Do you find it lonely in the campgrounds or are people eager to greet and mingle with their neighbors?
igotjam said
01:19 PM Nov 29, 2008
Some are some aren't. Usually if you approach someone things will take off from there. You can always come accross some unfriendly people but for the most part RV ers are really outgoing. Everyone is doing the same thing so you have things in common already.
Tim & Robyn said
01:37 PM Nov 29, 2008
We're still wannabes, so can't speak from experience. BUT, as part of our research into what kind of RV we want we've gone to nearby state park campgrounds to look around (FDR state park and a couple others here in Georgia) specifically to talk to folks who are out there doing the fulltime thing already, and have found that in general RVers seem to be a much more sociable lot than the folks in our own neighborhood here at home... certainly lots more friendly than in most urban areas, where folks tend to put up their guard and be suspicious of strangers.
And from reading Howard and Linda's journal, as well as other online sites, it looks like lots of RVers hook up eventually who haven't ever met any other way.
So, being lonely is one thing we're not at all worried about.
breezy said
01:41 PM Nov 29, 2008
Hi Tim & Robyn I am from SW Georgia...what part are you from?
EDIT : I see in your profile you are from Columbus. I am in Donalsonville, near Dothan Al. and Tallahassee, Fl.
-- Edited by breezy at 13:43, 2008-11-29
Tim & Robyn said
01:45 PM Nov 29, 2008
Just sent you a private reply, so that you can tear your hair out over something else... In case you're as impatient as I sometimes am, we live in Columbus....
Tylersamma said
05:57 PM Nov 29, 2008
Sometimes yes, usually no. We have found it difficult to get overly friendly with most folk we meet, just because we are afraid we will never see them again, and that can be painful. However, we have coincidently met up with 2 seperate couples we have met on the road in just the last 2 months. One couple that we went on the Niagra Falls tour with, then saw them again in Savannah. The other, another Dreams couple who were staying in the same park who just happened to mention their location in a Forum reply. It just feels good to meet up with those who you thought you would never see again. Other times, I miss having a sense of community because we move so often.
breezy said
08:46 PM Nov 29, 2008
I guess it can be different for different people. Some people are natural people persons and some just aren't. If you end up with neighbors that are and you are as well, I guess it will be good...any other combo...guess not. I have just rea severla accounts of people giving Lonliness or a "lack of community" for leaving fulltiming and wanted to see how many people might experience this.
-- Edited by breezy at 20:46, 2008-11-29
-- Edited by breezy at 20:48, 2008-11-29
bjoyce said
11:26 PM Nov 29, 2008
We have met up with many of the fine people here on this forum just because we have a blog and/or they have a blog, or one of us says we are in a particular place in a forum message. We are also members of Escapees and meet up with others, especially with those in the Boomers BOF of Escapees since they post get-togethers in a Yahoo group. Once you meet up with some people and get along you end up meeting their friends and it cascades until you have a giant pile of personal business cards, email addresses and blog addresses and find you have friends everywhere.
subra1228 said
02:21 PM Nov 30, 2008
Hi,
We don't find it lonely, but we (me more than my husband, but still, both of us) do miss the community we left "back home". What I mean by "community" is the groups of friends, volunteer organizations, etc... We talk a lot about how to rectify that, and perhaps staying somewhere longer (we tend to move, on average, every week), will help, as well as workkamping. One issue we face is that it seems as if there are (were?) a lot of people in our community that are of the "out of sight, out of mind" thinking, and don't keep up their end of the relationship (i.e. calling us, emailing, etc..). I try not to pass judgement, since I've been the "one left" as well, but it is real for us.
So we're still somewhat new on the road & working through some growing pains, which is why we "baby stepped" into this - still have our house in Oregon, didn't take too large of a financial leap by way of a new rig, etc...
Overall, we find that people in the rv parks are friendlier and more social than people back home. My husband is more outgoing and tends to meet lots of people in the park. I'm more introverted and tend to keep to myself, yet I have still met some great people. I also stay in touch with family and friends via email and our blog.
Since my husband and I know people in various parts of the country, we also try to stop and visit with people we haven't seen in awhile.
Colleen
Terry and Jo said
08:03 PM Nov 30, 2008
A lot depends on you. I am pretty extroverted mostly because my mother was. She was typical of the description given by Will Rogers when he said that he never met a man that he didn't like. (Now, what Will never told us was whether that man he met turned out to be something other than what first impressions indicated.)
Mother was a born and bred Okie and she made friends wherever she went, whether it was only within the US or abroad. She once said that in business, one has to spend money to make money and that in friendship, one has to be a friend to make a friend.
