I've been telling a few friends and family members about our purchase of a 5er and our full-timing plans. Such a variety of reactions...Friends are mostly positive, excited for us and perhaps wishing they could/would do the same. One dear friend, whom I suspect has some survivalist traits is happy for us because we can "be mobile."
Family members are sorta split...one aunt expresses that it sounds exciting and is upbeat, while my uncle brings up much of the negatives - work availability, living in cramped quarters, etc. They lived for a while in a travel trailer as snowbirds, not nearly as big as our 5er, and he perhaps is not familiar with the new rigs and their technology. He also forgets that our 5er is probably going to have about as much room as Dave's flat in Scotland, where we lived for 3 months together.
We have no problem being together in small spaces.
Of course, another aunt has no concept whatsoever about 5ers or the full-timing world, so all she can say is, "Umm...okay...I hope you'll be happy."
Actually, I'm enjoying sharing our dreams and plans and seeing/hearing the different reactions!
Jim01 said
06:13 PM Dec 6, 2009
Yeah, the reactions you get are really interesting. Some will just say "Oh, OK, have fun", others will ask you all about the lifestyle and say "Great, go for it!!, but others will think you're completely crazy and do their best to talk you out of this stupid thing you are getting yourself into.
Most people have no idea what the full-timing lifestyle is all about, so we found out that if you talk to them and explain it, they'll finally come around.
Like you said, RVs have change a lot over the last 20 or so years. You might want to show them that new 5er. I'll bet they'll be impressed.
Jim
DreamerBob said
11:03 PM Dec 6, 2009
Yeah, we had a son who asked us if we were going ot join the circus too. Others just looked at me funny, but most people are very encouraging.
Some people will "get it" and some people won't. Oh well.
Someone, & I can't figure out who, once said " My greatest fear is that I'll get to the end of my life and realize that I never really lived it" (or something close to that). So - I'm going for it, undaunted.
thebearII said
11:42 AM Dec 7, 2009
I remember thinking my nephew was nuts when he decided to quit his good job and just travel with a bunch of buddies, rock climbing and bicycling around the US. He did this for several years and then settled down and got a better job. That was about 10 years ago.
Now as I am coming to the end of my career and dreaming about fulltiming, I realize he had the right idea.
My generation was taught, go to school, get a good job, get married, have kids....etc. Retire, enjoy hopefully many years and then die.
What would have been different today, if I had in my twenties like he did, just start travelling around, live from day to day and enjoy life instead of the daily grind. And if I continued to play instead of stopping like he did and finding a career, by the time I hit 80 would I regret not following the usual path or be glad I decided to throw convention to the wind.
I think I would be glad....
RodnReal said
01:14 PM Dec 7, 2009
Yeah, we had a son who asked us if we were going ot join the circus too.
LMAO!
--Rod
-- Edited by RodnReal on Monday 7th of December 2009 01:15:26 PM
azrving said
03:21 PM Dec 7, 2009
We got the same reaction from friends and relatives when we decided to leave the east coast and settle in the southwest. "But you were born and raised here and all of your family is here!" I told them that I really had no choice in where I was born but I did have a say in where I ended up later in life. My biggest regret is that I didn't make the move sooner...we love it here and don't even care about visiting the old hometown except to see friends and family. I am certain I will get the same reaction when we are finally able to fulltime but it's our life and we will live it as we see fit. My grandfather always said "that's why they make chocolate and vanilla"...it would be a boring world if we all liked and did the same things.
We may even join the Circus.
-- Edited by azrving on Monday 7th of December 2009 03:23:33 PM
bjoyce said
06:27 PM Dec 7, 2009
Some friends told us that since their son thinks they are nuts to have sold a perfectly good house and buy a "tin can with wheels" he did not look for them to help him financially when he lost his job. They think this is a good thing.
UniquelyRV said
07:53 PM Dec 7, 2009
Mostly people have been happy for us, since they know how much we enjoy RVing. My brother predicted at least a few of them are really p**sed off, since we are doing something they are afraid to do.
We are having our last annual Christmas wine tasting at the stix/brix this weekend, and we will have the motorhome here to show them, too. Some of them have absolutely no idea how nice it will be, so I'm looking forward to showing it off! And I'll remind them, as we look out over the anticipated 8 - 12 inches of snow on the ground, that in January I'll be sipping prickly pear margaritas while overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, and they will be looking out at . . . more snow. LOL!
Mallo said
07:26 AM Dec 8, 2009
UniquelyRV wrote:
Some of them have absolutely no idea how nice it will be, so I'm looking forward to showing it off!
This has been the interesting part. The number of family who for one reason or another have come to visit us out at one campground or another. It's almost a count down to the "Whoa this way nicer then I expected." comment.
Mallo
TxYellowRose said
10:05 AM Dec 8, 2009
Mallo,
I expect that will be the reaction of folks who have not been a recent model RV. My uncle, love him dearly and he's a hoot of a guy, has no concept of today's 5ers. He bases his statements on early versions with widespread slideout problems, etc. Heck, trying to explain the slideout concept to non-RV folks can be, well, a challenge! And a fireplace ?!?!?! One aunt exclaimed, "It's a woodburning fireplace?!? What about the trailer catching on fire??" which was then followed by my explaining to her that no, it's not a "real" fireplace...no flame, no wood, we're not (hopefully) gonna burn down.
