As we have entered the most celebrated holiday season of all, I thought I’d take a break from the usual RV talk before Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. No matter what you celebrate, no matter what your faith or religion, let’s hit the pause button and do a little reflection of 2020. So grab a stiff drink of the holiday cheer of your choice and and off we go…

What is your happy place? You know, the one that everyone tells you to go to when you’re full of stress, fear, and anxiety. How many times have you been to your happy place in 2020? This has been a year to remember, and mostly for no good reasons, but if you’re reading this, you have survived thus far. Congratulations, as this is one of the most profound years of crises Americans have had to face in our lifetimes.

I have missed my Mother and Father (both deceased since 2006 & 2016, respectively) more this year than ever before, yet almost relieved, that they did not live to see 2020. I think of my family up North on a daily basis. I miss seeing friends and hanging out with them over food and cocktails. I miss the normalcy of getting in a car to go anywhere without the word “mask” in my to go list. I despise wearing a mask, yet I do it anywhere in public I go in hopes of protecting you and myself. I’m not preaching, just stating the facts.

I miss turning on the news and actually hearing about events that took place, both good and bad, for the day. How long has it been since you tuned into a news broadcast that isn’t primarily about death and politics? You know when someone tells you the two things you can’t escape in life is “death & taxes,” and you just look at them like “oh, yeah, thank you for that!” But you don’t want to hear it like a bad dream that reoccurs over and over again! This year will go down in history as one of the most depressing years ever, and I am sure we will hear astounding numbers and statistics as we approach 2021. By the way, 2021 will not start out much better, because we have so much fun to look forward to with an inauguration of precedence, a vaccine that won’t be available to the mass majority until spring/summer, and 74 million people that will continue to dwell on politics. Perhaps we all need another cocktail before I move on to the positive side of things, because there is a positive side…sooooo

If I have just described how some of you feel, you are certainly not alone. This year’s been a Debbie Downer! But, we have to move past this, ALL OF IT, before we can start a healthier New Year. So why not start right here and right now with this holiday season?

Let’s focus on the fact that you are alive as you are reading this because, by now, many of us have lost loved ones or know of someone who has. So start by celebrating that you are alive every single day that your feet hit the ground. Never take it for granted. Rejoice that you can breathe the air. I believe that all RVers are used to bad things happening, yet focus on the positive side, probably more than most.

Next, come up with a plan to enjoy this holiday season no matter what the obstacles may be. If you can’t be with all of your family, be with your immediate circle, no matter how small. Even if you are alone, you can actively make a list of things you love to do and make sure you do them. Seriously, get a pencil and paper and make a list! It’s more tangible if you can see it.

Get a tree and decorate it. Decorate your RV/house, inside and out. Play your favorite tunes and drink your favorite drinks. Watch your favorite movies and shows. Spoil yourself with a gift and spoil anyone else you can, because the gift of giving feels so good! No cash? Create something while repurposing an old piece of wood or scraps of yarn. Pick up some pinecones and needles off the ground and add white paint or sparkles and glue them on something (get your creative juices flowing!) Are you near the beach? Pick up some pretty seashells and make something with them. Home-made cookies or candy is a fun activity and delicious too! Add a few candles to create some ambiance to your home on wheels. Hang your stockings and be sure that something is in them (candy or funny socks will do) on Christmas morning for you and your loved ones! Make some new traditions, make some awesome foods, and clink your glasses together with hot chocolate & marshmallows (spike with something yummy!) Celebrate together or alone, but celebrate your life. Laugh often and laugh hard. Focus on the good that life can give us, and do not let the bad stuff penetrate your bubble. Literally, picture yourself with your immediate family members in your household inside a snow-globe bubble. It might be shaken up a bit, but nothing can change what is happening in your bubble! And in this time of technology, you can always reach out to the ones you love!

And when the holiday is over? None of this has to stop. Maybe your tree and decorations might get packed away, but continue to do whatever makes you happiest every single day that you can. That is how you are going to survive all of this! LIVE IN YOUR HAPPY PLACE every day that you can. Let the rest of the world go silent if you can’t handle the noise.

So my Christmas wish is that everyone remains focused on the good that is still out there in the world. If you desire to live in the past and dwell on sickness and politics, you are the minority in my humble opinion. I believe that the majority of Americans want good for our people and for our country. I am convinced that no matter what else happens, goodness and truth shall prevail. That is what’s inside my bubble. No one can take it out of there. It’s what is in my heart and no one can take that away…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

You made the decision to go full time Rving and you have conquered the reality of downsizing. Congratulations! You are ready to hit the road Jack and not come back! But, wait! Not so fast…

What about your place of domicile? The place you will call home? Unless you are Walter from Breaking Bad and planning to be off-grid and illegal, you have some planning to do, my friends. I am not the blogger that lays out detailed planning of every step, every step of the way. There are many other sights for that, but I am the short list planner. Necessities with a sarcastic twist, that’s me. So here is my outline of “cover your @ss” tips before you head out to discover America. This is the closest thing to a list that I will ever do, but it’s a worth-while list.

Domicile. the closest thing to “home.” Everyone must have one if you want to vote and be counted. You also need to put tags on your RV, tow vehicle, and have a valid driver’s license, so don’t think you can escape this one. Please read up on this subject before you pick a state, but the “domicile friendly” states are Texas, Florida & South Dakota. You will also set up your vehicle insurance through this state or you will be committing fraud. But that is not my business…

Mail. Everyone needs to receive mail, so most folks set up a mail service through their state of domicile. If you choose a family member to pilfer through your stuff, please be advised that they will know as much about you as you do. I wouldn’t burden a family member with sorting through your stuff and have to forward the important things, but whatever floats your boat. It is a burden no matter how close you think you are, so choose wisely. People get sick, people die, and not everything can be emailed.

Banks (and a Printer). Although much banking can be done on-line and even with your phone, you have to have a physical bank at times, so research bank options & locations well before choosing to stay with your local, trusted branch you’ve always used. Wells Fargo, Chase, & Bank of America rank high for most locations in the US. Also, have a small printer with you, especially if you like remote camping. You will need one, and there won’t be one available just when you need it. I used ours often and printed things for other people all the time (happy to help). If you have the space, add it to your packing list.

WiFi and TV. This is the most discussed issue (and probably the most frustrating) in any RV group! Unless you want to live like cavemen and women and have your children drive you nuts, you MUST HAVE it. And guess what? It usually doesn’t work well in all areas you want to be, so have a hobby or park where there are places to occupy your time. We used unlimited Verizon text/calling for cell phone service, and a jetpack for WIFI. Rarely ever had a problem. Our TV service was provided by Dish and it was very good. You do have to call or go on your computer to change your zip code when you move out of range of your last location. This is really important if you want the local news and weather for your location, but can be a PIA. Dish is more RV friendly than Direct, and that is based on personal experience, not bs. They will also come out to your RV (only if you’re renting their equipment) and Direct will not. Direct TV is rumored to charge you to continually change your location. Also, if your antenna is obstructed by trees, mountains, or even windy conditions, you better have patients. Your provider cannot help you. You must move or deal with it. Please do not cut all the limbs off the trees to accommodate your antenna.