So, smile and be happy and if someone turns out to be a stinker, smile and move on the the next person.
Racerguy said
08:18 PM Nov 30, 2008
We are not fulltiming yet but have RV'D a lot and have found many different types of people.Linda and I like to meet people but are somewhat reserved and are taken aback by those who want to be your best friend shortly after meeting you.I think if you have a friendly but not over aggressive personality I see no way you could be lonely. As been stated you will meet some stinkers but I feel they are few and I never take it personally when I meet one. The RVing community is for the most part just that, a community.You will enjoy it.
-- Edited by Racerguy at 20:19, 2008-11-30
breezy said
07:20 AM Dec 1, 2008
I consider myself a friendly person and love to meet new people. I do love my privacy too though and respect others privacy. But, I don't get it when you smile and wave at people some places (other places I have camped or visited-havn't fullitmed yet) and they look at you like you have just slapped them or something??? What are they afraid of?
sonicsix said
12:28 PM Dec 2, 2008
We ride two Honda Ruckus scooters which are great conversation starters. We also aren't afraid to introduce ourselves and say hello... we try to be friendly and 99% of the people we encounter are friendly towards us.
thebearII said
12:59 PM Dec 2, 2008
Like others have said, some are and some aren't.
My wife can make friends with anyone, people tend to be pulled towards her for some reason. Due to this we haven't had any trouble finding friendly people when staying in a campground or resort.
Put a smile on and walk around the campground, say hi to someone sitting out and comment on their RV or awning decorations and you'll have a new friend in no time.
ahoweth said
09:46 PM Dec 3, 2008
Hi!
Is it Lonely? An interesting question. I guess some folks could be lonely in a crowded room if they look for that. In the 4 years that we have been on the road we have discovered and interesting phenomenon. We have more close friends that we communicate with regularly now that we are on the road, than we did before hitting the road. Interestingly enough we lived in our home for more than 35 years before we started full timing. There we knew only a couple of other families in our neighborhood, but now we know folks from all over this wonderful country. We have close friends that we communicate with regularly from Florida, from Michigan, from Ohio, from New Orleans, etc. We either e-mail or phone these folks at least once per week and some times more often. We meet them every where and have not been lonely a single day, and that is from 2 introverts. The world is just different when you don't have to go to work tomorrow!
TXRVr said
09:10 AM Dec 6, 2008
breezy wrote:
Hi Tim & Robyn I am from SW Georgia...what part are you from?
EDIT : I see in your profile you are from Columbus. I am in Donalsonville, near Dothan Al. and Tallahassee, Fl.
-- Edited by breezy at 13:43, 2008-11-29
I'm anti-social so this is an easy answer for me.
Breezy> I'll be in your neck of the woods for New Years Eve. Will meet three other RVs at Lake Seminole (Eastbank). A tradition we do somewhere around the country each year. If you can manage it, would like 72 degree temps.
-- Edited by TXRVr at 09:11, 2008-12-06
RanCar said
02:54 AM Dec 8, 2008
We have recently started camping in CGs with our RV. I haven't found the people to be anywhere near as friendly and outgoing as they were when I camped in the 1970s. Many many people seldom leave their RVs. This really surprised me. Why bother to camp if you're going to sit indoors watching TV or play on your PC? Many seem older than I remember from the past. Retirees that turn in at sundown. If you smile and wave many campers ignore you or even turn away. Some people are obviously living in the CG and are seldom there but to sleep - or they stay indoors. Others set up camp, jump in their toads and take off. There's quite a differece since the 70s so yes, it's lonley for us and one place we actually became bored. I remember there were aways campfires and people from one site would be invited over to someone elses site, or we invited friendly people to our fire etc. There was a real feeling of camraderie and community. Sadly, I don't see or feel that anymore. I have to wonder why things changed so much. Is it they find their TV, cellphones or PC more entertaining than other people?
Howard said
11:03 AM Dec 8, 2008
We certainly don't find it lonely. As others have said, we have found our camping neighbors far friendlier than those in our former neighborhoods.
We've met tons of new friends and become very close with some in a short period. But there is rarely a feeling of sadness when we part. It's more of a "See ya down the road, and if we don't, have a great life!"
I like my alone time, so sometimes it's not lonely enough for me.
In Escapee parks or snowbird parks where we might stay a couple weeks or a month or so, we find lots of welcoming faces and activities. However, when we are on the move, we find the public campgrounds to have a friendlier atmosphere than private RV parks. Just our experience.
Often you get back what you put out there. Body language says a lot. You can usually tell when someone doesn't want to be bothered. But some folks are just not that outgoing until you provide a nudge or an opening for them. We at least wave or say "Hi" to everyone we see outside and let things evolve from there.
