Not for Everyone, but Just Right for Us!
Maybe some of you noticed that I missed a few days posting new content and if I’m being honest, it won’t be the last time, I’m only human. We moved OVER 2,500 miles in 6 days because my husband got a phone call and that’s life on the road. It’s short notice and long hours, but it’s also silly songs and goofy games to keep the little one happy so we can keep trucking down the road. It’s that thing that throws all our schedules off, but also something that we’ve developed a route too. Everyone knows the drill, Dad (Captain) keeps us safely driving down the road, Mom (Co-Captain) keeps tummies, tunes, navigation, and phones in full operation and the two troops in the back (the child and doggo) just kick back and have fun! They have both adjusted beautifully but I’m also a planner, packer, list maker, and I have a system for most things…
We really try hard to only stop when we need gas and while pulling the trailer, we can get roughly 200 miles (on a good day) down the road before we need to fill up. When we stop, I get the minion and Tankers out and we stretch our legs, get our wiggles out, and let Tank go potty while my hubby gets the gas. Once the truck is full, he parks and we jump in the trailer, make lunch, change the baby, relax for a bit, then we close it up and get back on the road! While we drive, I’ve got books that I know by heart (so I don’t get carsick reading to little one), an array of his favorite toys, coloring books with a set number of crayons (to prevent finding a melted crayons later), snacks on snacks on snacks, a few drink options, and the Hail Mary, a freshly charged tablet with all the favorite movies and shows ready to go! When we pull up to our park for the night or when we’ve reached our destination, we get the doggo set up so he can roll around in the grass, I go inside and start getting the slides pushes out and making it homey and cozy, my husband unloads the truck and gets all the outside stuff set up and we tag team with the minion and dog. We’ve gotten everything down to a timely science and really embraced the teamwork it takes to live this kind of lifestyle.
It’s a life not meant for everyone and it’s hard on you mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically because shit breaks. It’s isolating and lonely at times, but it’s also brought me peace and slowed us all down, it’s a stop and smell the flowers kind of life because (once you get the park search down) you can literally be IN the middle of all the flowers! This lifestyle gave me the space I needed to heal and find who I wanted to be and who I could be if I did the work and faced my demons. RV Life has given me the opportunity to distance myself so I could get away from everyone else’s thoughts on what I should do, what I shouldn’t do, and how sick I REALLY am… (because everyone has their opinions). In a way, RV Life was my escape, my opportunity to get away and focus on myself without the voices of others telling what’s best for me or telling me there’s no way I’m sick because I look healthy. And bonus, we could stay together, pay off debt, and save money all while traveling across this beautiful land we call home!
Just like with all things, it’s what YOU make of it. We set out for this lifestyle almost 2 years ago to focus on our future as a family and achieve the lifestyle we want our kids to have growing up. In a sea of opinions from others, it gave me silence so, I could listen to my own body and understand what it needs to better my quality of life. As time went on, we noticed all the experiences we were having, all the places we were visiting, the people we’ve met along the way, and the bond we are creating in our little family! It can be stressful, but it’s also taught us how to manage and overcome that stress and that together, as a team, we will achieve our goal and have those rocking chairs on our back porch looking over our property. It’s just going to take teamwork, hard work, and patience so we’re going to enjoy this time we have living this way of life because it’s just a steppingstone and we’ll be home soon!
