In about a month, it will be two years since we took our RV trip across the country. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about a certain place we were or something we did. And it’s involuntary. I’ll be doing something and suddenly, a flash of a memory of a very specific moment pops into my head. I miss it every day.
Don’t get me wrong there were a lot of not-so-great things about living and travelling in an RV for nearly 6 months. Some examples… We had a limited hot water supply for showers and dish washing. No laundry machine on board with us so we usually did laundry every 2 weeks or so and needed to hoard quarters for the machines where we were staying. There was no dishwasher and a tiny sink, so it was a bit challenging to do dishes. And because the sink was tiny, it filled up very quickly with dishes. We often no TV or Wi-Fi, unless we were stationed somewhere – even then sometimes it was iffy. The water tank in the RV for drinking water was not the best… we tried a few different ways to clean it so that the water would taste better, but eventually just ended up buying jugs of water when we stopped. When we were heading back north, it started to get cold. And when that RV got cold…OOH was it cold! The walls and windows were not very well insulated. I remember we had at least 2 electric heaters going constantly. That was not fun – especially since I’m a chillier person to begin with. One of the saddest things we encountered was how many RV sites/campgrounds/states (!) did not have recycling centers. We had to throw out a lot that could have been recycled. Very sad.
I realize I’m probably writing the bad things to deter myself from missing it so much. Honestly, a lot of the time we were on the road, I was wishing we were home – for one luxury or another (including seeing the family and friend we left behind).
But, man, do I miss it. It was quick and easy to clean since it was a small space. I was surrounded by nature every day – could not escape it. The bed was insanely comfortable, with a window right at our heads. Pookie spent a ton of time just laying in bed looking out the window. When the slide-outs were out, the RV wasn’t any smaller than any regular apartment. I did yoga daily. I journaled daily. There was always something new and exciting to look forward to. Pookie got a ton of exercise and fresh air. So did we, actually.
I think even if I tried, I couldn’t possibly list all the great things about traveling that way. There’s just too many. It’s the kind of experience I don’t think a person would truly understand unless they undertook it themselves. It’s truly indescribable.
So why am I writing a post about something I can’t describe? Well, mostly because I can’t get it out of my head. I so badly would like to do it again. For longer. Maybe go out for 6 months and come back for 6 months. There’s a lot that would go into attempting a life like that. I know there are many people who strictly live out of their RV all the time, but I think having the option of coming “home” to a house is something I’d like to have.
Maybe one day we’ll get back out on the road. Sorry, not maybe. We will. We only planned for our 6-month trip for about 9 or 10 months before we headed out. In that time, we…
- searched for and bought an RV
- had it inspected and found a storage spot for it
- planned out what we’d like to see in each state
- mapped it out on a giant map
- made a potential route removing anything that was a little too far out of the way
- prepared for all the possible hiccups (this includes snake bite kits, first aid for Pookie, extra phone in case of an emergency, and a ton of other bits and pieces)
- gave our jobs notice
- packed up our life
- unpacked our life into the RV
- saved a lot of money
…and I’m sure a lot more that I am forgetting. So, with only 9-10 months to prepare, we did a pretty amazing job and handling everything we needed to in order to get on the road. I can only imagine what spending maybe 2 years preparing and saving and planning could afford us to do. Especially with plans to come back and forth from our house. Of course, in that case we would need to find jobs where we can travel and health insurance etc. on the road. Other things will surely come into play.
But for now, it’s a nice thing to dream about. And it’s not that far-fetched to be honest.
Have any of you taken a long hiatus of a trip? Maybe in an RV? Or in some other vehicle? I’d love to hear about your experiences!
Raising LeBar 