Colorado, Ingrid's Corner

Let the Adventure Begin

by Ingrid

Well, it’s official.  The house is sold and we have moved….. happy

When Al and I returned home from our four-month winter excursion in the RV, we did so reluctantly.  During that trip, we had a ton of fun and met some amazing folks.  We were surprised with the number of people we met along the journey living in their RV’s full-time….by choice. 

Pueblo West ColoradoWhen Al and I purchased our 5th wheel a couple of years ago, we never dreamt of living in it full-time.  However it was sometime early on during this winter excursion that we started talking more and more about the full-time RV lifestyle.  We had a lot of things to think about and figure out.  Was this something we really wanted to do?  

After spending the month of March back in our sticks n bricks home in Pueblo West, Colorado, it became clear….Al and I knew….. the road was calling.  Our interests were changing.  There was an absence of any passion for gardening or any interest in a home improvement project.  Life in general, just didn’t seem right.  We were unhappy and restless. 

Thus, it was time to formulate a plan and start implementing said plan.  Before putting the house on the market, we needed to do some purging.  I’m not a garage sale kind of person, but in the end I do like counting the money.  So we started the whole process off with a huge sale.  We turned our unwanted treasures into cash.   After that, it was a total white glove cleaning of the home which wasn’t difficult since we had been away traveling.

photo albums stored

 

We then contacted a Realtor (someone we’ve done business with in the past) and let him know we were interested in selling our home but were not quite ready to list.  Well, to make a long story short, we were under contract within 48 hours.  Yikes!  We weren’t ready to move and still had a lot of decisions to make. The deal had some variables and most likely wouldn’t close without a glitch or delay.  So we figured there would be a little extra time in there somewhere….. NOT.  The closing went off without a hitch…..smiles and handshakes all around. 

Mind you – I am in no way complaining but the quick sale and closing left Al and me running around like a couple of chicken’s with our heads cut off….. leaving us in a comatose state of exhaustion and denial.  There isn’t a muscle in our bodies that doesn’t hurt from the packing and lifting.  I’ll admit, we did hire the help of a couple of young, strong guys for some of our larger, heavier items but Al and I moved the majority.  In retrospect, we should have purged a heck of a lot more than what we did.  As it was, it was extremely difficult whittling down 32 years of accumulation to fit into a 250 square foot RV and a storage unit…..oops two storage units.  Whatever was I thinking?Prickly Pear

Friday we put Pueblo West / Colorado Springs, our home for eighteen years, in the rearview mirror.  We took the drive north to the town of Golden (west of Denver) and will call Golden home for the next ten days.  After that, we’ll head west.

For now, allow me to say; It’s official…..we are full-timers….living in our RV full-time.  We’re taking it one day at a time and getting used to a lack of responsibilities.  Let the adventure begin! 😮

Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs

 

95 thoughts on “Let the Adventure Begin”

  1. Ingrid: This is a “late” post from me for your swansong journey out the gate for full timing, but you have now had about 7-8 months to think over that decision and it sounds like you and Al are very comfortable with it. Barb and I did the very same thing back in July 2013 (started full timing) and we never looked back….Hope we get to meet along the road some day; Here is a link to our BLOG if you might be interested….. http://www.freewheelin.me

    Maynard and Barb

    Like

    1. Well, thanks for stopping by and visiting. I look forward to following your adventure and who knows our paths may cross one day. This RV blog community is a special group of folks 🙂

      Like

  2. I feel like I’ve fallen into the proverbial pot of gold here at your blog. “Absence of passion for gardening or interest in home improvement.” Phew — stop that mind reading! After making a disastrous let’s live happily ever after move to the East Coast from Texas, every time I go somewhere I’m watching RVs and wondering about their occupants — where they’re going, where they’ve been. West, they’re going west, of course. Why would anyone go east? I’m going to be rolling like a dog in raccoon poop looking through your photos and descriptions.

    Like

    1. OMG….how funny. Not sure why anyone would choose to move from Texas to the East Coast, but I’m sure you have your reasons. West is the best! Our truck acts up whenever we HAVE to go back to IL 😆

      Like

      1. Thanks for coming over to the Bus Stop. The move to VA has been a spectacular crash and burn, but I’m beginning to find breathing room by volunteering at the National Park. I’m going to be following your blog and some other RVrs to see if I can figure a way to get to the West at least part of the year. Greet the beautiful big sky for me, and I’ll see you in the virtual hood.