RV apps. This is so important if you have a large RV where getting fuel can be tricky and roads, bridges, and overpasses can be dangerous. I used “RV Parky” to locate truck stops because we used diesel and I liked this user-friendly app, but there are many others to choose from. Do this before you put the beast out on the highway! Trust me, when your husband or wife is asking which way to go for fuel once he/she gets off the highway in traffic, you will want to actually know where to go in advance.

GPS. If your RV is equipped with one, you must have a back up! It will leave you up sh!t creek without a paddle at some point, and you will have me to thank for having a plan B! Buy a Trucker GPS that you can enter your size (height/width/weight) because you will need it once you leave the safety of a truck route or main highway. You might use your phone and think this is totally unnecessary. Please use your phone and post a video when you get yourself into a mess! These sights are usually pretty funny, but totally avoidable if you have a trucker GPS. Don’t be that guy that everyone posts pictures of that lost the top of his RV going under the overpass.

RV Club membership. I wish I had a dime for every time an RVer asks about which clubs to join. But do yourself a favor; research it yourself and pick which one is suited best for you! We had Good Sam’s for discounted rates in RV parks across America. We had FMCA (Family Motor Coach of America) for two good reasons; They offer good insurance rates for RVs (we had Progressive) and they would transport it, should you become unable to drive it to a home destination. We also had Triple A, but that was more targeted toward our tow vehicle (however, they do offer RV insurance/services, but a bit more costly, in my opinion).

This list is a good start to fun and safe adventures and should be completed before you head down the road, but there is always the unexpected. Like illness and pandemics. Where would you go for a good doctor or hospital should you need a life-saving operation? Where do you go for routine health care or dental care? These are the most important things that most people do not give any or little thought to, and could mean saving a life! Do yourselves a favor and talk about it while it is very fresh on everyone’s mind.

You must have a safety net. A safe place to go. A spot that will always be available to park your RV, and for you to live safely by yourself, should one of you be hospitalized. This is the very reason I am writing this blog. For many people, RVing is thought of as escaping the drudgery of life. Hit the road and become free of all the every day mundane decisions. Live and let live! Well it’s not. At least not to the extent you think. Life still happens.

When this pandemic started, it was unknown to all of us what the dangers might be, the extent of the illness, how aggressively it could spread, etc. It is one of the many “unknowns” we all face, whether stationary in a sticks & bricks or in an RV. We ALL need a place to feel safe and secure from tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and yes, pandemics. I know what it’s like to be living in a motorhome and have a hurricane as bad as Irma knocking on your door. I know what it’s like to have tornado sirens go off several times in one night in Iowa or Alabama. And now I know what it was like to face a total shut-down during a pandemic. I am so thankful that we had purchased an RV lot that was always available as our safe place to be in the south, and maintained a seasonal spot up in the north. We could go anywhere we wanted in-between, but we had a place to be up north when we had to see our doctors, and a place to get off the road in Florida when travel became difficult during the start of the pandemic and shut-downs. We have since then purchased a small sticks & bricks, as you know, if you’re a regular follower. But discussing these things before the actual emergency hits (as there was little warning of what we would face with a world-wide pandemic) is crucial to you and your family’s safety on the road. Consider if there were no places you could rent to park your RV. All of them closed at one time across the US. Roads were suddenly closed to cross state lines unless you had a home address you could give them where you needed to go. What would you do? Where would you go? This is not the first emergency we have faced, and it certainly won’t be the last. But don’t be caught with your pants down because you were one of those who lived by the seat of them! My motto is to always have a plan B. Do it! Do it now and stay safe my RV friends…

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS!!

My followers know that we recently sold The Beast and moved into our little piece of paradise in Florida. In my last blog, I spoke about sharing impartial and free advice for entering the Full Timer scene, meaning; hindsite 20/20. The first step of going FT is actually making the decision. (Please refer to my last blog: Hindsite 20/20, if you have not made a firm decision yet.) In this episode of Live & Tell, I will cover the next step of turning your dreams into reality; Downsizing. So, listen up my lady friends- this blogs for you! Put on your big girl panties, grab a big pour and cheers to you!

Forget about the step by step list you found on another blog for a moment. Clear your mind of all your worries or concerns, and ask yourself the question all women ask. How many shoes do you really need? If you are laughing out loud or spit out your drink, don’t say I didn’t warn you and continue on. Seriously, how many shoes do you actually think you have in your closet? My husband guessed 50 pairs for me. It was actually a tad more than that. In all honesty, I used to be an Account Executive for luxury brands and had to look the part for work. In comparison to many of my colleagues, 50 was rather conservative. But be realistic now for just a moment. Forget about your past and concentrate on the lifestyle you are about to enter. Think of your last camping trip. What shoes did you use on that trip? Do you hike often? Do you walk on the beach? Do you like to dress up and actually go out to dinner, or cook camp-side? Now, get up and go to your closet(s) and gather up all your shoes into one place and start 3 piles; 1) shoes you will definitely need, 2) shoes you definitely won’t need, and 3) the maybe pile (usually the mother load in comparison).

Now, get another large pour because sh!ts about to get real! Count how many shoes are in the 1st pile of definitely need. If you have more than a dozen pairs in that pile, you will suck at this! Just kidding!! But here is the truth ladies. You will need 10 or 12 pairs of shoes ever, and a couple of those will be stored in an undercarriage compartment (the basement) for a future family wedding, funeral, or different weather than you usually travel in, like perhaps a pair of boots when traveling in cold weather areas. My list was this: 2 pairs of tennis shoes (walking and one cute/basic pair), 2 pairs of flip flops (one for shower shoes, one for good), beach shoes, slippers, hiking boots, slip-on mud shoes (for frequent wet, muddy situations), dress shoe/sandal, casual shoe/sandal, winter boots, and a pair of kick-ass cowboy boots I could not part with. I never wore the dress shoes- ever, stored the hikers, cowboy boots, and winter boots because we were primarily in warm weather. So, I wore about 6 pair of shoes on a more daily basis. The pair I used the most was the slip-on mud shoes for when it rained at muddy camp areas. And there you have it! You will need only 6-10 pairs of shoes. If that scares the hell out of you, you might not become a Full Time RVer.

If you make it past this silly first exercise I’ve put before you by laughing instead of fretting over the loss of your 40+ pairs of shoes, than this is how you will attack everything else you own. Three piles will turn into one smaller pile, which will need to fit into your RV. The other two piles are reduced, first by family, friends and neighbors, second by selling what you can, and third, and most likely, given/donated to whoever needs it. Don’t be offended if nobody wants your stuff! It’s just the way it is in today’s throw away society. Everyone wants to buy new stuff these days. They were not raised with hand-me-downs, and not accustom to using someone else’s stuff. It is what it is. Post Covid will only make this more prevalent.

