Carol,

Welcome to the RV Dreams forums.  As a long-time "lurker," you already know there is a lot of knowledge in the minds of the folks here on the forums, not to mention the rest of Howard and Linda's website.  Glad to have you with us, and we look forward to your questions and comments.

As for the sinkholes, every area has their own issues with natural events.  Florida has hurricanes and sink-holes, California has fires, mudslides, and earthquakes, Colorado has wildfires, Oklahoma has tornadoes, wildfires, and the occasional winter storm with wind.  One just needs to learn what to do where to remain as safe as possible.  At least with an RV, one can watch the "seasons" and move when one starts to come in.

Now, as for the idea of studying the mating habits of Elk, keep in mind that they might not like interlopers around when that season is in play.  I'd say you also want to invest in a good set of binoculars.

Good luck with your research and planning, and here's hoping that the traveling will come sooner than you anticipate.  In our case, it looks to be a year or three yet for full-time traveling.

Terry

More power to you Carol, life is what we make it, the journey is the the best part.  Sounds like you're getting the basics well in hand. When you feel reasonably comfortable push the ball down the road, get on with it and don't worry, the learning curve has just begun.

No matter what obstacles may arise one can only be grateful for the opportunity of this outstanding experience.

Best of luck to you in all you do, enjoy the moment and make the most of this fabulous lifestyle.

Bruce

Hey there Scrappy,

Thank you for your encouraging words.....I KNOW that they will carry me far, and it is a promising endeavor to hang on to the words of the 'well wishers' and walk away from the nay sayers......both of which, there have been many! Every morning we wake up with a choice.....Is it going to be a good day? Is it going to suck?

It is going to be a good day!!!

Care to share your story?

What got you into this lifestyle? Do you travel much? Do you go alone?.....etc and so forth.....

Gently,

Carol

Dear Terry and Jo,

Great response...........Mating Elk observation will be done from afar with a darn good pair of binocs!     I want to immerse myself in not only the Elk, but also in the geysers, sequoia, rock formations, fossils, fishing in the rivers, sitting by campfires, picking apples in new england, hiking on Mount Hood, and on and on......trying my darndest to avoid the tornadoes, hurricanes, sink holes, and earthquakes.....

It sounds as if you two have done your fair share of traveling.....any favorite spots? places you would avoid? funny stories?

Would love to hear about your experiences!!

Carol

 

Carol,

Actually, Jo and I are what I call "static" full-timers as we live in our fifth wheel full time, but we're still working so we aren't traveling yet.  As for the traveling we have done, we've been camping as a couple since September of 1976.  That first trip was also spent on the Labor Day weekend with my mother and a male friend of hers.  We returned to the same campground for many years to come because it was back off the main road about 3 1/2 miles, had the Purgatoire River flowing through it, and had lots of trees and critters.

In addition to being in the campground, we always take day trips and go see other features.  Other major trips we've taken was a two week vacation with Jo's sister and her husband to Yellowstone Park, Grand Tetons National Park, Idaho and then back through Utah and Colorado.  Then a few years later, an Alaskan cruise and land tour with the same relatives and cousins from Idaho.

All that those have done is pique my interest in checking out as many state and national parks as I can once we get to traveling.  Until then and for now, we are living in Oklahoma City, but Colorado could be in our future in a couple of years.  Both of Jo's sisters will be living in Colorado.

Terry

Welcome to what I believe is the best and friendliest RV forum!! My first excursion with RV's was back in 1975-77 working for an RV dealer in the Lake Champlain Valley of New York state. I would go to Indiana and Michigan with him and drive and tow new ones back to NY. Then in the Spring of 1980; after I got hitched; we went to Arizona from NY with a 24' FT. travel Trailer and it took two solid months to arrive there. Did some camping in Ohio, then an overnight in Iowa; two weeks in the Rockies of Colorado and overnite in New Mexico. We stayed about a month in Flagstaff; AZ before settling down in the Phoenix area. Then; i found myself a bachelor again in NY until 1993 and by 1994 I was living in a motorhome with my brother. Traveled around Florida; up to Michigan; over to NY; back to Florida; he got remarried and I bought an old Motorhome and redone it. I was back on the road; work camping; his wife died in 04 and he died in 06. I continued working and camping until July of 1012; 3 & 1/2 months after I had my severe heart attack. I have been sitting in an RV park east of Nashville; getting some more tests done, hoping to get some medical issues taken care of; then back on the road I go. I haven't been to the Mid-North-North West yet and it is on my bucket list before my time expires. My creed is and has been that I wasn't waiting until I was ready for the rocking chair where I seen people rock; wither and die a slow meaningless life!!! I got out there, never made a lot of money; seen and experienced a lot; enjoyed most of my time and if my health should keep me from doing more at least I have some great memories that no one can ever take away. Go for it....enjoy....don't let the naysayers hold you back....it fulfills the mind; heart and soul!!!!

