Two Months In

Today marks two months into our adventure. We have successfully survived 60 days of close confinement together, also known affectionately as ‘living in a hallway’ in RV lingo.

We celebrated the end of the first month by finally getting to use our water system, meaning I could enjoy running water. Oh the joys of being able to take a shower right in our coach and not have to trek to the bathhouse.  Even doing dishes was almost fun. I didn’t have to heat the water in our microwave anymore, and I could utilize my whopping 12 inches of counter space by removing the water jug we had kept there. It is still winter here though, so Ty fills our water tank as needed then detaches the hose so it doesn’t freeze and burst or damage our coach. Our tank has enough capacity to last through several showers and household activities, so it isn’t too much of an inconvenience. Once the night temperatures remain above freezing we can leave the hose hooked up.

Ty also utilizes a tip we learned through listening to our favorite podcast, which is choosing a certain day to dump our holding tanks. For us, it’s easy to remember that on Wednesdays, “Hump Day is Dump Day”. Some might think that while in a park with full hookups that one would just leave the valves open, however that can lead to problems. If the fluids were allowed to just trickle out continuously, in freezing weather there is a chance that ice would gradually build up and block the exit and plug up the tanks. Likewise, in warmer weather, we don’t leave our valves open because the slow flow can lead to sediment accumulation, also resulting in a plugged up tank. So according to RV rules, let the tanks fill a bit, then empty them in one big whoosh regularly!

Speaking of podcasts, we would heartily encourage anyone that enjoys RVing to check out our favorite audio show “Living the RV Dream”. Hosts John and Kathy Huggins post a new episode each Friday that is chock full of tips, experiences and encouragement.  Whether you like to spend weekends in your rig or are dreaming of spending more time on the road someday, they have something for everyone. The podcast is free, and is available thru their website at http://livingthervdream.com/ and also thru iTunes. They can also be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/113274598695228/.

In The Beginning ...

I have a delightful job wherein I get to meet many wonderful and interesting people. And often times, their life journey mirrors my own in a way. Seems many folks start tent camping, then move up into a pickup camper or camp trailer. Some then go further and get a motor home or 5^th wheel trailer. And then us really crazy ones start wondering how we can work it out so we stay on the road and don’t have to ‘go home’.

A couple months ago, I saw a commercial on TV featuring a motor home made out of Legos that triggered a childhood memory. I started searching the internet, and was delighted to find this 1970 Barbie Country Camper. I once was a proud owner of one of these! Now I wonder if this is where my nomadic journey really began.

I can only guess at what kinds of adventures my Barbie dolls enjoyed in their coach. There were yellow plastic sleeping bags, and little folding yellow and orange camp stools. The driver’s side of the vehicle opened into a pop-out tent, and the rear was a fold out kitchen. Wow, a “slide out” in 1970! I don’t even have a slide-out in my current motor home.

My parents had a camper that went on our truck, and we would sometimes travel back to New Jersey to visit our family there. I loved lying on the top bunk, looking out the big front window, watching the landscape unfold. I should decline to mention my mother’s stories about shutting my brother and I in the back so they didn’t have to listen to our childhood arguments, but those are part of family journeys too.  I also cherish memories of my Poppop’s pickup camper, parked down in his barn, where my cousin and I spent hours inside playing games and imagining adventures.

I thank my family, friends, and dear readers who are currently sharing my journey.  I’ll keep sharing stories, ideas, tips, and probably even trials as this unfolds.  But for now, it’s time to me to go reminisce of my days with my Barbie camper. See ya down the road!

Catching Up

It has been on my heart for some time to revive my blog, and I’ve procrastinated long enough. It’s time for updates on our life, and on the new journey upon which we embarked on New Year’s Day 2012. Many entries will be forthcoming sharing stories and adventures. But for now, it’s time to catch up.

2011 brought many changes to our life. We found ourselves out of work, which eventually encouraged us to really look at where we were, where we wanted to be, what we wanted to do. Things weren’t coming together for us in our hometown of Craig, CO. We considered work in the cold of North Dakota, and dreamed of being in the tropical climate of Florida. But we kept returning to Grand Junction, CO in our mind and hearts. We lived there once before, and loved the slightly milder climate, the businesses, and job opportunities; all while remaining close enough to our families that we could visit occasionally.

In early December we journeyed there to look into a job for Ty, who planned to investigate a trucking position. We went in our motor home and stayed at the campground we often have visited over the past few years. While in their office, I happened to ask if they had any job openings. Surprisingly, there WAS an opportunity coming available in January. Upon returning to our coach I emailed my resume to the owners, and was delighted when they asked if we could do an interview the following morning. Our visit with them went well, and I was offered a workamping position.

Our new life began, appropriately, on New Year’s Day, when we finished loading essentials and our pets into our motor home and moved to Grand Junction. I began work at Junction West RV Park on January 2nd. In following entries I’ll explain workamping in more detail, and I’ll share all kinds of fun stuff that we are learning about the RV lifestyle, and about each other. I hope you’ll come along with me as our story unfolds.