Lessons from a Fulltime RV Holiday Humbug

… or how one young fulltime RVer celebrates the holiday season

Coming in quick succession making mid-November through early January a blur for many, the trifecta of year-end holidays is once again upon us. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to pick up a publication right now that doesn’t offer some piece of advice on “surviving” the holiday or “how to do more with less time”. While living the fulltime RV lifestyle doesn’t give my husband Ray and me a pass on ‘all things holiday’ it does allow us to fly under the radar and celebrate in a way that’s meaningful to us.

Our Reason for the Season

Several years ago, like all mainstream holiday celebrants, I was part of the mall crush. Hurry. Hurry. Buy. Buy. It was far from the seasonal edict of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. I looked around and asked myself if this was my best interpretation of the season. My silent answer? Hardly. Maybe you’ve asked yourself that same question.

Ray and I discussed this topic at length. For us, the actionable answer to my question posed at the mall was that we were interested in experiences, not things; the quality of life as measured in relationships and giving back; the marrying of our dreams to the way we celebrated.

Holiday Presents Don’t Always Come Giftwrapped

Just being on the road seemed celebratory to us but as the first holiday season on the road approached we felt full of possibility. Ray had never experienced a warm winter and since we had to be somewhere for the year-end holidays we headed south. Thanksgiving that year was with my father, Christmas on an island and New Year’s in a hot tub. Aside from a few gifts for my dad, our exchange (if you can even call it that) was small but memorable – a TV/VCR combo so we could enjoy movies at home as opposed to in a park’s clubhouse, an outing to enjoy the holiday boat parade, a bag of delicious Texas grapefruit purchased from a roadside vendor in South Padre Island, and a memorable New Year’s Eve meal that included ceviche – recipe courtesy of a Hispanic produce manager’s wife – it doesn’t get any more authentic than that.

The following Thanksgiving we found ourselves workamping and not completely happy with our situation. The people were great but the job just wasn’t a good fit. This was putting quite a damper on our holiday season. It turns out the biggest gift we could give ourselves that year was to recognize when something didn’t feel right and take action to remedy it. Upon my father’s urging we pulled up stakes and embarked on a Florida Keys adventure. The Christmas week began with an encounter with manatees, an ice cream social, and a site with a view of the Florida Bay. New Year’s Eve was spent with new friends – some we still call close to this day – and that year January 1st was special as we strolled alongside the restoring turquoise ocean.

Thirteen Fulltime RV Living Years and Still Celebrating

Since those formative first two holiday seasons have come and gone, we’ve honed in on what we really love. Each Thanksgiving is special and different. We’ve spent it with family at a restaurant and with fellow campers at an RV park. We learned how to make Trash Can Turkey in New Mexico and have shared Mom’s Famous Cranberry Sauce with RV Cooking Show viewers across the globe…literally. It turns out our favorite Thanksgiving is where most American’s spend it…at home…for us that’d be our RV.

Sometimes I cook an unusual version of the holiday meal. For example, a couple years ago we had a Cuban Thanksgiving complete with Mojo Criollo crockpot turkey breast, Cuban black beans, yellow rice, steamed broccoli, and garlic bread (a throwback to the Florida Keys days we so enjoyed). Other years I cook a full on traditional turkey dinner. This year I tried my hand at Cornish game hens. If friends are around they are always invited.

Like many of you reading this piece, Ray and I do not exchange gifts. We have everything we need and if we have a want we simply go out and buy it. While certain items are needed/wanted, in our humble roadabode “stuff’ is overrated. Instead, in celebration of Ray’s late-December birthday we do something special each day of “birthday week”. It might be a hike, lunch out at a favorite haunt, a movie of his choice and popcorn at home, etc. 

Every Day a Holiday

Long ago we decided that the spirit of the season should prevail all year long. So instead of attempting to travel on just a few select days along with the entire U.S. population, dine together and with friends on one single day devoted to a big, heavy meal, and participate in the urgency of purchasing things as a way of demonstrating affection we endeavor to live as if every day was a holiday. Very merry! How about you?

Mapping Your Personal RV Travel Pyramid

New to the RVing lifestyle or not, time is precious and every RV travel season counts

Options are good. Very good. But what happens when there are an abundance of choices. How does one decide which path to take? I love my life as a young fulltime RVer. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to crisscross the United States a number of times in the nearly 13 years living this RV travel lifestyle and let’s face it, none of us are getting any younger. With experience under my belt, fuel prices unsteady and rising, and an awareness of how finite time is, I am occasionally overwhelmed by the wide-open, no holds barred choices of where to spend my next two to five month “season”.