A simple smile can open lots of doors.
RanCar said
12:10 PM Dec 8, 2008
You're right. I'm still as friendly as I ever was. :) I say hi to everyone. I always have. I love to stop and pet friendly dogs. Some campers will smile and say "Hi" back and keep waking. Some may say a few words. Those who don't leave their RVs are hard to talk to. At Shell Mound CG in TN only one other couple talked to us for more than a few minutes. We never even saw anyone by the RVs to the back and one side of us. The RV to the other side had a senior couple who never came outside after setting up. One morning they were gone. At no CG all the way to mid NY state and back did I see the groups around campfires that were so common in the 1970s.
Another thing that surprised me was how many people had TVs set outside. There they sat watching their TVs, their backs to the road where people walk and drive by. We carry a TV and PC with us but they're only for when it rains and we're stuck indoors.
What kind of CG would be best to meet people like ourselves rather than places where people are living or just leaving RVs all the time but are not there?
PS I'm supposed to have 2 personal messages but can't find them.
Do you find it lonely in the campgrounds or are people eager to greet and mingle with their neighbors?
We're still wannabes, so can't speak from experience. BUT, as part of our research into what kind of RV we want we've gone to nearby state park campgrounds to look around (FDR state park and a couple others here in Georgia) specifically to talk to folks who are out there doing the fulltime thing already, and have found that in general RVers seem to be a much more sociable lot than the folks in our own neighborhood here at home... certainly lots more friendly than in most urban areas, where folks tend to put up their guard and be suspicious of strangers.
And from reading Howard and Linda's journal, as well as other online sites, it looks like lots of RVers hook up eventually who haven't ever met any other way.
So, being lonely is one thing we're not at all worried about.
EDIT : I see in your profile you are from Columbus. I am in Donalsonville, near Dothan Al. and Tallahassee, Fl.
-- Edited by breezy at 13:43, 2008-11-29
-- Edited by breezy at 20:46, 2008-11-29
-- Edited by breezy at 20:48, 2008-11-29
Hi,
We don't find it lonely, but we (me more than my husband, but still, both of us) do miss the community we left "back home". What I mean by "community" is the groups of friends, volunteer organizations, etc... We talk a lot about how to rectify that, and perhaps staying somewhere longer (we tend to move, on average, every week), will help, as well as workkamping. One issue we face is that it seems as if there are (were?) a lot of people in our community that are of the "out of sight, out of mind" thinking, and don't keep up their end of the relationship (i.e. calling us, emailing, etc..). I try not to pass judgement, since I've been the "one left" as well, but it is real for us.
So we're still somewhat new on the road & working through some growing pains, which is why we "baby stepped" into this - still have our house in Oregon, didn't take too large of a financial leap by way of a new rig, etc...
Suzanne
campingandtravels.blogspot.com
Since my husband and I know people in various parts of the country, we also try to stop and visit with people we haven't seen in awhile.
Colleen
Mother was a born and bred Okie and she made friends wherever she went, whether it was only within the US or abroad. She once said that in business, one has to spend money to make money and that in friendship, one has to be a friend to make a friend.
So, smile and be happy and if someone turns out to be a stinker, smile and move on the the next person.
-- Edited by Racerguy at 20:19, 2008-11-30
Is it Lonely? An interesting question. I guess some folks could be lonely in a crowded room if they look for that. In the 4 years that we have been on the road we have discovered and interesting phenomenon. We have more close friends that we communicate with regularly now that we are on the road, than we did before hitting the road. Interestingly enough we lived in our home for more than 35 years before we started full timing. There we knew only a couple of other families in our neighborhood, but now we know folks from all over this wonderful country. We have close friends that we communicate with regularly from Florida, from Michigan, from Ohio, from New Orleans, etc. We either e-mail or phone these folks at least once per week and some times more often. We meet them every where and have not been lonely a single day, and that is from 2 introverts. The world is just different when you don't have to go to work tomorrow!
Breezy> I'll be in your neck of the woods for New Years Eve. Will meet three other RVs at Lake Seminole (Eastbank). A tradition we do somewhere around the country each year. If you can manage it, would like 72 degree temps.
-- Edited by TXRVr at 09:11, 2008-12-06
Another thing that surprised me was how many people had TVs set outside. There they sat watching their TVs, their backs to the road where people walk and drive by.
What kind of CG would be best to meet people like ourselves rather than places where people are living or just leaving RVs all the time but are not there?
PS I'm supposed to have 2 personal messages but can't find them.