Tag: wanderlust

Last month we attended a beautiful outdoor wedding held at the bride’s parents mountain home.  We only knew two people in attendance at that event; our daughter and the bride.

There was a time in my life when I was considered ‘shy’.  Ok …. all of you fellow bloggers and RVer’s out there that have met me, you can stop laughing – I’m serious, I used to be very shy!  That said, there’s something about this RVing lifestyle that brings most people out of their shells.

So here we were at this wedding mingling.  It was time for dinner. We entered the reception area somewhat early and picked an empty table.  There was open seating; no assigned table for us to sit at.  About fifteen minutes later, a party of five approached and asked, “Do you mind if we join you?”  Hmm, interesting accent I thought as I said, “Please, do”.  This family of five were relatives of the groom from the country of Holland.  There was the dad, his daughter and her Italian boyfriend, the dad’s sister and her daughter.  They all spoke English very well.

Shortly there after another couple joined us filling out our round table.  Polite conversion ensued over dinner and drinks.  In some circumstances, hubby and I will circumvent the subject of us living in our RV full-time. We had the best of intentions to keep that tidbit of information to ourselves that day, but the Dutch daughter and her Italian boyfriend had so much interest in traveling around America that they kept asking us questions.  Finally we admitted, “We live in our RV and travel full-time”.

I thought the young Italian guy was going to fly out of his seat upon hearing this.  With extreme exuberance and out stretched arms as if to embrace us, he proclaimed, “No way …. you are living my dream.  Seriously, you are living my dream”.  The young couple began bombarding us with questions all the while sporting huge smiles and an excited tone they just couldn’t keep contained.

Somewhere during this cheerful, excited exchange, the gal sitting to my right asked, “Did I hear you say you live in your RV?”  I happily responded, “Yes, it’s been a year since we moved into the RV full-time”.  With a sympathetic look she said, “Oh, I’m sorry.  Did the economy get you?”  I’m well past feeling a need to defend my lifestyle and politely responded, “No, it wasn’t the economy – it was a desire for adventure, a desire to live that lead us to moving into the RV full-time”.

Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum.  One minute we’re ‘living the dream’, and the next we’re ‘living a nightmare’.  Both comments seemed to make me cringe because I feel I’m not living either.  I’m merely living life ……. my way or rather OUR way (hubby is living it too LOL).  There are days it is a dream and days it is a nightmare, but most of the time it’s somewhere in between.

When the stars are aligned it’s a dream;

• camping among stunning scenery and wildlife
• no trouble finding a beautiful spot to call home for a while
• plenty of room for us to park at no fee or at least a reasonable fee
• good road conditions
• no neighbors or wonderful neighbors
• each day is a new adventure
• agreeable weather  …..    I think you get the idea

But what about those days that just seem to fall apart?  Nothing seems to go right. This lifestyle can easily turn into a nightmare;

• Blown tires or other roadside break downs really suck and can be quite scary
• Full campgrounds …. no room at the inn.  Oh dear, wherever shall we park?
• RV Parks that have you packed in like sardines and charge exorbitant rates
• RV mechanical issues – water lines, heater, jacks, slides, leaks, etc.
• Medical issues – when I got severely ill last February, I broke down and just wanted to go home.  I had no home to go back to.  I was ‘home’.
• Learning new towns – Always in search of shopping, Laundromats, restaurants (this is not a negative for me – I embrace the search)
• Being away from family and friends (hehe, this one could also fit under ‘dream’)

Yep, this is life whether one lives in a sticks n bricks home or in a RV.  Living the full-time RV lifestyle is not one big long vacation, some panacea.   Although that sure would be nice?  Bills still need to be paid.  There’s still household chores that need to be addressed.  There’s still plenty of pros and cons and it’s not for everyone.

Am I glad we embarked upon this journey?  Absolutely!  For us it’s working just fine so far, but we did sample the lifestyle before jumping in full-time. Plus, Al and I have always bored easily and embrace change.  We’ve always had a sense of wanderlust and could never image ourselves living in the same house or neighborhood for years and years even though we grew up that way.  We love exploring new territory and meeting new folks.

We didn’t plan out this adventure years in advance. We didn’t purchase our RV with the intent of living in it full-time. The events quickly evolved.  Al and I made the decision to sell the house while spending the 2012/13 winter snowbirding.  We found ourselves embarking on the RV full-time lifestyle 4 months after deciding to so and we haven’t looked back.

Do I miss having a sticks n bricks house?  Not yet.  Besides, I’m not sure where I would want that house to be located.  I guess that’s why we’ll keep traveling and see if there’s some place that ‘feels like home’.  For now, ‘home is where we park it’.To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give. To roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to LIVE – Hans Christian Anderson

Picnic at Ascot 2 Bottle Insulated Tote, Black
1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die, updated ed.