As I imagine you reading the paragraph above I picture two responses. “Are you nuts-o?? The open road beckons…take the reins and gallop.” Or are you thinking “me too”? I used to willy-nilly choose where I wanted to be without any thought to anything but my immediate whims (think Jimmy Buffett coming on the radio – the Florida Keys – that wasn’t a bad outcome). Maine in the summer, Arizona in the winter, Washington in the summer, Florida in the winter…I was all across the map.

Then the thrill of hauling my 5th wheel trailer back and forth, crossing the U.S. frequently just because I could, ceased and the desire to really hone in on what was most important to me kicked in. Now I do some thoughtful planning in advance without being too structured. Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t change my wandering lifestyle one single bit but lately I’ve benefited from a slightly more reflective approach to ‘living the life’ that so many strive for.

Discovering What Matters Most

My husband Ray likens it to the now vanquished USDA Food Pyramid. Structured and supported on the wide bottom by what’s most nutritious, or in my case nurturing, sprinkled with a diamond dusting of very nice but not required on the narrow, pointed top. And the truth of the matter is that it took all these years to be able to identify what matters most and what is not absolutely essential.

We’re both healthy and active and enjoy being able to take advantage of what I call my ‘do-it-now’ adventure list. But I know it’s possible that this won’t always be so. Every summer that passes without a visit to a spectacular northern National Park is a missed opportunity. Every winter that doesn’t offer me get outdoors and go hiking, swimming and picnicking weather is one less winter spent living my dream.

While in the end it’s a gut decision, I rely on a number of factors when it comes time to decide where to roll the RV to next. True to the moniker our fulltime RV planning took on – Operation Sunshine – weather is one of the top considerations in my “where to next” formula.

As you might expect, the longer the intended stay the more important a majority of our factors are met. We have no children and very little extended family so visits (always during the nicest time of the year) are wonderful but not compelled. We are all about experiences and excellent fresh food options. In our eyes growing old together gracefully means plenty of outdoor exercise opportunities. The balance between financial reward and emotional well-being is shifting.

Our Personal Pyramid 

It took many a bottle of red wine, long, aimless beach strolls and a notebook full of list making to develop our personal pyramid. Like most successful couples, but especially one that lives harmoniously in 240 square feet year-round, we are very respectful of each others' dreams and desires and are fortunate to be almost always on the same page. 

When it comes time to make travel plans we convene, lists in hand, toss out ideas and begin to debate the merits of each place that is on our individual minds. We’re not often far from one another's ideas and if one of us feels passionately about a particular place the other cheerfully agrees to give it a go. We’ve found some of our most beloved places that way and in a scenario like this everyone is a winner.

So what is our formula in building our personal pyramid? Have a look:

A Trending Concept

New to the RV travel lifestyle or not, fulltimer or part-timer, retired, on sabbatical or working on the road I see this decision making trend with many of our RVing friends. Time is precious and each one of us wants to get maximum enjoyment out of our destinations and seasonal stays. In my mind, nothing is worse than spending a significant amount of time in a place that doesn’t inspire or serve you in some other way. After all, we choose to live in a box on wheels. If you miscalculate, pick up and move on. There’s no harm – and maybe even significant good – in trying.

Whether your RV style is a full blown, settled in north-south situation, you’re looking for a winter roost and a free-for-all summer, you choose to spend a month here, a couple months there, you’re just testing the waters or in between situations, your personal pyramid is different than anyone else’s and is, well, personal.

I’d love to hear your deciding factors when choosing a roost. Leave a comment below.

Evanne
RVCookingShow.com

27 Lessons Learned Living a Fulltime RV Life

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As my husband and I prepare to embark upon our 13^th year of fulltime RV living combined with the gratitude of the holiday season and New Year resolutions, I’m inspired to share some our life-learned lessons about living the fulltime RV life.

So, in no particular order, here’s a partial list of the wisdom we’ve acquired over the years:

1.   No matter how long we’ve been RVing, we’re always in “RV school”.

2.   Even though we’ve seen so much of the country, there’s still so much to see.

3.   I can cook anything in my RV kitchen…though flambéing is not recommended.

4.   Maintaining our RV over the years has made a tremendous difference in the look and life of our rolling home.

5.   A smaller space can’t hold a lot of stuff so instead of things we collect experiences.

6.   RV parks and campgrounds are their own mini-communities…with all the good and challenges that go along with it.

7.   Conducting “Operation Sunshine” is much harder in practice than it is in theory.

8.   Our RVing friends come from all over the US and, instead of across the street neighbors, we meet up at parks across the country.

9.   Though we live in an RV – a typical vacation vehicle – we still have dreaded home duties to perform including laundry, dishes, and paying bills. We’re not always on vacation.

