We have been so busy since arriving in our Florida winter destination that this is my first blog since November! We experienced hazy, hot & humid summer days upon our arrival for several weeks, which led us to the pool daily and many evening happy hours. We had some catching up to do with our friends here at the RV resort, and also with some annual lot maintenance. We celebrated Thanksgiving this year amongst our resort friends at our Social Hall on the premises. This was the first time in a long time that I did not prepare a large feast. It was rather nice not having all the clean up and enjoying the camaraderie of good friends, as we are all without family members from up North. So here we are entering another Holiday Season with Six Wheels Down.

With the arrival of Thanksgiving and reflecting on all that we are grateful for, I go through this unsettling feeling every year that we have been away from our hometown over the holidays. It is very hard to explain how I can feel euphoric, and yet, depressed all in one day. I now call this strange eventful feeling the “Love/Hate Relationship” with FT RV life. There is so much to be thankful for, yet so much I dislike. And that’s how the fight started! No, Hubby and I are doing fine. The fight is within my own mind and the struggle is coping with the changes that RV life has forced on me over the years. I figure that many FT RV’ers are reading my blog, since I have many followers, so perhaps you can relate. Even if you are just contemplating a Snowbird lifestyle, you might want to follow along this journey. So let’s begin a little game of Love/Hate & Relate.

I love the beauty of a warmer climate during the cold brutal winters that our Northern and Midwestern folks deal with. I was just sitting outside in the sun to dry my hair after a shower and I love not having to blow dry my mop of hair! We enjoy getting in the car on cooler days and going for a drive to explore new things. We never worry about slippery wintery roads or rain turning to whiteout conditions. We don’t own or ever need a snow blower. Need I say more? But, I hate that decorating for the holidays feels like Christmas in July! If I don’t play Christmas music, I’d feel like a senile old lady that can’t figure out what month it is. When I do play Christmas music, everything I hear is a “white” this and a “white” that, and I feel like if I don’t have a fire blazing, that I can never achieve the merry and bright! No matter how many wonderful friends we have and celebrate with, there is always that yearning for the “ones you love” and cannot be with. I won’t be home for Christmas, and it most certainly won’t be a “white” one. However, I have less stress, and no need for a little black dress. Merry, Bright and casual every day.

I love never having to pack up anything to go on vacation. Everything I need is with me all the time. So if we decide to go “South” for a week or so, it’s like pulling up anchor and off ya go! Just FYI; When you live in Florida, going South means Key West. Going to the grocery or liquor store to stock up on a few things is as much preparation as I need. I also love it that wherever we go, we know someone there to meet up with and socialize with. We have met so many good people since 2011, that we never go anywhere that someone isn’t close by. In fact, we get in trouble if we forget that someone is near us and don’t make that call! But, I hate driving down the road with my house and car in tow. I know that sounds funny if you’re a Full Timer, right? But in a Class A, our house and all of it’s contents are in ear shot behind us. We hear everything shake, rattle and roll as we travel America’s roads, and they are not all great roads! Birmingham, AL and some areas of Indiana and Ohio come to mind. If you have been following our adventures, you’ll remember that we lost our tail pipe after miles of bouncing along I65N. I sometimes sit in the passenger seat quietly wondering just how much our home is depreciating every time we travel. I worry that if something expensive breaks, will it be covered by our insurance? Will we have to be towed? If we have to be towed, where will we stay if we have to wait for days or weeks for parts? Will the contents of my house be safe? And then I thank GOD for alcohol. Our tradition of toasting at the end of every travel day started on day one in Tin Lizzy; “Here’s to another safe day of travel!” Life is good.

I love that life is so much more simple living in an RV. Less area to clean, less clothes and shoes are needed, and if you don’t like where you are living, you just move on to the next area of interest. If you have a few plants or tend to a little garden, your watering is done in no time at all. Decorating for a holiday doesn’t take days or a lot of money, it usually takes a few hours and a little imagination. You never have to worry about entertaining large groups of people, because you can only comfortably fit up to 4 or 6 people. But simple doesn’t always cut it. I hate that the things I used to take for granted are no longer available or easy to come by. Good Healthcare becomes so important with age and is never guaranteed when you travel. You don’t just pull up your PCP’s number on your phone and make an appointment. You may have to wait forever to get an appointment, so you go to a Jack in the Box Doc for emergency care and hope for the best. Don’t even get me started about a dentist! (I am scared even when I go to my dentist I’ve known for years!) I feel like we better stay healthy until we can return to our health care professionals up North or we are at the Mercy of Dr. Whatever. I can hear my Dad saying “When it’s your time, it’s your time.” But nobody ever wants it to be “their time!” Thankfully, we have only had a couple of emergencies over all these years and we both lived to tell. There is something to be thankful for!

So how many of you can relate? Is this a familiar story for you? Do you miss celebrating Holidays at home with your family? Do the blues pass when the holiday is over? For me, I believe that if you come from a close, loving, caring family, rich with tradition, as I did; You never really get over it. You deal with it, as best that you can. But this is not only something that RV’ers deal with. This is life. This is me getting older and missing the good old days. My Mother left from this world over 13 years ago, and my Dad almost 4 years ago. This leaves me yearning for the days that they were here with our family making all the traditions that I dearly miss. The huge Christmas tree that my Mother would beg my Dad every year not to get so big that it filled the entire room, but still loved him when he did! The unbelievable amount of delicious cookies we baked and food served over a perfectly set table with linen and lace tablecloth and candles atop! The endless hours of music that emanated from our house, as our parents were both musicians that taught us all to play an instrument or sing for enjoyment. We had endless outdoor fun in the snow, making snow Angels, snowmen, forts and ice skating. Bells were always ringing, as the Elves were always watching us to see if we were bad or good. These are just a few of my favorite things, but, as we have all experienced, life changes and there is no stopping it. Every day is what we make it, no matter where we are, so try to live them good!

My wish for all of you is to enjoy your Holidays no matter what you do, who you’re with or where you are. Have a Happy New Year and may all your dreams come true! Thank you all for following my life on the road this past year and I hope you’ll continue along with Six Wheels Down in 2020!

Merry Christmas