Now for the gentlemen in my group. Have a shot and a beer, because you may have thought the shoe exercise was pretty funny, or laughed at your lady pillaging thru her piles. But, when it comes to your life’s accumulation of tools in the shed/garage, you might not be laughing for very long!

Fact one; tools and yard equipment are the best-sellers at garage sales. If you have them, they will come. However, fact two; nobody wants to pay you for what they’re worth. Remember, I am your hindsite 20/20. (an example of a regret, is that you should have taken that first offer on your house, and you ended up making less because you thought your house was worth so much more than your realtor said, so you held out longer. Just sayin…) So getting back on track; divide your shed into three areas, similar to our shoe discussion; 1) tools you will definitely need 2) tools you definitely won’t need, and 3) the maybe tools (you want them, might not ever need them- but don’t want to get rid of.) My husband ended up with 2 small tool boxes and two plastic tote containers (for additional supplies) all of which need to be stored in the basement. This end result was after going thru a life-time accumulation of everything you need to take care of a house and 2.5 acres of land for 30 years. If the thought of downsizing all of your tools and supplies to 3 or 4 containers scares the hell out of you? Perhaps now is the time to have another beer and build a bonfire…or perhaps have another discussion before it’s too late.

Everyone’s situation is different, but these exercises are pretty much the same for every FT RVer. You can’t take it all with you. Your discussion at this point should look something like this: What is your long-term goal? Where do you want to be for retirement years? Do you have the means to purchase a sticks & bricks or would you rent, should the need or desire arise? Will you want/need any of the piles that you can’t take with you at a later date? Can you afford to replace all of your furniture and other necessities if you decide to sell the RV down the road? Can someone store family heirlooms you can never replace without it being a burden? Once you have made decisions about these very important questions, you can relax and do what is necessary to downsize. Purging all the things you will actually never need again certainly does feel extremely good! I loved shredding and burning 20 years worth of files from having a home office! All of our important papers now fit into one portable file box (hard plastic one that doubles as a side table) and a brief case for original documents that you can escape with fast in case of emergency. A fire-safe is also highly recommended if you have a closet in the back of a diesel pusher. We’ve all seen it time and again, what engine fires can do, and no one is immune to the possibility.

To sum it up, our house sold so quickly that we really didn’t take the time to discuss all of these options, and it created anxiety down the road when we made the decision to own a sticks & bricks house again. Once you start looking at a bigger, better and beautiful upgraded RV, all of these decisions fade away like an early morning fog lifting to blue sky and bountiful sunshine. You can’t wait to hit the road! So if you passed this test with flying colors, have fun downsizing and enjoy planning for your FT RV life! I promise you will not miss all of those shoes or tools! (Well… except a hammer. If you accidently get rid of all 6, you’ll probably miss the hammer! We did!) If your stomach is in knots just thinking about all of this? Perhaps you should remain a part time RVer. No one will judge you. It’s your life and you can enjoy your RV, just the same. Travel, explore, and come back home, if you must. Either way, make the best of the journey we call life! There is no rerun, so make it great the first time…

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)

It has been a very busy couple of months for us as we prepared for the next adventure in our lives. Big changes have consumed our time and a lot of our money, but as I sit here looking back, I just wanted to share a few things I’ve learned with all of you.

We started RV life in 2011 as part timers in a Class C after meeting each other in October of 2010. We learned a lot about each other and shared our dreams, ideas and a very small space while on the road. We had a beautiful home on over two and a half acres in the country. We both worked hard and spent a great deal of time in the yard, which left little time to enjoy RVing. We were married in 2012 and became snowbirds in 2013, upgrading to a roomier, slightly bigger Class C. I became semi-retired (which meant, 5-6 months in Key West and working 6-7 months seasonally upon returning to Ohio.) Because my hubby is a retired Veteran and was landscaping seasonally, this was an easy transition for him because he didn’t have to work during the winter. During those years, life was a roller coaster of packing, preparing, living on the road, unpacking, and then redirecting to a sticks & bricks life with a job and all the responsibilities of “normal” life. All the while, the RV sat in the driveway waiting for us to get on the road again. We desired to be on the road more and live the “normal” life less and progressed to full timers June 1st, 2017. We bought the beautiful Class A Tiffin Allegro RED pictured above to live in 24/7, 365. Just shy of 10 years experience with RV life on the road and trying to keep enough money for our retirement house (which was always a part of our long-term plan), and we are done. Enough stress, enough debating, enough of the “what ifs” and “where to go.” We now have a small retirement home in Florida and The Beast is currently on consignment at an RV Dealership up the road. We are no longer FTers.

If you have kept up with my blog, you will know that I have shared so many things for all those living this dream or hoping to do so in the future. You already know that I have honestly shared the good, and sometimes, with a bit of sarcasm, shared the bad. If you are reading this blog for the first time, please read on to learn some of the things I’ve experienced to help you in possibly making your own decisions.

The number one questions in every RV group I am a member of is; How do you know if this is the right lifestyle for you? How do you downsize your entire life to fit into an RV? What did you do with all of your stuff? Do you have any regrets? The short answers are; You don’t know until you try it. You simply sell or give away almost everything you own until all you have left is a necessity. Nobody wants your stuff, not even your kids. You won’t know if you will regret it until maybe one day in the future, you do. But perhaps you never will. So, what have I learned over nearly 10 years? Far too much to put in one blog, but let me continue with the “Reader’s Digest” version as best as I can.

Life is a constant challenge and that doesn’t change no matter what you live in or where you are, so if you think going FT is going to change this? You have already failed. However, if you love life and deal well with all the challenges that go with it? That is a very good mental place to be starting out.

There’s a lot to see and do out there, but you need deep pockets unless you like to hike and to work. Everything costs money, even if you’re just looking.

It is a cheaper alternative ONLY if you own your RV. It is NOT a cheaper lifestyle. Don’t try to ask what it costs on a monthly basis in groups because everyone will tell you a different story, based on their individual situation. You are trading one set of expenses for another, not eliminating them. But it IS a simpler lifestyle.

Your unborn children and your pets may or may not love the lifestyle as much as you do. Remember that because they can’t answer that question! Also remember that nobody loves your children and pets as much as you do.

It’s very boring after days of rain and being inside an RV. You better have a hobby or love watching TV, or you may need to buy a bigger RV when the next child is due. Seriously, get a hobby because you can’t drive somewhere else every time you get bored.

Don’t ask general questions to RV groups. They don’t have all the answers. Google your route and listen to your gut. Hopefully, you have one. If not, you will live and learn the hard way. Switchbacks are not for newbies that need to ask “the route” question. It’s like skiing; Would you want to ski the steepest mountain if you have never skied before? If so, don’t be wasting experienced skiers time with stupidity. Just do it.