        Like

  3. Ingrid –
    Had to come stop by after you posted on our rv blog….

    Now I have to ask “where in Illinois” did Al grow up? We are performing today so can’t dive into your blog 100% yet, but saw Illinois mentioned on the about us page. Jim, my hubby, grew up in a little town called Mason (close to Effingham). I grew up in Chicago until leaving home for college at U of I in Champaign. (btw, I peeked at your Illinois category and saw the fantastic post you did on visiting Chicago!).

    Until fulltiming it in 2009, we lived by Glacier Nat’l Park, Montana from 2001-2009 (moved from Illinois to Montana in 2001).

    Sheesh…I’m rambling here…look forward to getting to know you and reading more. Your photography is beautiful!

    Safe travels! Robin

    Like

    1. Hubby grew up north of DeKalb and I’m from the Schaumburg area. I used to love returning every summer to visit family and take some trips into the city….not anymore. We stay west and love it.

      I’ll be diving into your blog a little more as well. Unfortunately, our internet isn’t the strongest right now. Camped at Ridgway State Park in western Colorado…..one of my favorites.

      Thanks for commenting and look forward to your future posts. Who knows, maybe we’ll actually run into each other and be able to have a conversation solving all the problems of the world….not that anyone’s listening….lol

      Like

  5. The lack of responsibility is a wonderful feeling. When we sold our house in NJ, just the property tax relief was enough. I too had lost interest in my gardening, etc. It took me 1.5 yrs of F/T RV to accept that it’s ok to do “nothing”. By nothing, I mean read a book, watch TV, knit, nap, etc. I couldn’t completely relax because I thought I should be doing something to contribute to the workings of the planet. I always worked f/t, plus volunteered. I finally accept that I did my part and it’s time to just relax and do whatever I want. I’ve also bought a topsy turvy for a small herb garden. So back to just a little gardening.
    Enjoy your new life. I’ll be following you!

    Like

    1. Thanks Debbie…..You’re encouragement is good timing. I need to drop the guilt….as you say, “we’ve done our part”. This week I am definitely slowing down. I may find a little planter box down the road for some herbs or tomatoes, but for now I’ll focus on adjusting to a more relaxed lifestyle.

      Like

  6. Yikes…haven’t been reading the blogs I follow for awhile and didn’t realize you’d already made the leap. Congratulations for listening to you heart and taking that step! Happy times ahead, for sure,

    Like

    1. Happened a lot quicker than we thought….just rolling with the flow sometimes is best. Hoping for some fun-tilled adventure 🙂

      Like

  7. I love your blog and have followed you for a long time now. I’ll enjoy seeing where this new life takes you and Al. Someday, we hope to jump in with the Rver’s of the USA and join all of you on the road. Thank you for sharing your experiences with all of us.

    Like

    1. Thanks…..do you have a blog? Your gravatar isn’t linked so I can’t find you if you do. Hope you enjoy our ride 🙂

      Like

  10. Congratulations Ingrid and Al! Looking forward to hearing about the beautiful memories you two will be creating on the road.

    Like

  11. The first night we spent in our RV after taking the last load of our stuff to storage we slept till noon the next day. We were so exhausted. Congratulations and happy travels.
    Ruth from At Home on the Road

    Like

  13. I wondered why you’d been quiet for a while, Ingrid. You’ve been v. v. busy! Best of luck to you both and have a great time. I’m looking forward to hearing about your adventures.

    Like

    1. Yes, busy beyond belief. Blogging was the last thing on my mind. Now we’re settling into our new lifestyle and taking things nice and slow 🙂

      Like

  14. Great post!! It’s so liberating to consolidate your possessions and be truly free to move wherever you want to whenever you want to. I can’t wait to hear more about your adventures to come.

    Like

    1. Thanks. Simplifying does evoke a sense of freedom. Now the challenging decisions will revolve around the weather and which way to point the RV…lol.

      Like

  15. Congratulations! What a whirlwind of activity for you these past few weeks. Your dancing GIF is such a great expression!

    Like

    1. I really get a kick out of some of the gifs out there and this one seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Now that the move is over, we can finally settle in and enjoy. 🙂

      Like

  17. That is great! Isn’t it fun when you start purging, selling and giving away all that STUFF that clutters up your life? We are so happy for you and can’t wait to run into you on the road again soon. We will be heading east when we leave the twin cities and will end up in Florida for this winter. Congratulations – you made a great choice!