10. Just like living in a stick home, we still need an occasional vacation – away from the RV (see #9).

11. With the blinds closed we are “home” but open them up and we could be at a number of different locations with unique and different views.

12. The low cost of living the fulltime RV lifestyle coupled with being debt-free allows us an unprecedented amount of freedom.

13. (Almost) every item in our RV must do double-duty.

14. We live in a box on wheels and if we’re not in a good situation – be it work, neighbor or other, we can simply move along.

15. Driveway camping at a friend’s house is always a blast but our hosts are constantly baffled when we want to sleep in our own bed instead of their guest room.

16. Some people – friends and/or family – still can’t get their head around our lifestyle…and that’s okay.

17. A reliable mail service is critical to maintaining life on the road. 

18. PPO health insurance can be used all across the US but unless you return to the same location each year for your check-ups you are always a new patient.

19. You can work from almost anywhere thanks to technology.

20. The perception of RVers in general is not always positive – even though the gambit runs from pop-up to Prevost owners.

21. Staying longer than a few days in a single location allows a more enriching local-culture infusion.

22. Making our big purchases at national chain stores allows us to take care of product or service issues no matter where we are.

23. With the advent of credit union shared branching, we can bank all over the country just like we’re at our home branch.

24. Alone time is achievable…just take a walk.

25. Unless we have a specific time commitment, leisurely traveling is always more rewarding than rushing right along.

26. Keeping track of our travels gives us hours of pleasant walks down memory lane or good reference points for important dates/events.

27. People are always curious about our lifestyle and for many, we are living THE dream!

How about you? Do you have any lessons or words of wisdom to share? Leave a comment below…I can’t wait to learn from you, my fellow fulltime RVers. 

Evanne

RVCookingShow.com

Book Review: The $100 Startup

Book Review: The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau

 

Whether you are a young fulltime RVer looking to earn enough to live a comfortable life on the road while making a difference, a retiree or part-time RVer interested in making a little gas money while exploring a passion, or a stick-home dweller that dreams of the freedom of the open road, The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau could be the start of something beautiful.

Personally, as a young fulltime RVer I’m constantly evaluating the important combination of freedom, passion, income, and doing work that matters in my life. When Chris asked me to review his new book I was delighted. After all, the premise fits our lifestyle like a glove. Read The $100 Startup and you’ll find it offers a concise roadmap for those seeking independence and to live life on their own terms. At minimum, it is guaranteed to get your wheels turning…metaphorically speaking.

Chris is clear, however, that starting and developing a successful ‘microbusiness’ (also called a lifestyle business) is indeed work, albeit a labor of love. The ‘do what you love and the rest will follow’ mindset is replaced by the more practical concept of convergence – ‘your passion + what others care about’. This important distinction and the way he fleshes it out can be very helpful, especially when pondering concepts.

Throughout the book you will be inspired by examples of people just like us that have unexpectedly or intentionally created businesses around what they have to offer and what others need. Some entrepreneurs profiled in the book have made a huge splash while others have quietly conquered their corner of the world.

Each chapter offers actionable and specific details on the topic at hand. Some examples are given in graphical or chart format and readers will find key points – or takeaways – at the end of each chapter. From concept to promotion to growth strategies to fear of failure, you can explore it all in this book.

Regardless of where you are in your life, your business or your relationships, Chris refers to Seth Godin’s mantra, ‘ship’, and offers this wise advice: ‘You don’t need anyone to give you permission to pursue a dream’. As a young fulltimer I can tell you that this is the absolute truth…or maybe you already know this from your own experience.

If this calls to your dream – whatever it may be – get this book, stop ‘making a living’, and start making a life. 

If you already operate a successful lifestyle business tell us about it in the comments section. I'd love to hear how you are making the lifestyle work.  

See you on the road, traveler.

Evanne

www.RVCookingShow.com 

This RVer's New Year Resolution - Your Money or Your Life

As fulltime RVers, my husband and I live unconventional lives but even so, the conditional pull of New Year’s resolutions can’t be denied. Often these annual goals include a financial mention: save more, earn more, trim the budget, track spending, make wise money decisions. Good for us, everyone – regardless of our situation – needs money to live. Some of us have unlimited resources but most are living on either retirement budgets or are still in the job market.

Years ago, before we hit the road, I stumbled upon a book that changed the way I see my relationship with money. In fact, one concept in the book propelled my husband and me to sell almost all of our possessions including our floating home, quit our jobs and embark upon our journey of a lifetime.

The Concept That Rocked My World

That book was Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin and the concept that stopped me in my tracks was on page 54: money is something we choose to trade our life energy for. Dominguez and Robin point out the obvious – life is finite, we only have so much time on earth. The big idea is the trade we make in life energy (time left) for the things we spend our money on. Every single spending decision we make costs something in life energy.

