Fairly New Fulltimers - RV-Dreams Community Forum

AloraDanin · RV-Dreams Community Member

Fairly New Fulltimers

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barbara,

Welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You will find this both a place for information as well as for encouragement. With regards to the RV lifestyle, some have learned to make the best of learning and meeting new people and making new friends. It isn't the lifestyle for everyone, but I think everyone does like to see new places as well as meet the new folks.

One of the beauties of RV'ing is the opportunity to see places that we've only heard or read about. Another is to stand in the places where history has been made, and who knows, maybe make some small measure of history ourselves.

Welcome to the lifestyle, and I am already jealous of you. You are traveling while Jo and I still have a spell before we retire and can travel, even though we are living full-time in our fifth wheel. Welcome also to this grand family known as RV Dreams participants. Glad to have you with us.

Terry

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barbara,
Welcome to the forum! As Terry said, the full time lifestyle is not for everyone but I do think you'll meet the nicest folks for the most part in RV parks and campgrounds. Many of us have left our homes and our friends so enjoy meeting new people. Your concern about missing friends has been my greatest concern as well. I learned so much from Howard & Linda at the fall Rally and recommend you consider their spring one which will be in the Southwest in March or April and should be announced soon. We met so many really great people there and hope to run across them at campgrounds in the future. I also recommend Howard &'Linda's Journal, which I've read from the beginning.

I read about an escapees (founder I think) who had a sign made to hang out on the front of her rig saying something like "Coffee's on, Welcome!"

Many of us have gone thru your same thoughts, so hang in there.

~Sherry

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well..........I hope to say welcome home!!!!! you will find your friends here and loads of information.........the chat room after 9pm is a busy little world full of fulltimers all over the country good place at nite to grab a cup of tea and chat away!!!!

we look forward to seeing you here and welcome to a very tight and helpful growing group!!!!!!!!!

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome !

The first year or so on the road was tough for me socially - missing my old friends, and never feeling we were places long enough to make new friends.

But the longer we were on the road, the better we got at quickly making new friends, as well as integrating in repeat visits to people all over the place. We've also formed friendships with fellow RVers & Nomads who we enjoy meeting up with at various spots in our respective travels. For me, it has gotten better overall - and my community far more diverse yet spread out.

There's nothing wrong with deciding the lifestyle is not for you however.. and I wish you peace in finding balance.

- Cherie

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We will also be in Mesa, down the road at Val Vista Village from early January. Since your husband is not a talker my suggestion is to take up a hobby like quilting or beading that lets you interact with other women and maybe a few men, both in stores and in campground craft rooms.

I also suspect that since your husband is the enthusiastic one about full timing, he is the driving force behind where you travel, when, how long, etc. If true, you might need to take partial control to feel involved. Just some pop psychology on my part and probably wrong.

We have been at this nine years.

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Barbara, lots of future friends in the parks you will stay at in the future... go out, have fun and make friends... he will figure it out...

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

the other nice Thing......six new friends at the click of a button , and counting...........Hang in there Barbara and remember Someones always here for you "and just might be 2 lots down from you!!!!!!!

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome aboard Barbara!! And I hope congradulations are in order for your move to fulltime.

When Diane and I was talking about going fulltime one of the things we thought about was the fact that neither of us are the overly outgoing types when it comes to meeting people. Don't get me wrong,, we like people,, we just are not the walk up and start a conversation types so we were and still are challenged in that area. However we have found that campgrounds are different than almost any other place when it comes to meeting people. It almost comes natural in campgrounds.

And I would think that every new fulltimes really does not know if it will be for them until some time has gone by. Even though at this point (new fulltimers also) we think fulltiming WILL be for us we really won't know for a while until we face a few more of the challenges that come with the life style. But one thing is for sure. We plan to take full advantage of the freedom to roam and see what this great country has to offer while we can. And if we decide to NOT fulltime any longer we will have at least done and seen a few things that we may not have had a chance to other wise.

Have fun Barbara and I hope we meet down the road at some point. We will be in Arizona Jan. and Feb. so who knows.

laurly · RV-Dreams Family Member

I find taking a walk around the campground, or just sitting outside, they will come :) RVrs are such friendly lots, we've already made new friends, and we've only been on the road 2 weeks :)