Are you still enjoying full time RV life?
Absolutely! Full time RV life has been great for me, personally. With the only limitations being: how far I feel like driving in a given day, where I can setup camp, making sure I’m stocked with food & water, and of course the weather which is out of my control. I get to decided when I want to wake up, when to get out of bed, what to do that day and when I want to do it and this freedom has just allowed all the stresses in my life to ease away. There is so little panic that I deal with now, so I am able to just flow throughout the day. There have been so many beautiful sites along the drives as well as at the places where’s I’ve spent the night. I’ve had a few unique experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise and I owe it all to having the freedom to travel around to any state and explore it.
What have you enjoyed most about full time RVing?
As I was just saying above, it is the freedom to do things as the flow dictates. If it feels right to do or try something I will and if it does not, I don’t try to force it. Sure, I push myself sometimes, but I never push myself over that ledge that makes my anxiety spike and depression set in. I am able to just enjoy each day for what it is and know that the next day will bring me the chance to do other things. There is a huge sense of peace and calm that comes from full time RVing as well. Most campgrounds are fairly quiet in general, unless kids are present, but at least at the majority of places I’ve stayed, everyone is respectful of those camping around them. During the day especially, I sometimes find the only sounds I hear are those of the birds and insects or the was the plants and trees rustle together when the wind blows. This is typically because many people go out exploring during the day time, leaving the campground fairly empty and giving me the ability to write in my journal, prepare blog posts, organize and edit photos, or work on my website with minimal interruption.
What have you enjoyed least about full time RVing?
The things I’ve enjoyed least about full time RVing is the stress that comes from forgetting to do something simple, such as turning off the propane before driving or closing the latch on the fridge only for it to pop open and groceries to fly out onto the floor. It is easy to forget these things when you get cocky and think you’re able to get everything done and ready to leave camp and not double check to make sure you’ve missed something. Of course, emptying the black/grey tanks isn’t fun, but it’s something that absolutely needs to be done, so I think of it differently. The size of my RV also limits me on what I can do as parking is an issue, so that makes things less fun. When I don’t have laundry facilities at the parks I stay at, I’m forced to go into town to do my laundry. This can be very difficult when in a small town, as I likely can’t park in the parking lot and would need to park along the street (which isn’t always legal). Another thing that takes more discipline is planning out when to go grocery shopping and just how much to buy when you do go, otherwise you may find yourself rationing your food a bit to make sure you don’t leave yourself only with snacks to eat for a day or two.
Note: This was more of an issue prior to my recent RV upgrade allowing me to use all of my electric cooking devices including the microwave when I’m not hooked into shore power.
How is Isabelle doing?
Isabelle is doing well. She still doesn’t like our drive days, but is becoming more comfortable about coming out from under the couch when I tell her we are stopping at a rest stop for a while or when we arrive at our new campground. She is able to settle in much quicker to our new location and is almost always interested in seeing where we are and how our surrounding has changed from the last place we’ve stayed. She loves laying up on the cab dashboard and relaxing in the sun throughout the day or sitting by the windows when I leave them open. She still demands cuddles, pets, and snuggles, but also enjoys her alone time as well. Another of her favorite spots is above the cab in the bunk area where she naps while looking down over the living room/kitchen. Another thing that has helped is that I reward her for getting through out drive days by given her a treat once we are all setup at our new campsite. This seems to be something she looks forward to and helps her get through even the long drive days we have.
How is Covid-19 effecting the way you travel?
Covid has made things a little more difficult for me during my travels. The issues surround campgrounds that have been closed down or have to run at limited capacity. Most campgrounds also have some or all of the services they offer shut down such as pools, hot tubs, showers, bathrooms, playgrounds and more. There has also been some slow down when shopping at stores due to the imposed social distancing practices, but that is something I am more than ok with as it helps keep me safe. I am basically living a quarantined lifestyle as I am only stopping at stores for essential items when they need restocking or when my RV needs gas and RV campground etiquette already leans itself to keeping social distancing when walking up to talk to your neighbors and only changes if they are family or having been camping out long term together. Most of us who have visitors also only get closer to them if we know they have been recently tested or are always following proper social distancing in their every day lives.
Are you getting out of the RV and doing things either when in camp or during your drive days?
Yes, I am getting out of the RV almost every day to get at least a little exercise. On my drive days, I try to keep my maximum time on the road under 4 hours and take a break every one to one and a half hours to stretch my legs, go to the bathroom, let Isabelle get food, water, and a potty break, and/or get some food and refill my drink(s). Depending where I end up stopping, I will also get out to explore the view/scenic points along the road along the way. When I am in camp, I usually like to walk around campground at least once the first day to get an idea of what the location is like including where the bathrooms are, if there are showers, trails, dump station etc. Yes, I usually get a map of the campground showing these things, but since they are rarely to scale, it’s better to walk it to get the best feel for it. Plus, by getting out and walking you usually run into at least one person to talk to for a while. Through this you can learn important things like when it is best to use a certain amenity (beach, laundry, shower) or if there is a nice trail to walk or what kind of weather to expect.
Since starting full time RVing, I’ve gone from a step goal of 3k/day to 5k/day and will be moving this up to 7k/day next week. I will usually get at least a few days a week around 10k or more with hitting at least 10k/day a goal of mine. While my current step goal may not seem like much to you, for me this is a noticeable improvement and something I am continue to focus on and increase my daily goal. The more exercise I get, the more steps I can easily accomplish getting each day. Another thing I had hoped to have gotten by now was an electric bicycle, however due to the covid, bikes are is large demand and the electric bikes are being bought up faster than they can be produced. Now you may ask, why not just get a regular bike? Well, I actually have one back in Florida and I likely should have brought it with me, but seeing as I didn’t I can only look at what is best for me now that I’m on the road. The appeal to the electric bikes are that as someone who is out of shape, having the electric motor to assist me when I’m tired or my muscles are yelling at me, it would still allow me to get around and experience more around the campground and surrounding area. Another issue is that most electric bikes get shipped to you and since I don’t have a set address and they are on back order, I would somehow need to arrange for the company to call me when ready to ship for us to decide where it should go. Hopefully I get one soon so I can explore more!
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