Today was the day! The Beast was sitting on consignment and is SOLD. The license plate will be transferred to our truck and will now be a memory of driving down the road with Six Wheels Down.

So what’s next? Do I end my blog? Do I stifle my thoughts on FT RV life? I am not exactly sure what is next. What I am sure of is, that I have so much knowledge on the subject, and there are a lot of newbies coming on the scene that might appreciate my hind site 20/20. I might give you ideas or I might encourage or discourage, only you, my readers can make that judgement call. I still have much to share about the lifestyle, and for now, will keep my blog going. So for anyone that is thinking about owning an RV, or has one, and not sure if you want to vacation in it, live in it part time, or make the leap into full time, I am here for YOU! So, for today’s session of (what I shall call from now on) “Live and Tell”, please read on about the very first thing you will have to do.

MAKING THE DECISION

There are many reasons that people end up living in an RV, and whatever your reason may be, it is unique to you and your situation. The first mistake many people might make when trying to decide if the lifestyle is right or not for them is; ask other people that are doing it. I know! That sounds hilarious, right? Especially after the statements I just made about sharing my knowledge with you! But thinking back, the number one reason I probably made the decision to do it, was that EVERYONE doing it bragged about how wonderful it is. They constantly told us “You will LOVE it!” or “You’ll never look back!” and “Just get rid of your stuff because you won’t need it!” And one of my favorites, “It’s liberating!” I could go on and on and on. But you do realize that everyone’s reason for making this life-changing decision is unique to them and has NOTHING to do with YOU. It makes me think of when people say “you will LOVE the way I fix liver! You won’t even know your eating liver!” Trust me, I know liver no matter how you camouflage it, and I DON’T LIKE it!

Getting advice from fellow RVers you really enjoy being around, or believe you know very well, or even family, is going to profoundly affect your judgement more than a complete stranger, like myself. Consider me your impartial and experienced expert giving out free advice. (I don’t even get paid anything for writing this blog!) Since I have already walked in your shoes, you can trust me on what I say. And here’s another thought you might better relate to; your spouse/partner will affect your judgement on this far more than anyone else. The person you love and trust the most can gently persuade you without you even realizing it. You trust them and care about them more than anyone else, right? So why wouldn’t you go along with him/her on a great idea? Because I am telling you now, if it was not your idea, and it was not in your heart, it might not be part of your course. Once you realize this, you will be able to speak more intelligently with him/her and perhaps avoid a costly mistake. I say costly, but it is not just material things you may lose. It will change your life’s journey drastically; financially, mentally, and physically. Better to have the disagreement before you get rid of all of your stuff, than afterwards, while sitting in a small space wondering what the hell have you done and how do you get your old life back. You can never retrieve your old life. Those possessions are gone forever. BUT, you can lean on one another and take one day at a time creating a new life similar to what you liked best about your old life! Never blame the other for what you entered into together. NEVER. Unless you were hogtied, gagged and dragged into that RV, YOU and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make.

In our situation, we agreed to do the FT thing for 3-5 years before settling down in a small house, but many people enter it with no clear plan of ever changing it. That is okay only if that is how you both truly feel about it and agree. But I believe you better discuss this in depth before buying that RV. Once you step foot in that beautiful Beast, your thinking becomes distorted. I made it to 3 years almost to the day, but just barely. I knew in my heart after one year had passed that I missed being grounded, so to speak, with a sticks & bricks home to return to. But trying to explain my feelings and intuitions to hubby was a daunting task. I knew I’d be damned if I did and damned more if I didn’t, and a lot of money was at steak. But RV life for me, as wonderful as it can be, should have remained a part time obsession for exploring new places and not a full time life. There. I said it and I don’t regret it. I absolutely loved many things about it and have so many cherished memories. But it’s a good thing hubby and I are strong willed, determined people or we could have lost much more than our material possessions in this decision, if you know what I mean.

So here I sit writing in our new retirement home in Florida, barely 48 hours after the Beast has sold, and reflecting on the entire experience. I am, in essence, your hind site 20/20. For all of you that have so many questions as you are selling your homes and a life-time of possessions and memorabilia, I will be imparting free advice and information over the next couple of months, and I promise you that it comes from the heart, as I remain filled with passion on the topic of Full Time RV Life. Six Wheels Down will forever live on in all of you!

PS. It has been 3 months in our house and still, nothing has broke! (Just a little RV humor…LOL)