A Year of Changes

It has been just over a year since we sold our home and set ourselves solidly on the course to full time RVing. I was reflecting on what we have learned in that year so I thought I’d share a few of these things.

First we learned that our lives were really full of stuff that we really didn’t need. When we moved out of the house, a 2400sq. ft home and 3 stall garage, we purged, sold, donated and gave our kids an incredible amount of “stuff” and were able to fit into a 900 square ft. apartment with a one stall garage. Then the spring came and the reality of now downsizing enough to fit into 300 square ft (or less) and no garage. The last of the furniture went, we digitized all our photos and movies of the kids, gave away and donated more stuff. We started moving things to the RV in April and finished the whole move in May. Man did we have a lot of stuff. Now everything we own is either in the trailer or the truck. Whew!!! It was an amazing amount of work and at times it was hard to say good-bye to things we had enjoyed but I can honestly say I don’t think there is anything we miss.

Second, we have learned to live in a smaller space. Getting ready for work in the morning has to be coordinated, it’s kind of a dance but we are learning the steps. Retirement will make that a lot easier. Retirement will also mean getting rid of more clothes!!! Our closet is really full right now.

Third, John has learned to drive pulling the fifth wheels and he is getting better at backing it up - that is still frustrating for him but it is getting lots better (I have learned to trust him and be the encourager). It was so stressful at first but I think we both are calming down as each move goes by.

Fourth, spreadsheets and checklist are a must in this lifestyle! Now if we could get the order just the way we want. There are so many things to remember when we move and mistakes can be costly. We watched (actually heard then watched) a fella drop his fifth wheel onto the bed of his truck because the hitch wasn’t latched. It reinforced keeping to our checklist so we don’t do that. We learned the hard way to recheck that nothing is blocking the slides before we put the slides out. We had a drawer come open during travel and I crunched it in the slide when setting up. That item got added to the setup check list.

Lastly we are learning to enjoy our surroundings. Looking out on a beautiful park is a joy. I always wanted a wooded backyard and now I have one and the look changes all the time. John loves that he has a beautiful yard that he didn’t have to mow. :) There are many more things but that gives you a sample of all the new things in our life. We are so glad we are doing some of our learning here before we wander off into the world. We are more confident than ever that we can do this and that we will enjoy the days ahead.