    Like

    1. Seems like a lot of the RVers that were in AZ this past winter are heading to FL this winter. We thought about TX. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again one of these days…..thanks 🙂

      Like

  18. Pingback: “AIDS”… Not what you think… | The Weary Kind

  20. Congratulations! How exciting! You are definitely living the dream. I’m sure it is hard to let go of some of those things you’ve had for so long, but I bet it’ll be nice to simplify! Enjoy your time in Golden. I used to work there. 🙂

    Like

    1. Yes, unloading some items was difficult especially at the garage sale but simplifying has been somewhat liberating.
      Love Golden….hiking in Red Rocks tomorrow, going to the farmers market Saturday, and Flatirons with the daughter Friday for some retail therapy. The fun has already begun 🙂

      Like

  21. Wow, I’m not sure I could do that. I’m too afraid to unconnect from my family. My girls all live relatively close and we have to see our grands every week. And without us throwing a family dinner every few weeks. no one would get together at all. I would love to let go and let someone else worry about keeping the family together, but I’m too OCD for that. Plus I’m not a big fan of traveling in a car/rv for long periods of time.
    But I wish you and Al all the happiness and fun adventures the road will hold!

    Like

    1. We left extended family behind over twenty years ago when we left Illinois. Al and I have been together 32 years and this was our ninth move. Our only problem….we’re not as young as we used to be….lol. We seemed to forget that simple fact and had to admit some of the furniture was a tad bit too heavy for these gray haired folks. As far as traveling, well that’s in our blood. We get depressed staying put too long!

      Like

  22. Congratulations! It feels great, doesn’t it. I well remember those aching muscles from all the packing and lifting. Like you, we hired a couple of guys for the heavy stuff … for loading the truck. At the storage end of the move, we did it all ourselves. It was worth it to know that just days from that move date we would be on the road.

    Like

    1. It feels great NOW….LOL. We’re finally recovering. Gosh, that move was exhausting. We’ll be taking it slow and meandering and looking forward to all the new places to explore.

      Like

  23. Congrats. You made your dream a reality. This is so ironic, my husband and I were talking about retirement and our current situation we are downsizing.Maybe in about ten years, we may instead choose and alternative lifestyle like full-time RVing perhaps after our one an only daughter is on her own . I look forward to your journey, have a great day. Allie

    Like

    1. We downsized two years ago thinking we would RV out and back. But after a winter running around the southwest and more travel plans for the summer, it seemed financially silly and burdensome to keep the house….even though I loved our new house. Our youngest is now on her own, thus it seemed like the right time to take the leap. I’m very glad we sampled the lifestyle before jumping in…. it’s not for everyone!

      Like

    1. That view of Pikes Peak has been part of my life for so long….I may have to come back and visit just to play tourist.

      Like

  28. Oh how lucky are you to have now hit the road… this has just got my urge to do the same all rejuvenated once more…. have a wonderful life and keep sharing it with us…

    Like

  29. Congratulations! That was fast! Before Mike and I retired and sailed away, I spent an entire year selling our furniture, going through ALL our possessions and down-sizing to a small 8×10 storage unit. Then we sold our beautiful home and our cars. People couldn’t believe that we could part with all our ‘stuff’, and I had my fears initially as well. But as each item found a new home, I felt lighter and lighter. It felt liberating! We were just so excited to begin our new chapter of exploration and adventure. We loved our house and I will always have fond memories of our years there, but no regrets on selling. That was then, and this is now. We love this RV lifestyle! Hope you do, too! -Linda

    Like

    1. We ended up with 2 – 8×10 storage units. Some of the things we are keeping for our daughter since her place with a roommate is small. We took a Phoenix run in April to take the son a bunch of stuff. It all happened so quick, I was torn with what to keep, sell, give away. Now I wish I had purged a lot more because I know I won’t miss anything. Oh, and in the middle of everything, we lost our dog and that sent me on an emotional rollercoaster like no other. BUT now, we’re sleeping in and regaining our energy and the adventures have begun. See ya out there!

      Like

  31. Wishing you many congratulations! The same thing happened to us when we decided to go full-time. Put our house on the market thinking it would take months to sell, then 2 weeks later it was under contract and 4 weeks after that we were out on the road! In a way it was good because it forced us to put things in motion. One year later we have not a single regret and look forward to many, many more years of full-timing.

