When Something Happens Along Your Journey
Our “pull” vehicle, the semi broke down along a freeway last year. No bueno!!
I felt so sick, sick to my stomach, mentally unfocused, the heat ever rising and then the chills in my body and eventually, the ever persistent aches and pains. How could I feel so bad on such a wonderful time of traveling, even though we were work camping, but still able to travel to the most amazing destinations we ever saw? And actually we just came back from visiting Glacier National Park!
But, I knew I would have to see a doctor, even though I really did not want to. A thought came across my wobbly head: would my insurance cover it? I was far from home and did not know what would happen if I did not see a doctor. Would I get better or worse? Would I give this to my co-workers? My husband was sick so no worries about him getting it!
It was a decision that I needed to make soon. Would I see a doctor and spend money that we were trying to save or not see a doctor and save the money and perhaps suffer longer?
Rebuilding the transmission in our awesome Bronco.
When you live in a RV fulltime, sometimes you do not think of bad things happening, such as sickness, a vehicle breaking down and the money it will cost to repair, a loved one needs you home and you are traveling or even your RV needs repair and you need to find a shop that will not take months to fix! Unfortunately, the inevitable does happen and you throw your hands up, wondering what to do. Was this supposed to happen?
We understand as it has happened to us: our truck broke down and no one could fix it properly. It is hard to fix something where you need a big city and their mechanics available, but you are in a small town with limited means! Suffering through sickness is something we have done, but when it is bad, it is time to do something about it. But there is hope, and it is not time to give up on traveling:
Make sure you have health insurance. I know it can be expensive but it is important to have in case the inevitable happens. While my husband is on Medicare (lucky!), I have a private insurance that my husband used to have during his pre-retirement days when he worked. Some health insurances will work in some states, while some may not. Here is a person that helped us tremendously with a supplement for Medicare: Michael Monson. He is an independent insurance agent and not only helps with Medicare, but also with private insurance. Even though he is based out of South Dakota, he can work for anyone in the U.S. I am fortunate that Blue Cross Blue Shield has traveled well with us.
Have money in savings for when your RV or vehicle breaks down. We had so many problems with our semi (our pull vehicle) that it took a toll on our savings. It was heartbreaking to see our savings go down, but at least we had some to use rather than the credit card.
Patience is important for those hard times. A little dose of patience can go a long way, especially when things get stressed and you say things you did not mean to. I get so stressed that sometimes I want to leave the fulltime RV lifestyle and go back to living in a house again. A little expensive for housing today, but I know I want to travel still as I feel like we are not done yet.
Have a back up plan for campgrounds or boondocking. This is what we have done if we could not find a boondocking spot. Sometimes boondocking sites are not driveable or there is no room, or even not what the reviews on a website for campgrounds are true. Or a campground is full and you are tired and want to stop but cannot cause of the full campground. Having a backup plan will be worth the struggle and headaches. We usually have at least one extra place to camp and planned in case things do not work out at the originally planned site. Works for us!
A loved one is sick and you need to go home. Cancel what you can in the immediate future. Remember, you can always go back after your loved one is better.
You are sick and cannot drive. This is so rough! Time for you to care of yourself and rest. Cancel what you can and get better. It is no fun to drive and be sick!!
Bad weather. Now here is a biggie! We have made a recent rule that if it is raining, snowing or very windy, then just stay until it is safe to drive. No job or another campground is worth the risk of driving in bad weather. I use a “windy” app as it helps if gusts are going to happen. And I also watch the weather in the next town we will visit, to make sure it is safe to driver there. Bad weather will happen so keep on eye on the weather!
Life on the road is like living in your sticks and bricks: bad things can and will happen. I can guarantee you! Just because you are trying to live a stress free life, see amazing sights, does not mean bad things will avoid you. Nope! When something happens along your journey, think about the above tips, think p”windositive and know that you can move forward from bad things and soon you will be off seeking those good things you want to!
What is something that has happened to you on the road and how did you overcome it?