It is easier to buy a luxury coach than to sell one. It doesn’t matter how well you took care of it, it is never exactly what the Buyer wants and there’s a never-ending supply! The people that tell you how quickly they sold theirs didn’t owe the bank a balance and had more room to negotiate. The truth is, you do not make money on coaches. Rarely ever. If you are that one person who did and want to argue this point? You got lucky. They are depreciating no matter what name is on it, just some quicker than others. Ask me why our beautiful Tiffin is sitting on consignment. Never had kids, pets, or smoked in it, and in excellent condition, if you’re interested…

Warranties are very expensive. So are repairs. Your choice. Pay now, or later.

It is important to have general knowledge of maintenance and repairs or I would highly advise the warranty.

If you are the couple that never argues and gets along great, all the time, I applaud you. We used to be that couple too! Space is important. Period. THE END. But nobody died.

I LOVE my new kitchen! It is fairly small, but super efficient. I do NOT need to dig for anything anymore and my back thanks me every time I cook.

Organizational skills are an absolute MUST for FTers. If one of you is messy, living in small quarters will definitely be a huge stumbling block for your spouse/partner.

I also LOVE my own shower and not sharing the scents from each others bathrooms on a daily basis. Our house is less than 1600 SQFT, but a split plan- with bathrooms on opposite ends and it’s wonderful! We had a bath and a half in our Tiffin, but sorry, still not enough space in between for 365 days/year for me.

Traveling in an RV is simply the BEST way to experience travel! Having your own bed and kitchen every day has a whole new meaning during a pandemic. We recently had to travel by car and stay in hotels for a funeral. It reminded me of all the advantages of RVing that brought us to love the lifestyle. No loading in/out of hotel rooms wondering if the sheets were even clean. I lived out of suitcases all during my career days. I don’t miss them.

Fact: Being a passenger in a car flying down the highway causes me zero anxiety compared to being a passenger in a Class A 40′ motorhome.

The friendships you make as you travel will continue no matter what lifestyle you choose! Good people are good people. Also, bad people are everywhere. You can be parked in the middle of nowhere and need I say more…

There is nothing wrong with being a Part Timer. Almost every single Full Timer we ever met over all these years are no longer FT. It’s OK. If you are doing it just because everyone else is? DON’T!

My knees hate the steps. We now live in a ranch. I am still a happy camper!

All the people that constantly remind you that living in an RV versus a house is no different? They are wrong. We have owned our house for over 30 days and nothing has broke!

Choosing where to live in a house is as complicated as choosing where to park the RV for winter. Too many choices, but in the end, your pockets will guide you where to go.

I know people are going to ask if I have any regrets. Some already have. I definitely have some regrets. However, I also feel blessed in so many ways that I will always LOVE the experiences I’ve had and how I pushed myself to keep going strong. I have done things that most people never will. I have seen every state in the US except for Alaska and Hawaii, and that could still happen. Not all were seen in the RV, but most were. I have been on some of the most feared bridges and lived to tell. I have traveled thru the mountains and camped by the sea. I have lived the dream that so many are still only dreaming of. How fortunate that I have learned so much and did not give up, even when nothing was going right. We somehow dealt with everything that life on the road could throw at us. Never let anyone else’s story be yours! Not all Good luck is yours to have. Not all bad luck will ever be yours. Make your own story. It’s your life, the one and only.

Sh’t breaks. In a house, in a car, in an RV. Eliminate one and you still have two things that will break. If you think traveling without a toad (tow car) makes things any easier? You’re wrong. Even if you only have one thing- your RV, it will break and you’ll need a car. Are you going to have them bring it to you in the middle of the desert or on top of the mountain? If so, I want to read your blog.

We almost bought a house last year, but the financial task was easier said than done. We were able to make it happen here in Florida, and I am so happy to be close to many of the places I love and people we enjoy. My biggest advice to anyone contemplating the decision of going FT is this; NO ONE can help you make the decision. Only YOU can decide what is right for YOU. Be sure that you will always have some money set aside for the day you might have to change course, because I am certain you will. BUT, by all means, DO IT if it feels right and DON’T if your doubting everything along the way. In the end, you will have lived your best life!

  Our Pool in our new backyard

 

 

 

 

Life has certainly been challenging over the past month or so, especially for those of us living FT in our motorhomes. If you were traveling during the Pandemic, being on the road became very difficult, and if you were stationary, isolation brought on a whole new meaning, even if you have enjoyed it in the past. I believe that everyone EVERYWHERE has stories they can share, but I honestly believe we are living in BIZARRO WORLD!

For my FT RV readers, you will easily relate to what I write, and I hope you have found a place to live comfortably as state-wide shutdowns continue. For those of you wishing to become FT, or who live in sticks & bricks, I believe you may feel a bit better about where you sit during this pandemic once you read on.

We are stationary during this stay-at-home period, but many of our friends are not. I don’t think anyone realizes how bizarre this has been for those that travel the country, and suddenly travel is forbidden! Think about that if you are not currently an RVer. Every reason you have ever had for wanting an RV has to do with travel. Now we are told NOT TO TRAVEL. It is your home, but you can’t easily find a place to park it! So here is where it gets tricky…

We know people who winter in Florida from Canada, Nova Scotia, New Finland and Labrador, etc. They pay rent for the season to park their RV’s in Florida. When the Government announced closing the border, many were still here in Florida. They must be back in their country before their time-limit of being out of their country expires or they lose their insurance benefits. For obvious reasons, they had to figure out how to get back home. So Canada and surrounding areas had an influx of people traveling back home from the US. This is complicated by having extremely limited over-night parking available, as State Parks and Rest Stop facilities closed in large numbers. Financially, this caused a strain for many, as CG’s are cancelling reservations, but not all are giving out refunds. Some are issuing credit for future dates, but sometimes, you don’t have an option to return, as things change. This can be hundreds of dollars for some, and thousands for others, but not a good scenario.

People that own winter lots or homes in the south want to isolate here in the south, where the weather is warm and sunny. But suddenly, their state says it is forbidden to leave, or the state where they’re traveling to says we don’t want you! You must isolate or else! And forget about coming to the beaches. They are closed even to Florida residents!

People in military family CG’s all across the US were given just days to vacate due to non-essential personnel being laid off during the Rona virus. They try to find other CG’s to accommodate a lengthy stay, but private CG’s began closing their doors to new reservations, including ours. They also found themselves having to wait in long lines for check points along the highways to enter certain states, and then told they must quarantine for 14 days if they enter. Only, they haven’t found a place to park the RV yet for 14 days, or simply can’t stay long enough in the state requiring it. Some places that used to let RV’s park overnight are no longer permitting them to do so (Walmart, Cracker Barrel, etc.), which forces them to find a CG. It is simply a mess and quite frustrating for those trying to drive their RV’s to any place to hunker down.

For those of us that are stationary, we are sick of being isolated! It is a much smaller space than a house and most of us are very social and outdoor people. Suddenly, they say not to gather in groups. You can go outside, but if it’s raining, you can’t. So we sit in a one-room house and wait for the rain to stop. When I cook or bake, our refrigerator is positioned past the TV, and I cross in front of it to get into the Frig. (need I say more). Normally, we go shopping, dining at the beach, drinking with friends or whatever social activity you can think of. But now we can’t. We have to socialize at one’s RV with fewer people, 6 feet apart. I have my own lung issues even when the rest of the world is great, so I am very cautious.

