For those who are interested, here's a quick side note explaining what appealed to me about going
on this trip in the first place, and what I’m learning along the way. In my life (and most other people’s as well),
almost everything I could possibly need on any given day is right at my fingertips. In an RV, things take a little more work, a
little more planning, a little more effort, a little more time. And for some reason, I really like that. Maybe I’ve got a bit of modern life burnout. Or maybe I’m feeling older since my baby has
gone to college and I want to stay active and busy (which an RV will certainly
help with). Or maybe I just needed to
remember how fortunate I am to have everything I could possibly need at my
fingertips.
One major lesson I’ve learned is that having five heartbeats
in the RV means respecting each other’s space and moods and quirks. In our regular house, we can all retreat to a
separate room to regroup but in an RV, you get the bedroom, the sofa, or
outside and each of those places is only a few feet apart. That’s it.
So being gentle, using kind words, and remembering that this whole
experience is a privilege are all key to making sure we have a smooth day. And then there are the more practical
lessons.
The shower in the RV is virtually useless so we use the
showers in the campgrounds (some of which are nicer than others - #KOA) and in
many cases that means a good walk to get there.
I need to take everything I’ll use with me or I get to make the trip
back for a forgotten item, so that makes me pay more attention. If a towel is wet we hang it outside because
we don’t have a dryer. We wash dishes by
hand which takes longer but also gives us time to chat and laugh and be close. Each time we stop someplace we have to get
the pen out, set it up, get the chairs out, set them up, get the water bowl for
the dogs, etc. It’s fun and I’m not
complaining at all, but I’m learning that this lifestyle is conducted at a much
slower pace. And that forces me to slow down and appreciate the small things.
Because there isn’t much storage in an RV, we can’t bring lots
of things from home and I like that too.
We each have some shorts, some jeans, some shirts and a few necessities
and that’s it. At home of course I need
clothes for work, but out here there’s something to be said for pulling on my
Scooby Doo t-shirt and some old jeans and not worrying one damn bit about it
because there’s a breeze outside and we want to go explore a new trail. I’m not worried about how I look to other
people and that’s a new feeling for me, but it’s kinda cool and I’m embracing
it while I can.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not living like Laura Ingalls
Wilder in Little House on the Prairie.
We have a stove and heater and AC and running water and electricity and
other things that keep us comfortable.
But tasks take more labor, more time, more patience. And if anyone could use more lessons in
patience it’s me. Dave and I are pretty sure we
didn’t even have smart phones when we took our RV vacation in 2010 so there was
no chance to check news on line, catch up on Facebook, or order something from
Amazon from the phone. And we kind of
want to get back to that, even if it’s only for a short time.
Does this make me sound old?
Out of touch? Being left behind
with regard to technology and advancement?
Maybe. But it was never our
intention to drop out of life forever – it’s a gap year. A year that we embrace relationships and
sunshine and wind dried towels and dogs getting the zips on the beach and
identifying birds while we walk. It’s
just a break and we don’t forget for one minute how lucky we are to have it. Normal working life will resume soon enough.
