We have been on the road and living in our RV for 16 months out of the last 19 months. What is it like ! What are the fun things and not so fun things about it, you might ask! It is like anything else... take the good with the bad and hopefully the good will out-weigh the bad. I believe for us, the good is what keeps us on the road.
We have met some wonderful people and have made friends along the way. Some people come into your life and you know from the start they are special people.
People like Donna and Chuck. We met them last year in Tucson at the Air Force Base. This past winter we all hung out and traveled together. From San Diego through Yuma, Arizona and back to Tucson. We have shared out family stories and problems together and have become very close friends. We stay in contact with them almost everyday even though they are thousands miles away. They were there when Andy had her toe broken by the fridge. Donna and I fixed Andy's toe while Chuck fixed the fridge. We truly miss them and we will see them again ...soon I hope !.
While in San Diego I finally met up with my best friends from the past. Casey and Anne. We go way back to August 1977. My eldest son is named after Casey... that is how far back it goes. Casey is like a big brother to me. What I knew about the Army, how well I preformed, was based upon him. I would ask myself "how would Casey do this" I would do it just like I thought he would. You never knew this Casey...now you do ! lol
They were up from Mexico for a few days and it was wonderful hanging out with them. Andy really liked them both ! We were going to go to Mexico with them and hang out on their sailboat, "Vger" but family issues took the priority. I could go on and on about our friendship... I will just leave it here. They are very special people to me and always will be!
Dale and June we met lat year while staying at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. We met up with them again in San Antonio, Texas and had a great time seeing the the River Walk and the Alamo with them. They too, are some wonderful down home southern folk. June turned us onto "Slap your Mama" spice. They too are thousands miles away but we find the time to stay in touch.
Dee and Andy...what can you say about those dear friends. We met them last year also at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Since then, we have seen them again in Gila Bend and Tucson. They are kind and wonderful
people we call friends. We spent many happy hours together and even went to Sunday Easter brunch while staying at Tucson AFB. We know we will see them again because next summer we are going to Montana to visit them. Hopefully, they will be home...inside joke ! lol
While we were visiting Dee and Andy at Gila Bend AFB with Donna and Chuck we ran into some wonderful people. People like Lauri and lewy. What can can I say about Lewy and Lauri. They are just wonderful people. The nicest and most sincere people you would ever want to meet. We know we will meet them again next summer because we are going to South Dakota to visit them, on our way back west.
We can't forget the Dump people. Barbara and Dieter. We met them at a dump station in a Texas State Park and later visited them in their home in Corpus Christi, Texas. We even met them later at another Texas State Park a few weeks later. That wasn't even really planned. I guess it was in the stars they we would become friends. They are very interesting, fun loving people and have a very open heart. Dieter even turned me on to remote airplanes...I even bought one. Hopefully I won't destroy it when I get it this week. I am pretty sure we will see them again. We do stay in touch.
We have met so many wonderful people, it would take me hours to write about. People like Larry and Marylyn and the family of eight living in their 26 foot trailer. How about the retired Mayor of Joseph, Oregon... Andy's favorite place on this planet...there are so many !!!
It is hard sometimes to leave the wonderful people you meet along the way. I have been doing this my whole life since I was in the Army for 21 years. This is all new to Andy.
The hardest thing about being on the road is missing our families back home. We try and stay in touch with them as much as we can, but it's not the same. Andy has gone back a few times. I went back for Mom's surgery in February. We miss our kids, grand kids, sisters, mom's and dad's. We know this lifestyle wont last forever so we are grabbing the opportunity while we can. I had a dear friend suddenly die of a heart attack a couple of months ago at the age of 60.
Another not so great thing about being on the road is not knowing where to go. Many people do their shopping, eating and whatever in the same place day after day. Things like haircuts, banking and even dentist or doctor appointments. We move often so we never know where to go... do they provide a good service? How do you trust a doctor you don't even know ? Not that I have been to a doctor yet, just the thought of it kind of scares me...lol For you woman out there, would you let anybody cut your hair?
What are some great things about being on the road besides all the wonderful people we meet? We have seen some fantastic sunsets. The sunsets in San Diego, Arizona and Inks Lake in Texas are some that come to mind. Hawaii doesn't have the market on sunsets that's for sure. The great thing is we have the time to stop what we are doing and just sit and watch them. We have slowed our lives down. We really don't have to be anywhere. We can always wait until tomorrow...that's more like me than Andy..lol !
We also get to travel and be at home at the same time. No flights, no hotels, no packing or unpacking of suitcases. We eat breakfast in Branson, Missori, lunch on a river in Arkansas and dinner in Memphis, Tenn. It is amazing how easy and comfortable it is living in 300 Sq Ft. We don't feel like we are missing out on anything. Well, Andy does miss her oven and I don't get my cookies..lol ! As long as I have my Sat TV I am good !
Another great thing about this lifestyle is we get to see family and friends along the way. We have seen our family and friends in California, Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and now Ohio and soon in Michigan. How great is this! We tell each other almost daily... how lucky we are... to be doing what we are doing !
Do we get bored ? Sure we do ! Don't you ! The boredom is always short lived since we move from place to place seeing interesting and fun places and meeting wonderful people.
What is it like living so close to each other ? Don't you sometimes need your own space? I know Andy sometimes likes it when I go for a bike ride or go fishing. I like it, sometimes, when she does her errands. Like right now...she is running around Dayton, Ohio getting her toes done and shopping for whatever she think she needs and I am sitting here all alone doing this blog. We both understand and talk about such things. Sometimes she will go to the bedroom or sit outside and read her book while I "veg" watching TV. Our she will be watching her "Chopped", a cooking show, while I do things around the outside of the RV. I think we overall team up well and give each other space. Not everyone can be Donna and Chuck..lol Love you guys !
How much does it costs? What ever you have ! People do it from $1,000 a month to $6,000 a month. It all depends on your lifestyle and what you think you need. I would tell you our budget, since I am an open book, however, Andy will not allow me..lol All I can say in a civilian RV Park it can run on an average of $35- $45 a night. If you stay longer like a week or a month it's a lot cheaper. Some RV Parks are more and some are less. Lucky for us, we get prime locations on military bases but do from time to time stay at normal RV parks and resorts.. Some people never stay at an RV park, they just pull over and camp!
Another thing she will allow me to talk about is fuel. The more you travel the higher the fuel costs are. When we stayed in San Diego for 6 weeks fuel cost was zero. You do have control over fuel costs just by not moving. Our RV gets about 7 miles a gallon so it works out $0.50 a mile.
So far we are really enjoying our travels and each other. We continue to feel very lucky and blessed to be able to do what we are doing. When will it end ? We don't know! We are happy where we are and that all that matters for now.