I’m so tired of isolation, sick of the news, and sicker of the word Covid-19! It is Bizarre to think that all of this is going to go away after the curve starts to flatten. We talk about the “New Normal” like it’s going to be a good thing, yet, I walk around everywhere with people in masks and gloves (when it almost 90 degrees) and feel like I’m in a movie just to run into the Dollar Store! I highly doubt that anyone is going to be excited about travel, going to the movies, going to a casino, getting on a plane, working again in close proximity to anyone, or dining out ANYTIME SOON! Bars may be closed indefinitely!

THINK ABOUT THIS: Remember all the impatient A- holes you lived with before Covid-19? THEY ARE STILL ALL OUT THERE! So imagine this; you are waiting in a TSA line to get on a flight. Remember those long lines? They are GOING TO BE LONGER once they spread us all out 6 feet apart! Remember getting on a wait list to get into your favorite restaurant? You are going to be waiting LONGER! They will have to do extra wipe-downs disinfecting everything everyone before you has touched! Remember going to your favorite amusement parks? Would you want to stand in line all day waiting for the next 50 people to be able to enter? “I’m sorry, we can only let 50-100 people in at a time.” Yeah, the impatient dude behind you is going to burst wide open at the seams, and 6 feet is NOT far enough away for me to be around him when he does!

Lines will be longer, disinfecting will drive you crazy between customers, you may or may not have a job to return to, because they might just realize that NON essential personnel are never going to be as essential as they once were thought to be. Whatever you thought was normal before, will likely never be normal again (that is what they are calling the “New Normal”) and the impatience will make it very ugly out there, so we might as well get used to a new normal of highly agitated and ignorant people, only they must stay 6 feet away from you! That is the only consolation. The thought of all of that just might make you crazy enough to drink your Lysol or Bleach! Did I just say that out loud? Sorry, I was just being sarcastic. Haha! Don’t try it because you can’t sue them now that they put it on their labels not to ingest or inject it.

So, isolation, social distancing or a vaccine. That is what we’ve got for now and what we hope for tomorrow. That’s it folks. The Rona is not going to just disappear. It is hard for me to make fun of anything right now because I haven’t been laughing much during a period of 30 days of isolation. Some people probably believe that to be too harsh. But I call it saving lives. The people you have in your RV community going to grocery stores, Drug stores, Doctors, Hospitals and where ever else you gotta go, that have no symptoms and congregating together, all feel safe. But the more you run around, you increase the odds that someone may come in contact with the Rona and pass it on. I am missing a lot of people, but wasn’t willing to risk it. An Em-path will understand. The more you care about people, the more you do to protect them.

I always leave politics and religion out of my Blog, and I usually try to infuse my writing with humor and a scent of sarcasm. I’m just going to say it folks. There IS NO REALITY anymore. You can’t believe anything you hear because “they say” everything is “Fake News.” If you can only believe certain news channels, which ones do you believe? Do you have a crystal ball that says the one you’re watching is the real news, and mine is not? Is this when you phone a friend and advise them that what they just watched was the fake stuff, or you’ve just been punk’d? We are living in a Twilight Zone of events where the entire world is making fun of our Leaders. People believe this is Okay. It’s not. It started long ago when social media thought it was cool for our President to be tweeting and on Facebook. It is NOT! It allows adult bullying and disrespect like we have never seen or tolerated before in our lifetimes. It exposes our weaknesses to the entire world. This is NOT a good thing and you are not going to pray it all away. So I can say with all honesty that the new normal is not a good place. It is very hard to be an Em-path in a world full of Narcissism and bullies. I want to go into hiding for whatever the election brings because I cannot bare witness to it. This is that one time in your life when “the good ole days” really were much better, and I wanna go back. Please come back!

There is going to be no better time to buy an RV than once the travel bans are lifted! Hit the road and don’t look back Jack! Get in your toad with the windows down and let your hair blow in the wind! Enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking and LIFE! It’s too precious to waste, but isolation is going to be a good thing for many people that cannot tolerate the stupidity that is coming like a plague. It could be worse than the pandemic itself inflicting hatred and fear. You can pray about that all you want, but even God hasn’t stopped the Stupid, (free will clause) and we will be surrounded by it!

AS for hair appointments, manis and pedis, eating out, and all the things Non-RVers usually worry about? FT RVers don’t give a hoot about those things! Let your hair grow, get some sunshine highlights, trim your nails and go El naturel! I don’t miss any of those things as much as I miss family and friends and the way life used to be! I miss the world as it once was, full of kindness and respect. If you think it’s back? Just you wait and see when this is all a memory. WE will all have to work really hard with absolutely no pay to get any of that back, but that would be a reward worth working for. Don’t ya think? Maybe they will come up with a vaccine one day to fix Stupid. One can hope, but that day is likely never to come. So go get yourself an RV and be free….

 

 

These are certainly different times we are living in folks; wouldn’t you say? As I sit here in our Beast writing to all of you, I know many people are in a scurry to vacate State Park CG’s, Military CG’s, some private CG’s, and even some BLM public lands! The question on most Full Timer’s minds today is; “where do we go to isolate?” Ironic, since most FTers are pros at this on a daily basis. We are “self-contained” most days of our lives when the rest of the world is not. We can supply our own electricity, store water, contain waste, etc. for weeks at a time in the middle of nowhere, but suddenly there is nowhere to be! We live in close quarters every single day of our lives, so this situation is not new.

Luckily, for us, we made the decision a long time ago, to have a Plan B. Anyone that has read my blog in the past would have expected me to say that. It’s very TRUE! WE own a Lot in an RV Resort that has been available whenever we wanted or needed it! I believe we all should have a home base of some sort to have for the emergency that hurricanes, devastating fires, unexpected illness, and even death of your spouse/partner that eventually can and will wreak havoc in our lives. But, who knew it would be an invisible enemy of war against our entire world that would inflict such pain and suffering among us? I can already see the motion picture in my mind that will one day be in theaters around the world based on this very true story. Oh, the spin they will put on it will be worth the money to see it!

I promise to my readers that I will not be political, racial or religious in this blog. But, I am going to try and be a bit funny with my usual twist of truth and sarcasm. If you are a returning visitor, you are expecting me to make you laugh. If you are new to my blog, everything I write is based on my opinions or truth, and as such, not intended to be negative. Kindly move on if you don’t like my style. You’ve been advised.

So, here we are facing an invisible monster, sort of like a “Predator” movie in my own mind, trying to destroy us all! We are all affected, but hoping NOT to be infected, as we tune in to the news, TV, or social media daily for updates on a plan of attack. I am sure I am not the only one that has anxiety issues that I try to keep in-check daily, even long before this war started. I am also a bit of a germ-hating being, but not a total germaphobe. I do however, relate with “Sheldon” on The Big Bang Theory in many instances! I sort of wish they could bring back the show just to see a funny version on COVID-19 and Sheldon’s reaction to it all. Could you just picture someone sneezing and his facial expression in slow motion? I certainly can, and I am laughing right this minute! However, I am probably guilty of that same look whenever my DH sneezes in the motorhome. It could be black pepper, but I still shutter.

