Before we started our rving life I was asked so many questions and fears about giving up our home and living in a rv, like, "oh my, I could never get along with my spouse in such a small space, " my answer to them was "well if you are with someone you can't get along with in a small space then you shouldn't be with them at all, life is too short to live with someone that you can't stand to be alone with, I agree, the rv lifestyle isn't for you, find another dream!" sounds harsh, but I am a strong believer in if you're not happy with your spouse or mate then why stay, life is too short to be miserable! Another thing I would hear is "what if one of you's get sick and God forbid die?" we would do the same thing we would do if we were in a stick house, go to the doctor or hospital and if "God forbid we die" we have both talked about it, we both want to be cremated, then the survivor will continue on with their dream, that is what we want for each other, there are a lot of single men and women out there a lot older then us and are doing just fine! I have lost two husbands and Craig has been divorced and one thing we have learned that life goes on and to make the best of what is left! Another question "how can you give up all that you have worked for, your house, furniture, jobs, yards, etc.?" Easy is my answer, and I don't know about you but I haven't worked all my life to be tied to a job, house and the rest, I have worked all my life so I can live my dream, I have owned many houses and loved them and they came in very handy for raising children but they're older now and the older we got the more it became a burden, we felt we were chained to it, both of us were getting so sick of doing yard work, snow shoveling, the weather,basic up keep of owning a home, many get older and sell their homes and move into a small apartments because it is easier, in a way we did the same thing, except we moved into a 36' motorhome, no grass to mow, no weeding, no snow to shovel, a lot less upkeep then a home and when we get sick of the weather we can just move to a warmer place! And "how can you leave your kids, grandkids, family and friends?" That was the toughest part, but they will see us every summer and it isn't the quantity of time we spend with them it is the quality of time, in the fall, winter and spring the grandkids are in school, we were all busy working and hibernating in the snow,we will be back in Michigan in the summers, it was always in the summers when we spent a lot of time together, so we will always be close in some campgrounds so they can come camp with us and have a lot of barbeques, fishing, swimming, etc. a lot more fun and quality time with them. I have to admit that it was the hardest thing to do was say good-bye, so we didn't, we just say "see you in the summer", good-byes sound so final! I feel that my children will be fine, they all want us to follow our dream and life our lives! My parents were always gone once us kids left home and started our lives, they were gone flea marketing all summer and then they would go to Arizona and Las Vegas in the winter, and my kids loved them so much, they never felt deprived of grandparents, they have named their children after them and talk of them often and miss them a lot, but most of all they enjoyed every moment they had with them! I guess this is where I get the gypsy spirit from and the love of travel, I want to live my life to the end, I want to go to my grave smiling and knowing we seen the things we wanted to see, we did the things we wanted to do, we LIVED our lives to the end! We also have my daughter Susan and her husband Russ in Virginia that we want to spend a month or so with every spring, as it is now we only see them once a 2 or 3 years and that just isn't enough anymore! This way we can see them every year! This year they are coming to Texas to spend Christmas and New Years with us, first time in 3 years we will be together for Christmas. Another questions "oh, how can you afford the gas and expenses of always being on vacation?" First of all we are NOT on vacation, we are living our life, it just happens to be where we want to live it, Gas prices,we just need to have enough gas to get where we are going then we stay put for 6 months, it cost us about $800 in fuel to get to Texas, now we don't spend anymore money on fuel then we would if we were home, if we had flown here it would have cost a lot more then that, plus we would have had to rent a car, motel expenses and would have only been able to afford to stay here for about a week! Plus we don't have a house payment or ultility bills and all the expenses that go with home owning! We workcamp to pay for our lot and full hook up, it would cost us $450- $600 a month to stay here if we didn't work, as far as the cost of food while traveling, well, we might eat out once a week or less, we buy our groceries and eat in the motorhome, we don't eat out anymore now then we did when we lived in a house, as I said we are not on vacation we are living! We always spent about $2000 to $3000 a year on vacations, now we are in the warm weather we were always seeking in the winters, trying to get away from the cold weather! We have all the luxuries we had on vacations except now we have it cheaper and longer! We also paid off as many bills as we could because we knew that our income would be a lot less, I also sell e-bay as we travel, that has really helped, we both get our social security checks and pension checks at the end of the month so the money from e-bay keeps us going inbetween checks, plus gives us fun money!
I understand that this lifestyle isn't for everyone but it is what we want, some are so afraid to try to live like this or anything different then what they are use to, but we love it and can't imagine living any other way, we realize that someday we will have to give it up but until then as long as we can do it we will continue to travel and live our dream!
Have a great day and never give up on a dream!
