Life on the Road

Today, we roll out.  It’s an interesting lifestyle – life on the road.  We just get settled, maybe meet a few fellow families and then we move on.  We are nomads, we are vagrants, we are wanderers, we are adventurers.  Most we meet on the road are those new to the retirement lifestyle.  They have worked their whole lives and this is their big break - their escape from the working world. 

Some have been RV’ing for many years, but I would guess to say most are relatively new to the lifestyle and have purchased new trucks and trailers or motorhomes.  Why are there not more who have been RV’ing for years?  They’re probably a myriad of reasons for this, but I can speculate.  Some may realize the lifestyle is not for them or miss their friends and family at home.  Some may say living in a small space without the amenities of home is too restricting.  Others may probably feel like they have seen everything they have wanted to see and are ready to go home or are just sick of living so close everyday with their significant other.

Two things are consistent, however.  It seems like most other RV’ers we meet in the south, move very rarely or not at all and they are all escaping the cold.  They are the sloth, moving slow and staying rooted in one spot for weeks or months.  They have friends in the park that they socialize with, go on walks, play games, or watch sports with.   Perhaps, their RV is now the only home they own.  We are the cheetah, moving fast and always on the hunt for the next adventure.  The longest we have stayed in any one place over the past four and half months has been one week.  We just get to know a place and some of our neighbors and then we hook up the trailer and roll down the road to the next adventure.  Today, will mark the 50^th time we have picked up and moved on this trip since September 11^th.

Today is Friday, and we have found that in the south it is somewhat difficult to find places to stay on Friday and Saturday nights, so we often stay at Harvest Host locations on those nights.  At most, we prefer to drive 3-4 hours, rolling out around 10 AM, stopping for lunch a few hours later and arriving at our destination in the early afternoon.  We have yet to park and set up in complete darkness, which is deliberate.  It is hard enough parking a 40-foot RV in bright sunshine and with the help of two spotters.

For the next three nights, we will be camping on the beach and I do mean ON the beach.  It’s a place called Magnolia Beach north of Corpus Christie, Texas.  And better yet, it is FREE!  The sand is hard, the beach is wide and the tides minimal, making it a great place to kick back and take in an oceanfront view.  We have learned that the kids enjoy these types of experiences the most.  I know of a four-legged member of our family who seems to really enjoy big, open, sandy landscapes, too!  We will let you know how it goes stepping our front door onto the beach.  Stay tuned.