Getting back to the current situation, I am curious to find out what everyone is doing. I wish they would spend more time actually interviewing people like FT RVers and how all of this “sheltering in place” has up-rooted them from many of the parks and CG’s, leaving them basically homeless. Let’s talk about the truck drivers that are delivering supplies that keep the hoarders happy! Let’s talk about the communities coming together (but not physically together) to come up with solutions for getting things done, especially for elderly people and families in need. Oh, but NO! The media must stay focused on the real picture and keep us scared to death! Why don’t they just put up pictures every evening like at the military recruiter’s office, “COVID-19 WANTS YOU!!” or, “Spreading faster than flies flock to shit!” with our favorite poop emoji surrounded by flies. I’ll stop with that.

In my world of how I deal with reality, I must add a taste of humor, or I would be huddled in the corner with a canister of Lysol, scared to step outside! I still feel like doing that some days, but I am obsessed with doing the right thing in my life. I stay informed, but we get in our car and take a harmless drive thru the country to rejuvenate our mind and soul. (The photo above was taken on one of those drives recently.) We gather in very small groups to have a happy hour with the people in “Our Bubble”, as we like to call it, on one of our RV sites. We have not been very welcoming to any “new” folks lately, and that kind-of sucks, but we feel comfortable with each other’s daily task of being careful! If we don’t know you, (you’re out of our Bubble), now is not the time to get to know you, and we apologize. We’ll catch ya later after the war is over.

I mostly tune out from the news and watch light-hearted TV shows. I do a bit of shopping to support local small businesses back home. I plan meals to cook conservatively so I don’t have to replenish groceries often. I go on Facebook and communicate with friends and family, but I avert many negative or mean conversations on Facebook, or I find my blood rushing thru my veins enough to almost pass out (or did I just get off the recliner too fast?) Disasters will always bring out the best of people ONLY in the best people. (read that again) Disasters will always bring out the worst in people ONLY in the worst people. Disasters will always bring out the cynics ONLY if they are cynical. NEVER fails! EVERY SINGLE DISASTER, EVERY SINGLE TIME.

So, why does it surprise so many people when you see it or hear it happen? That is my question. The media will blow everything up EVERY time, and this surprises anyone? If you think that CNN (insert any news channel you dislike) should go to jail because of their line of questioning, wouldn’t they already be in jail? If you didn’t like our leaders before this war, how do ya like them now? If you thought people sucked before, I am certainly not going to ask how you feel about them now. But I have lived thru the Great Recession over a decade ago, so this is not my 1st rodeo with losing my ass and economic disasters, nor is it my first time being among the ignorance that goes along with every disaster. But, this is my 1st Pandemic, and I pray it’s my last. NOT that I wouldn’t want to live through this one, I just don’t want to see another one in my lifetime, so you get the gist!!

Huggers are in distress. Haters are hatin. Promoters are promotin. Scammers are scammin. Gamers are gamin. Tweeters are tweetin. Preachers are preachin. Whiners are complaining. Complainers are whining. Social media is crazy and politics are the same as usual. Rebels finally have a cause. If you hated our President before this war, he’s not winning your vote. If you loved our President before this war, it doesn’t matter whether he’s right or wrong, he already had your vote. Germophobics are staying home, as we ALL should, but College kids think they are invincible and crowding our beaches. Shelter in place, or flock to Florida. The blamers are playing a great blame game. Are you willing to cast the 1st stone? If you think COVID-19 is a hoax, providing you don’t get infected, or die, it’s certainly was a Hoax. We should be doing more! We are doing too much! Officials are over reacting.  Officials are not acting fast enough. If millions of people die, no one focuses on the stock market. If millions of people don’t die, was it worth crashing our market? If you were broke before the war, you lost nothing. If you were rich before the war, you’re still rich. We have nothing to lose, but if we die, we had nothing to gain. Some will win and some will lose. Some are just simply losers. Some will run. Some will hide. Some will get sick and some will die.

Nothing is going to change unless you change the way you think! NEVER! So for what it is worth, be cautious, be safe, hurt no one purposely, and try not to hate. Be willing, be fair, help who you can, and if you’re hoarding, PLEASE spare a square!

I hope by my next blog that this war is over, and I truly hope all my fellow RV friends have found a temporary place to park and hunker down for now. As for me and my hubby, we are hunkering down permanently in Florida. We are selling the Beast, and perhaps one day in the future, will downsize the motorhome to travel more economically. And maybe we will just have to try a hotel room from time to time! But one thing is certain. I will always be able to turn to the ocean when I need to, because I will never be that far away! I just continue to believe that we will survive this war and enjoy a new home and the beach will mean so much more on our very next visit there…

Good Luck to all of you, where ever you may be!!

 

I am a member of several RV Groups on Facebook and each one targets a specific group of RVers; “Full-Time RVers” is for anyone living in their RV. “Tiffin Motorhome Owners Group” is for Tiffin owners seeking technical advice or simple solutions from fellow Tiffinites (owners). “Tiffin Motorhome Lifestyle” is for Tiffin owners that don’t want to talk shop, but rather talk travel delights and share ideas and photos. Negative issues will get you tossed out or un-friended. “Tiffin Motorhomes For Sale” is a great resource to list/sell your Tiffin or for owner wannabe’s to purchase a used one.

For anyone owning or just thinking of owning an RV, there are many groups available to choose from varying in the level of expertise and experience from other RVers. I believe the reason for my Blog having so many readers tuning in, is that there are wanderlust folks craving the lifestyle, but many have questions and endless curiosity about it. I am here to tell you, (and my followers already know this), I talk the truth and nothing but the truth on the subject and share my personal adventures with FT RV life! That said, be careful what Group you choose to be a member of and follow because Snarky is the name of that game!

You might be reading my blog for the first time and asking yourself, what makes her an expert on the subject? Experts say, it takes at least 10 years to be considered and expert in your field. For the mathematicians out there: Based on a normal job (52 weeks at a normal 40 hr work wk, minus 120 hrs for holidays/vacations = 1960 hrs/yr) x 10. That is 19,600 hours at a job to be considered for the title of Expert. However, the hours you spend living in an RV is 24 hrs/day, 365 days/yr, so it adds up more quickly. I have 24,840 hrs as a FT RVer, and approximately 6800 hrs as a PT RVer, for a grand total of at least 31,640 hours in an RV. So I am considered to be at the top of the class, if nothing else.

