousins at SBI. Although I am missing Wekiva Springs next week, my other cousins live practically next door to it so will eventually get there too.

Without a doubt, I am the envy of just about everyone I know. They look at my rig and hear my stories and wistfully wish they could join me on the road. The general concensus is that I am "courageous". We all know better but if they want to think that about us, who are we to argue? I just met two gals at the park I'm in now. One is a full timer for about 4 years now and the other lost her husband about two years ago but decided to take their 5th to Florida by herself for the winter.

I am often asked when I'll stop what I'm doing and I say "When it is not fun anymore or when I find a place I want to stay in." In the meantime, it's "on the road again".

[sunshinecruiserTN]

Great post, Lorie.

[kdmac]

December 11 was my one year anniversary for being on the road. I have stayed on the ocean and experienced a tsunami, had to pack up in the middle of the night and move my house-on-wheels to higher ground, watched the waves come in until 4:00pm that day. Hung out with the sea lions, shot photos of the grandeur of the sea. Then to the Roque River area and hung out with the turkeys and the yellow-rumped warblers, then on to the cattle and Paiute Indian Country, old wagon train routes, gold mines and real Silver belt buckle-wearing cowboys, mined for semi precious gems and made good friends. Then through Nevadas vast desert places, more wagon trains, forts and suspicious military facilities and gold mines. Spent time kayaking and swimming in Lake Mead hung over the edge of the Hoover Dam and nearly lost my senses from the dizzying height. Got held up in Carson City Nevada by a Dodge Dealer, but that's a whole different story. Arrived in Quartzsite AZ in October and have been dry-camping, all alone up on the higher ground of the Laposa LTVA...communing with God and nature... since October...just me, my hummingbird and the two sugar-addicted woodpeckers and God. Lovely Snowball and her dear husband Larry stopped by my place....my only visitors, and I wasn't home....but did get to see them at their place for a brief visit. She had a beautiful Christmas tree all lit up and we enjoyed that while we visitied...I realized it was the only Christmas tree I saw..glad she had it.
I have decided to help out at the local church I have been attending in Quartzsite,(there is a very needy population that comes to Quartzsite so the work is satisfying and necessary) anyway, I have moved to the church property today,where they have hookups....after so long dry-camping I haven't quite transitioned back to lights and heat and hot water any time I want it....!!!!!. did I mention that there are literally hundreds of "gold mines" in them thar hills round here!!!
How would I ever have had these experiences if I sat in my house surrounded by my "stuff"..always longing but never doing. It truly is amazing just how well you can do on less money and less stuff.

[chalet05]

But kdmac, you were my heroine living in the real middle of nothing! Hoping we can all get together when Sharon comes.

My late hubby retired at 55. When we got the worst news possible when he was 58, the first thing he said was 'we did that right' as we had 3 plus years as full-timers. I hate to hear people say they won't put their house on the market because of the economy if they want to full-time, down size, whatever. When you are dead, it ain't gonna matter!

[Rufflesgurl]

Great subject ladies!! Lori - thanks for starting it. Every time I take my MH up to my daughter's (4 hours north of where I live) people ask if I'm afraid to be alone and drive "that thing" which is a 35' Class A coach. I always answer that "I didn't say I don't get afraid some times especially driving in the SF Bay Area traffic, I just do it and listen to my music." I say ENJOY!!

Linda

[JudyJB]

I agree, Anita! My condo is worth what it is worth, and giving up two or three years of my life to wait for the value to possibly increase is not worth it.

I am by nature an overplanner, and this means I have already started putting together routes and selecting possible campgrounds for the next year's travel, even though I have no motorhome yet, have not even put my condo up for sale, and still have tossing to do! Even started two Excel spreadsheets with my plans! (By the way, is there anything to see in Kansas or is it something you just drive through?)

Guess I am an optimist, also. Can't wait to get rid of all the junk I have accumulated and get on the road!!

[kdmac]

But kdmac, you were my heroine living in the real middle of nothing! Hoping we can all get together when Sharon comes.

My late hubby retired at 55. When we got the worst news possible when he was 58, the first thing he said was 'we did that right' as we had 3 plus years as full-timers. I hate to hear people say they won't put their house on the market because of the economy if they want to full-time, down size, whatever. When you are dead, it ain't gonna matter!

I am only here for the month, then back to dry-camping...got my sight all picked out...the view is MINDBLOWING!!!!!!!

[Colliemom]

This is something that I toss back and forth. I really and truly want to do some traveling and I love to be out on the road. Nothing brings a smile to my face faster, then to get behind the wheel and have that wide open road in fromt of me. Well, provide there's no truck ahead

I don't know if I want to full time or part time it when the time comes. I kind of like the 'securityy blanket' of having a sticks and bricks or someplace I can call home behind me. But at the same time, that's more expense on the budget. I had sort of planned to retire after this summer, but the economy and then Michigan's own little recession put the brakes on that. Decided my SS wasn't going to be enough right now. Sure I could start it, but it would mean having to really be careful. I have a co worker at the park, who with her husband, retired a number of years ago and now she is having to be very careful with her money and that's one of the reasons she is still working at 79, she needs the money to stay afloat. I don't want to get into that situation. I know with the prices of things now, that if I start my SS, I will wind up having to work to add to it, so may as well work for a couple of more years and then call it quits.

Right now, I'm considering selling my TT and trading my truck for something with better mileage in the face of rising gas prices, and just hunkering down till that retirement time. I can save money in gas, insurance and other expenses associated with having the TT, plus bank the money from selling it and gradually add to it. I know you are all going to say that's crazy, but I dont know if I want to keep this TT for long distance travel. I have my eye on another model and they are also making lighter weight ones now too. Better to sell it while it's value is higher than to wait till it's three years older and worth less. But no decisions will be made till spring. Either way, there is an RV in my future. I do have to admit, that having this gas guzzling truck is cutting into my disposable income and keeps me from doing some things I would lke to be out doing cause it costs in the gas to get there. And I can't afford two vehicles. So......

As to the house issue. I toy with putting it on the market, but we have so many forecloses homes here, that regular houses aren't selling at all or you practically have to give them away. I need the money from this house behind me in case I want to buy another smaller one somewhere and my fear is that if I sell it for too much loss, I won't have enough to buy another one if the prices start to rise. Plus on average, homes in my area here have been sitting on the market for at least 6 years. Guess you could call it, the fear of the what, if, and or but syndrome. Thanks for listening, as being single and an only child, I don't have anybody to discuss my thoughts, fears and what not's with.

[HorizonSeeker]

Though I've only been full time since June I am in love with the lifestyle. Isn't it sad that some of us learn to take th plunge too late? My DH would have loved this lifestyle but never got the chance. I do feel like his spirit is with me on the road (and in the bad traffic I ask him to watch over me). I am looking forward to many years of life on the road. Glad I found it and this group.