This is a fun phase!!
janieD said
07:30 AM Dec 9, 2009
Our sons have had the worst of it. They are very supportive of what we are doing and had no problems with us selling our sticks and bricks but they are constantly asked if they are upset that we sold their "home". At Thanksgiving one of his aunts was really quizzing him and I listened as he explained that his "home" had nothing to do with a house, that it was wherever his family was and now "home" was going to be a lot more fun to visit. He made me a very proud mama.
Speedhitch said
10:10 AM Dec 9, 2009
We have been all over in our RV before we decided to full time...so I think most of our family just think we have not returned home yet. No matter what they think this is what we have always wanted to do. We are happy and have not looked back since we sold our home and headed out. Don't worry about what others think...do what makes you feel good.
Dog Folks said
10:10 AM Dec 9, 2009
We agree with all the posts. After three years, the family is finally starting to "accept" the lifestyle.
We e-mail our blog to all family members about twice a week, so they know where we are and what we are doing. Funny story:
Our 25 year old son is still in our hometown and working in the same industry that I spent 28 years in. Often friends and/or former clients ask "Where are your parents now?"
His stock answer: "I don't know. They move around a lot" I guess he finds it too much trouble to rememeber the name of the town we are at!!
Denise said
11:56 AM Dec 15, 2009
I completely understand! We have friends that ask why on earth would we want to leave our nice home on two acres and live in a fifth wheel, God knows where?
We have some friends that say we won't last six month. We have started to realize the people that make these remarks are people that have never lived more then a few years away from their hometowns and don't really care to travel anywhere. They seem to live to work and then retire to an old wore out recliner!!!
Dreamers said
03:13 PM Dec 15, 2009
Denise, I will second that comment.
Judy
MooreFun said
06:24 PM Dec 15, 2009
With 3 children and 7 grandchildren, our kids were worried that we wouldn’t be part of our grands’ lives as they grew. They range in age from 8 to 2, and they can be really attached when they see us, or not even mention us when we’re not around. They’re, after all, kids and ‘out of sight, out of mind’. We promised that we would not be gone continually, and make trips back to see them all. And we look forward to taking them all on the road for little vacations to see the highlights of the US as they get a little older (one at a time). But we got reactions from almost anger to ‘can I go too??’ I hope they will reach a time in their lives when they can look at our plans and say ‘that was a great idea’. We already know it is, right??!!
Peggy
blijil said
07:43 PM Dec 16, 2009
The grandchildren all want us at their beck and call but they do love joining us for a week where ever we might be. Home town friends are always asking when we are coming "HOME". Even though they are often told that home is where ever we are at for the moment, most don't get it. The biggest frustrations are on the holidays where we need to be everywhere at the same time because all seven kids and families can't come to our house at the same time anymore. Oh well nothing is absolutely perfect.
I've been telling a few friends and family members about our purchase of a 5er and our full-timing plans. Such a variety of reactions...Friends are mostly positive, excited for us and perhaps wishing they could/would do the same. One dear friend, whom I suspect has some survivalist traits
is happy for us because we can "be mobile."
Family members are sorta split...one aunt expresses that it sounds exciting and is upbeat, while my uncle brings up much of the negatives - work availability, living in cramped quarters, etc. They lived for a while in a travel trailer as snowbirds, not nearly as big as our 5er, and he perhaps is not familiar with the new rigs and their technology. He also forgets that our 5er is probably going to have about as much room as Dave's flat in Scotland, where we lived for 3 months together.
We have no problem being together in small spaces.
Of course, another aunt has no concept whatsoever about 5ers or the full-timing world, so all she can say is, "Umm...okay...I hope you'll be happy."
Actually, I'm enjoying sharing our dreams and plans and seeing/hearing the different reactions!
Most people have no idea what the full-timing lifestyle is all about, so we found out that if you talk to them and explain it, they'll finally come around.
Like you said, RVs have change a lot over the last 20 or so years. You might want to show them that new 5er. I'll bet they'll be impressed.
Jim
Some people will "get it" and some people won't. Oh well.
Someone, & I can't figure out who, once said " My greatest fear is that I'll get to the end of my life and realize that I never really lived it" (or something close to that). So - I'm going for it, undaunted.
-- Edited by RodnReal on Monday 7th of December 2009 01:15:26 PM
We may even join the Circus
-- Edited by azrving on Monday 7th of December 2009 03:23:33 PM
This has been the interesting part. The number of family who for one reason or another have come to visit us out at one campground or another. It's almost a count down to the "Whoa this way nicer then I expected." comment.
Mallo
Mallo,
And a fireplace ?!?!?! One aunt exclaimed, "It's a woodburning fireplace?!? What about the trailer catching on fire??" which was then followed by my explaining to her that no, it's not a "real" fireplace...no flame, no wood, we're not (hopefully) gonna burn down.
I expect that will be the reaction of folks who have not been a recent model RV. My uncle, love him dearly and he's a hoot of a guy, has no concept of today's 5ers. He bases his statements on early versions with widespread slideout problems, etc. Heck, trying to explain the slideout concept to non-RV folks can be, well, a challenge!
This is a fun phase!!
We have some friends that say we won't last six month. We have started to realize the people that make these remarks are people that have never lived more then a few years away from their hometowns and don't really care to travel anywhere. They seem to live to work and then retire to an old wore out recliner!!!
Judy
Happy Travels
Larry and Jacki