I have an announcement. Most of you know but this post is for me to scream out loud and for anyone that does not know.
I am retiring June 1 and will be a full time RVer. My blog will have a little about what state I am working in, and what I am crafting but it will mostly be about my challenge to downsize all my craft items to what can fit in a small RV, my search for the perfect RV as well as my fears and joys. I want a record of everything up to and beyond my new beginning so that on a cold winter night after I have been on the road awhile, I can sit back with a glass of wine, read this blog and reflect on all that got me there.
I can't say that I sleep better since I made my decision because my head is filled with too much; however this is the end of a life long dream, I remember when my children were very small, my father went with me to look at small trailers and camper vans because that is what I wanted to do. My parents never discouraged me...life put everything on the back seat. In fact, just before my parents died, they went with me to look at fifth wheels and told me that it would happen, I just had to believe. I know that they will be with me this weekend when I go with my son on Friday to the MD RV show and my daughter and son-in-law on Saturday to the PA RV show to actually look for not a dream but my home. I won't be buying one this time but collecting the information on the ones I like so we can do some extensive research. My daughter wants me to make a list of what things that I must have in the RV like insulated windows and wood floor. Why a wood floor...because I love wood floors and have never had any, now my new home will have a wood floor among other essentials.
My plans at the moment is to travel 6 months out of the year and stay in an RV park in Florida for 6 months. As a matter of fact, my daughter and I plan on going to Central Florida in the spring to visit some parks so that I can make a reservation for October and November. During those months it will give me time to do extensive research on other parks in the area and stay a month or two in them. I think I will know at the end of the 6 months which one I would like to stay 6 months in the next year. I did find that there were parks that give very cheap rates if you sign a lease for 6 months, hopefully my son in law and daughter will have moved down in the next couple of years.
I have joined two women's group, one is very active and consist of full and part time RVers. The online site has lots of advice that I am drinking in. The other one is not very active on line but has chapters all over the country. In fact, in November, I am going to Lancaster, PA for their Thanksgiving rally were I hope to meet and talk to ladies about their life on the road, safety, boondocking (no water, sewer, electric) and whether they use solar panels, cell and internet, etc. My daughter and I are doing lots of research but how nice it will be to actually talk to people that have conquered this.
I have already had a junk man take the sofa and loveseat, and tomorrow I have bags of clothes that I am taking to the Rescue Mission. I have lots more clothes and some furniture to take in the coming weeks. I will give any dress work clothes to the Dress For Success organization. I just wish that it would be as easy for the tons of yarn, mounds of fabric and other stuff I have. That is why I decided to tackle the furniture and clothing first.
I know that my son is taking my Department 56 collection so I can visit my little houses and my treadmill. My daughter will take some of the yarn my big TV and I will keep the small one for my bedroom when I am in Florida. I have an expensive handmade kitchen island table that one of them will have to take. The rest of the furniture will go to the Rescue Mission or the dump. My daughter is going to scan the photos out of the pile of photo books and boxes that I have, I will probably get an external drive for her to put them on. I think we will probably get rid of the paper photos after that. The goal is to just keep plugging away until nothing is here. I would like to get everything done by March and then move into the motorhome. The problem is this job, I could get called away for months. This last time was 4 months.
That is all for now. I hope you are as excited as I am.
5 comments:
Louise--I think this is the beginning of a life long dream not the end! Take a good look at available RVs before you decide something like "I must have wood floors and insulated windows". They have some real nice "look like wood floors" that are a lot more compatible with RVs than real wood. Think more about the storage space and living space. If the RVs have slides, make sure you look at them closed to ensure you can still use them. There will be times when you can't open the slide and it is not good when you can't reach the bathroom or the refrigerator. Good luck with your path to the new life.
http://travelinglongdogs.blogspot.com/
I can live without the wood floor but I would like something that looks like it. Thanks for the comment, that is what I need you ladies for, to keep me going straight and not get hooked on the bells and whistles.
I am in a similar situation in that I will be officially retiring next year (no longer working). I'm only working part time now as an independent contractor, and I want to continue another year or so to save up and pay cash for my RV. I also do cross stitch, so we have that in common as well. I've bookmarked your blog and will be starting my own soon, so we can compare notes and experiences.
Cari, make sure you let me know when you start your blog so I can follow it. I don't cross stitch but we can still sit and talk while you cross stitch and I knit or spin.
Hi Louise!
I enjoyed meeting you at my husband's office on your recent visit here in Kentucky. How exciting for you making a dream come true. Get some of those vacuum storage bags you can squish a lot of yarn into those. Good luck finding homes for all your treasures.
Deb
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