So why are we surrounded by idiots in most of these groups? I’m sorry! That was rude! That is, to say; idiot responses to most questions! All FT RVers know most of all the day-to-day answers to “shits gone wrong” questions because we have all experienced shit going wrong at some point. But, every now and then, a mind boggling situation occurs. For instance; An odometer reads 27,721. One drives over 1000 miles south, parks the motorhome for winter, and doesn’t look at the mileage again for quite some time. When one looks at the odometer again and it reads 22,781, the wife doesn’t have to do the math and shakes her head. What is wrong with this picture? Wife gets up and looks at the odometer herself because she knows there is no freaking way that number is correct. Wondering just how many beers “one” has had, wife sees with her very own eyes that he is correct! (Face of bewilderment.) Moving on, one gets on Tiffin Motorhome Owners Grp (the site for technical advice.) Let’s just say, when I came across this story, I had to read it, and found it to be astounding! Please allow me to share some of the answers to the mathematical story problem stated above:

“Time machine..lol…or maybe it’s on trip mode.” I laughed, because that was expected, but funny! “Space time continuum?” What else could it be?? “Seriously cumulative leap days?” “Did it read 28,000 before or after happy hour?” Seriously, that was FUNNY! “Looks like you’ve driven a lot of miles in reverse. Try the D button on your selector!” “Sorry, but I don’t have a clue as to why this should happen.” “Part DeLorean?” All of this is quite an amusing read, but this poor guy needs an answer. The fun continues. One of my favorites: “Keep driving. Pretty soon you’ll have a brand new rig!” “Somewhere along the way you hit 88 mph and 1.21 Jigawatts…” All very amusing, and the laughing continues. And then…the idiot rears his ugly head and says, “You know you can call Tiffin instead of trying to make Tiffin look bad.” Hmmm. So remind me, why do we have a site for Tiffinites to ask technical questions???? Someone else reads what I saw, and replied, “You must have misunderstood the issue (nice way to say idiot), otherwise, your comment would seem unnecessary on an overwhelmingly positive site where lots of folks go for help and give help.” Another nice guy says, “It doesn’t seem to me that he is trying to make Tiffin look bad. He’s just trying to get some help.” BINGO!

This is just one site and one circumstance. I could write for days on this subject!! Another Lady tells the sad story of her husband’s passing and wants advice for if she continues to RV with her doggy companion. She expresses that it scares her to read all the technical problems that arise daily on the road, as she has read on the Tiffin site. One lady gave good advice to; “Ignore all the snarkiness on these sites.” But some others were frankly not good advice at all, in my opinion. If you knew the woman’s mental capacity, money situation, and ability to drive the rig? Maybe, just maybe, you could give her some intelligent advice. But these comments are not good advice without the facts: “Don’t be afraid of problems. They are all part of the adventure!” Now, if you were a licensed therapist and gave this advice to a patient that had severe anxiety or depression, I would ask you; “When is your last day not counting tomorrow?” Or; “Let me tell you where you can apply for unemployment…” This is like leading a lamb to slaughter if she’s not experienced, or at least capable! Here’s another good one to ponder; “Things will happen, just like in your home.” Well, what if her husband used to take care of everything that broke? Does she know how to fix a broken anything? If not, does she have the funds to call Ghost Busters every single time? I also liked, “Anything that breaks can be fixed.” YES! And I have ENDLESS amounts of cash to fix it! How about; “The joy is in the adventure!” Again, do you know what gives this Widow joy? I’ll bet, if you asked her face to face, she would have included her husband in that answer without thinking. But if traveling brings her joy? Wish her well on her efforts to continue, but give her some real advice, to save enough cash for a “plan B” if it doesn’t work for her. Be realistic folks. Even a “couple” can have a hard time keeping up with all the stuff that goes wrong! How about this for advice; “Don’t spend your life worrying about what if.” Haven’t you heard the stories that when someone is given just months to live and wish they wouldn’t have worried so much? They let go of all their worries for the first time in their life and just LIVE like there’s no tomorrow? That’s because they know there is no tomorrow! It is very sad, YES! But for many of us, there is a tomorrow and it is O.K. to plan intelligently for the future, within reason! This Widow knows that tomorrow isn’t promised. Her husband has left her behind. ALONE. It is okay to travel and live life. But it’s always okay to plan your trips, isn’t it???

And, my favorite response and FT’er subject of all; “It’s just like a house!” O! M! G! Gets me fired up every time I hear someone say it! NO! IT’S NOT! You buy a new house. How many times did your electrical system fail you in the first ten years? Water heater? Did your roof ever leak in the first ten years? Did your slide ever malfunction in your house? OH, yeah, there are NO slides! Problems with your jacks? House not sitting level? RIGHT!! Your house doesn’t move! Did you have to replace not one, but two AC units in less than 5 years when they failed? Oh, your house has an attic fan? I bet it doesn’t break and send debris flying through your vents at 2:00 am, sounding like a plane just landed on your roof! And if you didn’t have the money, could you just put a window unit in temporarily because your family is visiting tomorrow? Did your steps ever fail you in your house? Yeah, concrete doesn’t move! Did you have to wait over two weeks for your new microwave to be installed? Oh, you went to Walmart and got a cheap one temporarily and use it for your garage now. Yes, RVers on the road don’t have that option. So, are you telling me that if this recently Widowed woman was in a house, and her refrigerator failed, that it is no different? I’ll bet she has to wait for a comparable unit to be ordered. That is, after making call after call to find a reputable RV dealer somewhere close to her to install it. Then, she will probably have to pack up her house and move it to the dealership for installation. If they are not “pet friendly”, she has to remove her doggy companion for the day and entrust her house with that dealer for the day. Oh, and if they run into an issue? She might have to find pet-friendly over-night accommodations. Did I mention, she has no refrigerator for what seems like an eternity? Me; said widow, living in a house scenario: “Shoot! The frig isn’t working!” Quick, close the door so it will stay cold. Feed the dog. Measure the refrigerator. Drive to Home Depot or Lowe’s while doggy is safely in the house. Pick out a lovely new refrigerator with the latest features. Actually upgrade to the Stainless Steel one I really wanted! Pay by credit card. Arrange for delivery later that day, tomorrow, worst case scenario, because it’s in stock. Go home. Doggy is happy to see me! Order pizza. Open a bottle of good wine. The only call I had to make was to my sister to tell her all about my beautiful new refrigerator being delivered in the morning. WOW, I’m exhausted! I think I’ll watch Hallmark and go to bed because I have a NEW REFRIGERATOR being delivered first thing tomorrow!!

NOT! THE! SAME! PEOPLE!   

Quit giving stupid advice! I believe I will have to end my visits to these sites before I loose my mind completely. We existed before them, and I believe there is life happily ever after…

P.S. My DH just asked me to help him move the house back about two feet. Wheel covers off, disconnect the waste hose, start your engine, slides in, jacks up. Let me hear you you say it:

“JUST LIKE A HOUSE!”