    Where will you head next? We’re in Leadville this week, Dillion Res. next week and Grand Lake the following week. Maybe we’ll run into you somewhere along the way? So far the tips you gave us on Colorado have been very handy 🙂

    Like

    1. Well you had a BEAUTIFUL home in Vermont so I’m not surprised it sold quickly. I’m glad we took the four-month trial run before jumping in and got a lot of glitches addressed, cause we had plenty 😉
      Monday we’re heading to Grand Junction for two weeks and after that ??? I’ll try and shoot you an email with a couple more tidbits on CO.

      Like

    1. Well, I don’t know about brave….adventurous, yes. Not exactly sure what the plan is, we just knew we didn’t want to stay where we were.

      Like

  33. Congratulations!! I am so excited that you get to join the rest of us living this dream. Love your dancing picture:)

    Enjoy yourselves and relax!! We all can feel those last few days before everything is packed and stored. Oh, but the weight is off your shoulders now.

    Like

    1. Came across that dancing giff a couple of months ago and was saving for this event….seemed to express my sentiments better than words. You are so right about the weight off the shoulders….very liberating. Will you be heading west again next year?

      Like

  34. Congratulations and Welcome to our world. Full-timing since Jan. 2003. I remember the early days of saying “what did we do”..We left our lifetime home of 45+ years family friends….then we met our on the road family through the Escapees. It was a challenge to slow down and make new social connections and in the end I can say it was ALL WORTH IT!!! Hoping you much joy and happiness in your new path / adventure. Sending you virtual SKP Hugs, George and Diana

    Like

    1. Thank you and we look forward to making new friends along this journey. I know you and I have encountered some similar situations at SKP events…..just have to keep getting out there 😉 Hope we run into you guys again.

      Like

  35. And they’re off!!! Slowly they trot…and hopefully feeling a little R&R! We’re close behind…a little more than two weeks!! I’m still PACKING stuff :O)

    Like

    1. I’ll admit, I had a couple of melt downs prior to the closing. Once we hit the road and were about an hour out of town, I didn’t stop smiling. Talk about a rollercoaster….lol.

      Like

  36. CONGRATULATIONS! May the next 10 days allow you to catch your breath a little…

    The freedom of this lifestyle is incredible and now it is yours to do with as you wish, enjoy!

    Metamorphosis Lisa

    Like

    1. Thank you, Lisa. We’re already gaining our energy and starting to explore. Lengthy hikes won’t be in our future for awhile….we need to build up our endurance. See you out there!

      Like

  37. Yup, those are all the feelings when you finally become a fulltimer: relief, regret, lightness, aching muscles, anticipation, excitement. The hugh liberating sense of freedom from all those responsibilities for a house & lifestyle you’re no longer “in-love” with. The only constant in life is change.

    Like

  39. Congratulations, how exciting. When things fall together like they did it means it’s right. Good luck and keep taking pictures and writing – love your adventures.

    Like

  41. WOW AND YOWZA!! You are soooo fortunate to sell your home so quickly..I’m sure you were blindsides, but better that way than sitting on your house for a year! I’m looking forward to following along. Now, you should keep a daily journal, complete with weather, and all the pros and cons you encounter…part drama and part comedy..Congrats..I am jealous as Hell!!! 😉

    Like

    1. A daily journal sounds like way too much work. Besides I might end up sharing T.M.I. After all, life ain’t all sweet smelling roses!!! There’s plenty of thorns…lol. Jealous? Could you really sell out and leave those grandkids?
      I’ll be keeping ya’ll posted.

      Like

  42. I’ve suggested to my wife that we should be full timers for awhile and she said go ahead – needless to say, I’m at home right now 🙂

    Like

    1. Just read your comment to my husband…..he and I are still laughing. It really helped that we went out on the road this past winter to sample before jumping in full-time. There’s things about the house I’ll miss and things I most definitely will not miss.

      Like

  44. I am so excited for you! I look forward to being a part of your adventure. Our lives are much richer when we listen to our hearts and embrace our dreams!!!

    Like

  45. Congratulations! and as you said, let the fun begins.
    We can so relate with your experience the last few days. But in the end it is worth it. Looking forward to your journey and your stories.
    Stay safe as always.

    Like

    1. Thanks….you guys set a great example. However, I think we’ll take our journey at a slower pace than you. Happy trails 🙂

      Like

Comments are closed.