“Wow, you guys are living the dream!“
~ says everyone, always
We certainly do not take for granted that our lifestyle favors our desire to travel, live simply, and set our own pace. But it isn’t always a glamorous life of leisure. You know how social media goes, right? You only post the positive, or you might post the negative but only once you’ve resolved the problem and have a funny story to tell. So I’ll give you a peek behind the scenes, not for pity or sympathy, but in the spirit of full transparency. Here are some of the less glamourous aspects of full time RV living:
- Water in, waste out. A frequent topic of discussion is “when did we dump last?” or “Do we have full hookups?” “How many showers can we take this week?” Seriously – these conversations happen ALL. THE. TIME. It has to be managed with foresight. Otherwise, you get caught with full tanks and nowhere to…go.
- Maintenance. A home on wheels has some pretty basic systems that have to withstand a lot of potholes and speedbumps, not to mention just normal wear and tear. So, in between all those fun touristing days, we are mindful to always schedule days for maintenance. But who wants to see photos of that? I am ever grateful for Vic’s meticulous maintenance logs and his willingness to DIY almost everything that needs doing.
- Social connections. Or lack of ongoing in-real-life social engagement. Staying connected through messaging, face-time, and phone calls is fine, but we do sometimes miss those regular gatherings with friends. Sunday golf, game night, lunch with the gang, etc. Luckily, we never tire of each other’s company!
- Adulting. Being a responsible adult and taking care of medical appointments, voting, vehicle registration, those random bills that can ONLY be mailed, all of these things present challenges. As a registered Georgia voter, you submit your absentee ballot request and hope for the best. Using VA for medical care is never a walk in the park, but getting care organized from half way across the country is a practice in patience, persistence, and perseverance. Fortunately we are in mostly good health.
- Limited space. Storage space, living space, functional space…it’s all limited and takes some creative thinking to get the most use from it. Silverware under the sink, canned goods under the couch, frequent trips to the grocery store, chairs arranged to fit the yoga mat, tables that fold flat for travel days. Any item we add to the RV has to meet some really tough criteria for need and functionality. And yet, there’s still this floor lamp that follows us around and rarely gets used.
- Did I mention maintenance? Not just the preventative kind, but also the unexpected repairs. A short list of unplanned fixes: reinforcing the water holding tank below the frame, getting two different tires plugged on two different occasions, multiple fluid leaks repaired on the truck, random alarms at 3 in the morning.
- Boredom. Not every day is filled with fun and adventure. But that’s not a bad thing. Just a reality. Volunteering in one place for several months means living like a local. And sometimes there just isn’t anything going on. Or there is a lot going on, but none of it that interests us. We have realized there are times when we plan something so we don’t “miss out” only to discover we really aren’t that interested. Embracing the slow days helps us enjoy the more hectic pace that our travel days bring.
- Parking is a pain. When we are traveling and towing the RV, the logistics of where we can stop to eat, rest, or sleep for the night are tricky at best. Even when we aren’t towing, finding a place to park the 22′ long truck with fat dually tires is challenging. We’ve completely given up on Chick-fil-A drive throughs after that one incident with the cones.
Honestly, those last several things on the list were stretches…and not necessarily unique to RV living. There probably are more things that we complain about, but are quickly forgotten. We DO love this lifestyle and choose it as the best thing for us.
Where To Now 