I was recently kayaking down one of the many rivers here in North Central Florida with some friends on a warm sunny delicious day! I am not a very experienced kayaker. In fact, I have only done it once prior to this down in Key West on calm Gulf waters, but I learned how to do it correctly by a pro, so I was confident to do it here on a calm river. It was beautiful and awesome, but suddenly, things went very badly. I can’t recall exactly what happened, but in the blink of an eye, I was in the cold water thinking, “WOW! What the hell just happened?” Did a manatee just flip my ass right over or what? This was certainly an unexpected turn of events! My friends were just as shocked as me, from the blank expressions on their faces, or was it because they were looking to the bank of the river at something else? I turned my head to look at the shore as I was treading water that was deeper than I thought it would be. It was in slow motion, as I recall, that I met the eyes of several alligators basking in the sun, when one of them suddenly slithered down the steep bank like a stealth fighter entering a watery battle zone! All the fear a person can fit into one lifetime reached my heart like an explosion and my adrenaline kicked in very hard! I swam until my feet finally reached the swampy bottom of the riverbank and realized my friends were now screaming at me in horror as they sat in their kayaks helpless. I never looked behind me during this eternity of clawing my way up the steep rocky mucky bank to get up completely out of the water and safely on shore. I never even thought about the other alligators that must have been watching this whole scenario as they waited patiently for their next meal to get closer to them! But, I was praying “Dear GOD and ALL THINGS HOLY, PLEASE GET ME SAFELY OUT OF THIS RIVER!!!” I woke up in a hot sweaty mess in my bed, heart still pounding, but very safe and very alive. Isn’t it amazing the fear you can experience in a dream or a nightmare? I am not sure that I will ever want to kayak again, and to all my friends here who do, STAY SAFE and don’t get too close to those alligators! I’m talking about you, Gary!

I felt like I was the leading lady on “Swamp People” starring in an episode called Death by Alligators! I can hear Troy shouting “Shoot him Liz, SHOOT HIM!” The reality of these shows though are certainly not what they seem. Thankfully, many are staged and no one is in as much danger as they portray on TV. I feel that way about my FT RV life many times. It is simply NOT what it seems like to most of the people that don’t know anything about it. I read a fellow blogger’s post last month and it made me laugh. She also felt this way, so I am certainly not alone. I would like to share a few of my thoughts with my readers on this subject.

It is a total reality that we do have fun and we have made great friends. We have just celebrated another beautiful holiday season here in our Florida RV resort with a great group of people we call friends. Christmas Eve, we shared a wonderful evening of hors d’oeuvres and Italian Wedding soup, ending with a game called “Catch Phrase”, and had many laughs. Christmas morning we held a brunch at our clubhouse with great food, eggnog and a fun gift exchange with about 15 people. That evening, we were invited to a wonderful dinner featuring beef tenderloin cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth! New Year’s Eve was a martini evening with snacks followed by a delicious lasagna as the main course. After eating till we were all contented, we played a game called “Heart to Heart” (the conversation cards) that bring about some great adult conversations and hilarious laughs! I don’t know how after several cosmopolitans, but I did manage to see the New Year ring in on TV and texted my sisters. Good Times, eh?!

But it’s not always shits and giggles. The other reality is, that when the holidays are over and we are just living life, day in and day out, we’re dealing with all the same things people with sticks & bricks (houses) deal with. We pay our bills, which are rarely ever less than when we had our house. We deal with cold or rainy, windy weather just like everyone else, no matter that we are south away from snow. When it is crappy, we are stuck in the same room together all day long. You almost feel like you’re being held captive when it’s rainy or cold because no one wants everyone in their motorhomes, and no one wants to have happy hour in the windy cold outdoors.

Repairs are certainly a reality. At around 2:00am, our air conditioner’s fan (the plastic one that they call “squirrel cage” or fan blower) decided to break, which sounds like a continuous splitting of your rig’s roof and will certainly start your adrenaline flowing or give you a heart attack! Of course, when you are startled out of a sound sleep, you are trying to figure out what you’re hearing, as well as what the particles are being thrown at your face from the AC vent! It doesn’t take you long to find the AC switch in the dark and shut it OFF, which I find rather amazing that your brain can function that quick under duress. Attention all RV owners: You may want to order a spare one of these fans before you need it because you will be without a heat pump or AC unit, and finding one in the middle of nowhere is not what you want. Everyone we know has some sort of repair to deal with pretty much all the time, so if it isn’t us, DH is helping someone else.

Here’s another reality check. Several people die every year on the road and a spouse is left behind wondering what in the hell they are going to do. Eventually, health usually dictates the need to get off the road. Like a fellow FT RVer recently stated in a post; “Buying a home while you still have the money is not a waste.” Some will argue this point forever, but I am 100% in agreement with this guy! Your RV depreciates every single day and all of its mechanical parts will go to heaven eventually…

And one of the biggest FT RV reality checks? We don’t travel all the time! In fact, most of us are doing the same thing people without RV’s are doing; spending winter somewhere warm and going back to hometowns in the summers to be with family and friends! That is probably the biggest disappointing statement to those wanting to do this, but just like looking at beautiful ocean-front cottages, only a small percent of us can actually afford to own one. We can’t travel all the time because it is expensive. Unless you want to boondock on BLM  land (Bureau of Land Management- public land) conserving water and constantly in search of a dump station (or dumping illegally, which happens more often than most will ever admit), most people just can’t afford the lifestyle they imagined. So we live in upscale parks with Six Wheels Down and a few road trips here and there. And for those that really can own it all? The latest and greatest in the South is to buy an RV Home (house with RV garage attached!) They own a house, store their RV on their own property, and travel up North to see family in the summer, returning South in the winter, Yes, Florida residents and snowbirds too! Can you spell $$$$$?

Finally, I’d like to share an exciting reality for folks back home. I would like to share this with our Superbowl fans: In our hometown, there is a young  man that went to Cloverleaf HS and played football with the Colts. He went on to Harvard, played football and graduated with honors. In 2013, Kyle was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens and was a very successful Full Back. In 2017, he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, also as a Full Back/Running Back. (Also a 4x Pro Bowl player) Kyle Juszczyk #44 is one of the most successful Full Backs in NFL history and helped win the Championship game against the Green Bay Packers. He is now about to play the game of his life, Superbowl 54 on Sunday February 2nd, 2020! He is our neighbor Shari’s Son, and we couldn’t be more excited for her and all of Kyle’s family! We want to wish Kyle and the Niner’s much luck and a successful game for a Superbowl Championship!! WE love you Shari and we will be watching #44!!!!

GO NINERS!!

Dear Readers,

I am temporarily without my computer, which is why I have not written a January blog. I have plenty to tell, but I don’t write on my phone, so please be patient with me. We actually purchased a computer for me over a week ago and went to pick it up Sunday (yesterday). Would you believe they could not take it out of “safe mode”? Oh how that makes me laugh! My whole life in this RV has been lived out of “safe mode”! But a computer won’t let you in unless it’s safe!🤣😂

So, the reality is, I may not have a computer for another week. This is one of the busiest Best Buy stores I have ever been in, so once they figure this all out (or give me a new computer and start all over again), it may be awhile before they can schedule my pick up.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and a good start on the new decade! I hope to post my next story soon so keep an eye out for it and hope you are somewhere safe and warm! 😉