Hey Edward,

Wow.....what an adventure you have been on.....I, too, looked around me and saw the folks where I work, sick and some in the last stages of their lives.........I am positive there were some "I wish i had......" being said.  Like Scrappy, I took a look around me and decided that I did not consciIIIously sign up for weeding, sweeping, raking, mowing, etc.....it all just sort of happened when you lived the typical American dream of 'Sticks and Bricks', home ownership....it was the right and responsible thing to do,right??? Naw!  The right and responsible thing to do is to be true to yourself and live your own personal dream.....I am so lucky to have found this website where I can connect with so many like minded souls!!

Thanks for your note, Edward!

Carol

lol...Im in the scrap metals industry.  When I started in this industry I was one of very few females.  One to be reckoned with.........oh, you could say that.........Ive grown up in a very male dominated industry and have had to hold my own a few times.....being 6'1 helps.  *wink*

 

Right on sista!!!!

 

Carol

Carol,

I am so glad to have "met" you on this forum.  Being a single female on the road is the only part that really unnerves me.  As I mentioned in our other post string, I am a newbie, too, and as a brand-new cancer survivor, I have decided that waiting for the perfect time is stupid.  The only time we have is Now.  My life is now lived Intentionally and with Joy!  I am so excited to get this new life started...but first, I need to LEARN from the people who are living the life I want.  

I am so thankful for this forum!

I support you and your dream.  It's no longer, "I want to do this someday".  It is now, "I am doing this today!"

Best,

Dawn

Many thanks to Candy,Phil, Rudee, and Sherry for your replies, I am such a tossed around swirling, big ole bag of feeling torn, nervous, adventuresome, practical, spontaneous, free spirited, sensible, prepared and unprepared all at once and, quite honestly and humbly I am not that large of a person to have that much of a shopping cart of emotions swimming around in the old bod at once. YIKES OH MIGHTY! I have spoken to my nay sayer friends and my 'yippee skippee 'go for it' friends on purpose.......always good to explore and enjoy (objectively) the benefits of diverse opinions, right? The nay sayers (ns) are saying ...."you should work until you are 65 and then you will have your well deserved medicare $$$$$$"......(I.e. all the practical and sensible things). The yippee skippee folks are telling me ......go for it!.....you can always get work later if you need to! Funny how both bits of advice are .......depending on your current state of mind...equally groovy. Do I eat a well balanced diet and then treat myself to dessert, or to heck with the norms and have a chocolate peanut butter sundae for my dinner? (That makes sense in my mind) Plan: talk to current employer about going part time 'enough' to get insurance.and then be able to work part time at my campground). call my financial advisor (who I suspect would prefer I work until the ripe old age of 90) and ask when I can collect on my annuity, and, lastly, decide when IS the RIGHT time to jump into PHASE 3 (retire and work camp) of my 3 part dream. Again, I am just processing the swirling little winged creatures flying around in my gut, and looking forward to hearing from those of you that can say....."been there done that". It is so fascinating that even for me ....the dreamer of my dreams..... The reality of DOING it varies remarkably from the reality of planning it!!!! Wowsy!

Hi Carol,

I, too, admire your spunk and welcome you to this great forum!

Unfortunately, I can't offer any advice or stories, as I'm still in what you would consider Phase I. DH and I woke up one day in 2011, just sick and tired of all the stuff involved with being homeowners. We used to tent camp (when we could still get up off the floor) and always had a sense of wanderlust. In our early days (we're married 35 years), we used to say that when we retired, we would buy an RV and travel the country. Well, that day in 2011, the thought just popped into my mind -- what exactly is involved in doing that? I did some research, found this great group, and discovered that it CAN ABSOLUTELY be done with the right amount of planning. We didn't have to wait until we're 65 (only 10 years away) and our skills allow us to work remotely, assuming we can either hold the jobs we have or find new ones (DH is a field engineer in the computer industry and I am an Exec. Ass't who can either convince her boss that I'm really not needed in a physical workplace, or move forward on my already started Virtual Assistant business).

The only thing holding us back is the sale of the house, which is needed in order to buy our home on wheels. We had a financial crisis a number of years ago, which unfortunately affected our credit, so a loan is not an option. The house, although in good working order, is in desperate need of cosmetic repairs (you can read my blog for updates on that). We are unskilled and have no time to do any of this ourselves, so any time we can save a few hundred $, we apply it to another small project. In 2-1/2 years, we've made it about halfway through. Only about another $10K to go (which, because either a big appliance, medical emergency or car breaks down every time we get ahead, it could be another 10 years anyway by the time we reach this dream).

Point is - I expect it to be a fantastic lifestyle change, and I work on getting closer to the dream every day, even if it involves only reading this forum on a daily basis or looking at more floorplans, so don't ever let those naysayers talk you out of it!

Good luck! Perhaps we'll meet up on the road some day as well.