Insecurity, cont’d.
A little over 14 years ago, I bought “Wild Thing”, my Winnebago Adventurer 33V. An RV. A Winnebago! On almost my 50th birthday. How cliché !!!
If you’d told me 15 years ago that I would have a Winnebago and that I would LOVE RVing, I might have told you that you were crazy.
Let me be clear. I do not “camp”. I like my creature comforts: hot water, inside plumbing, electricity.
Wild Thing (because she moves me :) ) is really a 330 foot (slides out) 1 bedroom, 1 bath rolling house. When I bought her, I had a full time/1 year work contract, was between stick houses and kind of thinking “was there somewhere else I would like to live?”. It was a perfect opportunity as well as since a 5 years previous car trip with pets … cross country and mostly in a different motel every night … I’d been looking and thinking about vans, trailers, Class C, truck camper. I seriously looked and dithered for 5 years.
And then, July 2005, I walked into an RV dealer and said I’d like to look at Class C, no slide but with leveling jacks. The sales person said: “Why not a Class A”. I said, “well … a C is kind of like driving a truck which I can do.” He responded: “Have you noticed all of the old folks at the wheels of Class A’s??? Let’s take a ride!”. So we took a Class A from the dealer, south along the northwest shore of Flathead Lake. You know, it is a funny thing… you sit at the wheel and all behind you follows. And, OMG! – the big windshield and the height … as a solo driver I realized that I could see more from an “A” than I would from a “C” or a van and I was sold.
Back at the dealer, we looked at some older “A’s” … no slides, jacks. The Winnebago was next to one of those … slides out. I looked. I was smitten by the kitchen and the shower. I am a lousy “poker face”/negotiator. Bottom line, I paid more than I probably should have but honestly … NO regrets.
Fast forward 14 years later. I’ve full timed for 7 plus months, travelled 4-6-8 weeks per year and then 4 years ago, my dog Bear was unable to negotiate the steps. I looked at options for entry assist and ultimately decided to not RV and give him his final year(s) in my no steps, 1 level, home in the woods. January 2018, his poor old body was done. In April 2018, Emmett came into Auggie’s and my life. Now, with Emmett doing well on house manners and leash and off leash, I started thinking about RVing and getting Wild Thing in shape to travel. And then the work situation.
As I am cleaning up “Wild Thing” and addressing several maintenance items … and dealing with the work uncertainty … I have been watching a variety of YouTube channels … looking at various YouTube/blogs/Instagram/Books about various topics has been so helpful in helping me think about “next steps”. At any rate, one of my favorite YouTube channels is CreativityRV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCigPwB_DERbV5BlwV4OY9mw/videos
Robin from Creativity RV is a great speaker/youTuber/RVr !! I thought I knew a lot. I have learned a lot and via another viewer responding to my comment, I found Boondockers Welcome: https://www.boondockerswelcome.com/
Boondocking is “parking” an RV at a spot with no hookups and thus subsisting off battery power (often solar assisted), generator, on board water, on board propane: dry camping. Boondockers Welcome is an organization that allows people like me with property that allows me to have an RV park for a few nights on my property, match with RVrs that like to Boondock. As a host, I do not receive money, but I do receive credit for membership dues at Boondockers Welcome so that when I RV, I can stay at other hosts.
I joined as I thought it would be fun and interesting and I really did not overthink other than … I have room.
From my first guest just after I signed up to my second guest last week to welcome emails from other hosts to blog comments and private emails … I am a bit overwhelmed at the support that came to me at a time that I did NEED support although I didn’t realize it :)
It is something that has happened time and time again: during a challenging time in my life, when I think I am dealing with all of it … and then an opportunity to actually talk about it with people who have NO stake in the outcome … and other stuff shakes loose. That is what happened and it has been good.
My work situation is still unresolved. It was supposed to be 30 days, it is now 60 days and I imagine it will be another 30-60 before anything is decided at my long time client.
Moving on! It is September 2: Labor Day Holiday and I’m taking the holiday! And then, I’m working much more seriously on several ideas I’ve explored in the downtime. I need to get back to work!
Meanwhile, I am so very grateful for all of the small events and explorations and conversations that have inspired, motivated and taught me to look at various options.
It is both a scary and exiting time.
Onward!
***Edited 9/3 to add Wild Thing lyrics
8 Responses to “Insecurity, cont’d.”
I love everything about Wild Thing–the name is priceless! I see how you fell in love. The evolution of you becoming an RV’er is very interesting. I too cannot from this vantage point imagine driving a rig that big, but the salesperson had a really great point. I’m glad you have found the warm and welcoming RV community. I remember my in-laws had an RV and they had the best time meeting friends. They would often rendezvous for a long weekend in a place not too far from home, but the gang was there, and good times and priceless memories were in abundance.
I wish you peace as you wait to hear about your work situation. Waiting in-between doors–closed/open–can be an uncomfortable process. The beauty is what happens in the meantime.
Thank you, Steph and especially that last paragraph … sums it up perfectly!
Beautiful piece of writing and beautiful RV! I’m so glad you’re having fun with the boondockers and hoping the work resolves soon.
Thank you, Melissa and also for all of the messages we’ve shared. It is always both fun and encourage to “speak” with you whether it is the tough life stuff or sourdough baking!
Love the photos and the post! Your RV has much better facilities than our home! I would die for that shower…So, are you planning a journey?
As for the work situation. I am a great believer in the old proverb ‘every cloud has a silver lining’
and also ‘as one door closes, another one opens’ – you can tell I’m an optimistic kind of person. I hope everything gets sorted out soon, it’s the waiting for other people’s decisions that is hard.
Thinking of you and the boys.
Thank you, Margaret! “other people’s decisions” … yep, that is the troublemaker :) … I try to not waste time on those things beyond my control and focus on the things I CAN if not control, at least actively do something about. And 95% of the time I am optimistic … those sometimes panic times I am able to move past … again, waste of time and takes away the enjoyment of the moment and this wonderful time of a different routine.
Journey, hopefully some short trips at least. My other thought is to maybe Airbnb my house for a week or 2 a month. If that works, Auggie, Emmett and I would move to the motorhome but stay on the property. Just one of those things I’m exploring.
The thing I immediately fell in love with about “Wildthing” – besides the name – was how bright and cheery it is on the inside. You did good with this one neighbor! Like Karl, Bear, Bob and now Emmett & Auggie, Wildthing will be a good and faithful companion who puts a smile on your face when you two dance!
What a nice comment, neighbor! Yep, she is a good ship who has carried me and mine through many fun adventures :)
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