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As my husband and I prepare to embark upon our 13th
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