The "trading my life" idea stops me in my tracks. Based on average life expectancy tables I have 333,100 hours left on this earth. Dominguez and Robin assume we spend half of our lives taking care of ourselves – sleeping, bathing, exercising, etc. That means that if I live an average life span I have 166,550 hours left to devote to living. How I spend those hours is under my complete control.

The Concept in Practice

So how exactly can you determine the value of your life energy as it relates to money? For demonstration purposes, let’s say you make/made $25 per hour. That dinner out or bauble you simply must have costs $50. So, logically, you’d calculate that it took two hours of life energy (finite time left on this earth) to earn enough to purchase that experience or item. Right? Not so fast.

On it’s face that’s a reliable equation but the book urges you to dig deeper. Upon further examination, your wage is not exactly as it seems. Sure, you make/made $25 per hour but what expenses were associated with making that hourly? How much does/did it cost in fuel, vehicle maintenance, parking, clothing and personal care items such as aftershave, hair gel, and makeup required for your professional appearance, coffee and snack breaks, lunch, and other expenses associated with working. Let’s assume your total expenses divided by the number of working hours equaled $12 per hour. That means your “real hourly wage” is $13 per hour and in the scheme of things that $50 expense cost you almost four hours of your life. I repeat: four hours of your life.

Everything’s value and worth is an individual’s call. Exchanging life energy for things we need or want is a personal prerogative. I’ve got to have vehicle insurance and happen to like upscale RV resorts and high-end ingredients and tools in my RV kitchen. With this formula, I know exactly how much of my life I’m trading for these necessities or niceties and make an informed choice when I compare insurance plans, book a stay or go grocery shopping.

I’m less inclined to make rash purchases, pick up random trinkets or invest in items that don’t support my home or RV travel style. It’s simply not worth my life energy.

Fulfillment and the American Dream

While written as a financial advice book, chapter 4, “How Much is Enough? The Nature of Fulfillment”, resonates with the way I live. When is enough enough? Are we willing to trade our life energy for more? Do we work hard just keep up with the Jones?

For me, it all boils down to a question of value. Is a purchase, admission fee, meal out or even a campsite worth the life energy it will cost? Two of the three questions the authors pose in relation to spending “that will transform your life” remain relevant to my lifestyle:

1.    Did I receive fulfillment, satisfaction and value in proportion to life energy spent?
2.    Is this expenditure of life energy in alignment with my values and life purpose?

Chances are we’ve all returned home from a meal out and felt disappointed. I know I have. That’s why I don’t go out to dinner all that often. For the life energy I have available I’d much prefer to invite some friends over, mix up a shaker of fancy (read: very expensive out) cocktails, play some mood music, prepare a simple, delicious dinner in my RV kitchen and make an evening of it. That not only fulfills my cost/value proposition but also fuels my life purpose of connecting with others, making a difference and living my passion.

Another great example is my purchase of a new computer. It cost a heck of a lot of life energy but makes my life so much easier. The value I receive by a faster, more intuitive system and the way it helps me promote my passion makes it a fulfilling, worthy expenditure. 

Your purpose, passion and even life energy situation is just that – yours and yours alone. If you give it any thought you’ll realize that consciously or unconsciously you are making value calls every time you make a purchase.  

We All Make Choices

Choosing to live this RV lifestyle is a huge confirmation of how I want to spend my life energy, my passion and my life’s purpose. It’s a very public statement of who I am and what I stand for. Without a stick home I have low housing overhead. Living in a small space restricts the number of things I can carry around. Having the freedom to live where I want, when I want allows me to enjoy new environments and experiences. The fuel I purchase to move about is well worth the price…even at $5/gallon.

While I used to enjoy fancy vacations and expensive wine (who wouldn’t, really), I paid for it in life energy. I now know and accept that fact. Today I’m more satisfied than ever watching the sun set over the rugged mountain range or seashore that I happen to be closest to with a thrifty glass of wine and my sweetie by my side. Some people just can’t comprehend this but that’s okay, too. We all have to choose…so what will it be...your money or your life?

Happy New Year RV Cooking Show friends. May 2012 be a banner year for us all!

Evanne
www.RVCookingShow.com   

Note: To this day I carry around my 1992 version of Your Money or Your Life, Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. Upon it’s release Oprah Winfrey raved, “This is a wonderful book. It can really change your life.” I suppose it did change mine. In 2009 Robin released a revised and updated version for the 21st century. You can learn more about the author and these concepts as well as purchase the book by visiting www.YourMoneyorYourLife.org. I’d love to hear about your experiences on this topic.