My First Day As A RV Full-Timer…

Leaving our storage lot permanently as we started our lives with a new adventure: fulltime rving.

I can remember that day like it was just yesterday, a very different type of day, a day of sadness and joy. We knew the time was coming and finally was here, so it was time to act upon it: pick up the RV and start driving to our first destination and start living in it as fulltime rvers. But along the way, I felt incredible sadness: leaving the big city behind with my kids in our rear view mirrors (not literally, but figuratively) and a new sense of fear of a unique way of living. How does one start all over in a new lifestyle, full of possible hopes and dreams, desires and yet still hold onto things too tightly that made you feel like you belonged to something or someone, like a house, a town, people, basically feeling secure where you are at and not quite ready to let go?

We planned for this new lifestyle of living in a RV fulltime for some years, with hopes of traveling the country, learning and living and loving the incredible new adventure we were ready to capture. I could not wait to move forward with my husband to a life of travel, maybe some fun and unique places to visit outside of our state, embracing each step one day at a time or each day one step at a time. We left our busy city on an equally busy freeway and headed west, with tears in my eyes, wiping them so my husband would not see the sadness I was feeling as I did not want to worry him. Was it regret? Fear? Or even a fear of hope? Why was I sad when I was so excited during the planning stages?

Exercising outside in brrr Quartzsite!

Forward we went, and found a place to stop for a night, our first night in our camper, our new home. Not a home away from home, but our one and only home. This camping area was a place with mountains, desert and amazing sunsets. For most campers, they would go to a campground and plug in their RV so they could have the basic necessities of electricity, water and sewer. Not us! We did something called “dry camping.,” which is no basic necessities, but roughing it. There was a catch: we had prepared ahead and got solar batteries and solar panels to help provide electricity, a generator (a must!), a huge water tank and a large sewer bag so we did not need to worry about our “delicates” right away, or dig a hole to take care of our business. It was a weird feeling to stay somewhere else other than our old house, out in the open, wondering if the “what-ifs” would sneak up on you, like, a burglar, party hardy people or a wild animal, sniffing around for a tasty morsel.

My husband is a master of building campfires!

My husband built a nice size fire as it was the end of January and quite cool outside, even for a desert. I will say I did enjoy the quiet, the solitude of no loud neighbors, cars screeching or speeding down the street and most importantly, the stars were ablaze that night. Such a sight! Yet, here we were, all alone, with some campers not too close, which is the way I like it, our first night away from the big city, away from our precious kids that are now young adults, away from life as we knew it, ready for a new adventure in travel and discovering what we liked and not liked as we started a new life as fulltime rvers.

The awesome Bronco looking west at an amazing sunset in Quartzsite, Arizona!

Looking back 3 years ago when we became fulltime rvers, I can honestly say we have had both good and bad times together. That is one thing I do like about this lifestyle: my husband and I go through it TOGETHER, not separately. Definitely a unique lifestyle not meant for all, but meant for some, like us, but I still miss my house and the security it provided, but yet, I also like driving our “house” or RV to new places we never saw before, dropping my jaw at the beauty our great country has, and feeling grateful I have my best friend with me.

So if you are thinking about a change in your life, what will you do?

Our campsite in Helena, Montana!