First Month Full Timing
The 11th will be our first month full timing. I like it and the wife still has mixed feelings about it. We are currently in a nice RV park for a month and the cost is reasonable. I would like to kn...
Forum Discussion
SGTJOE, I think the key thing to all of this is to go back to the beginning. "What was your vision, dreams, plans and goals to interest you both, in going FT RVing in the first place"? Recall the discussions the years and months before you hit the road as FTers.
Maybe after a soul searching discussion with your DW you can change things up a bit to accommodate what she feels she was going to achieve from this huge lifestyle change.
What interests do you and DW enjoy either individually or mutually, and how can you incorporate these in your travels. As with anything in life "a change is as good as a rest". Change it up somewhat. We for sure wouldn't enjoy being FT RVers if nothing changed about our lives from when in the SnB living phase, just to change to a rolling home. We also already know we hate being cooped up and dictated rules at personally in commercial CG's, and will always boondock/dry camp by choice first and foremost. Indirectly this latter choice that suits us enables us to also have more $'s to spend on what we enjoy visiting/doing.
Hubby, loves fishing (I'm supportive and don't dislike it but .....), fortunately I love kayaking/rafting/ swimming/snorkelling as does he also so they complement each other somewhat. We love our relaxation time by water and mountings with great home cooking to boot. We also enjoy stopping and starting lots (when I say lots even if one village is 2 mins from the next) during our travel days, and we don't toad yet and personally haven't found it's inconvenienced us at all on several weeks/months extended trips. We are in the process of finalising everything to go FT.
Noted well that it has only been "one month" thus far for you both FT, which is less than some folks spend on an RVing vacation at times. For sure you definitely need to make some travelling/sight seeing and activity doing plans, and probably plan on spending a few days here and there on route or even just an overnight.
You don't have to book into CGs "ALL" the time, you can boon docking here and there, take some odd down days to smell the roses and just enjoy the freedom. Do you play cards/games/jigsaws/sew/arts & crafts etc for wet days or a relaxing down day?
Retirement will be boring for any of us whether in a SnB or RV if we don't have a reason to get up in the mornings and embrace doing activities.
If you love the interaction of meeting other folks, what about a volunteer gig at a Fish Hatchery or Wildlife Refuge or otherwise, but not until you've had the chance to explore somewhat first with your new found freedom.
There's no right or wrong way to do this FT lifestyle, same as there's no one way to live retirement = we are all so very different in our interests, needs, wants and desires.
A lot of folks talk about just going where the wind blows them "serendipity" - ironically for us we've found that planning our travels (with some wiggle room for extra days if wanted enroute) has been far more rewarding, enjoyable and fulfilling for us. To others it would drive them bonkers being quite so structured. No one way is right or wrong and we can of course change it up as we go along.
As always, to each their own, but remember, nothing is forever! However, it would be a shame for your wife not to embrace at least a few months to a year of living this lifestyle, before making a concrete "not for me" decision. You've both waited an awful long time to experience this part in your lives.
Personally we can't wait to be out there FTing it, especially after spending many years of extended time out there. Will we like it in the long run? Truthfully I don't know, but for sure we'll keep changing up anything we don't like in case we might be missing the big picture somewhere down the road.
Determined to enjoy the Highlight of our Twilight which we can now taste not just smell :)
Maybe after a soul searching discussion with your DW you can change things up a bit to accommodate what she feels she was going to achieve from this huge lifestyle change.
What interests do you and DW enjoy either individually or mutually, and how can you incorporate these in your travels. As with anything in life "a change is as good as a rest". Change it up somewhat. We for sure wouldn't enjoy being FT RVers if nothing changed about our lives from when in the SnB living phase, just to change to a rolling home. We also already know we hate being cooped up and dictated rules at personally in commercial CG's, and will always boondock/dry camp by choice first and foremost. Indirectly this latter choice that suits us enables us to also have more $'s to spend on what we enjoy visiting/doing.
Hubby, loves fishing (I'm supportive and don't dislike it but .....), fortunately I love kayaking/rafting/ swimming/snorkelling as does he also so they complement each other somewhat. We love our relaxation time by water and mountings with great home cooking to boot. We also enjoy stopping and starting lots (when I say lots even if one village is 2 mins from the next) during our travel days, and we don't toad yet and personally haven't found it's inconvenienced us at all on several weeks/months extended trips. We are in the process of finalising everything to go FT.
Noted well that it has only been "one month" thus far for you both FT, which is less than some folks spend on an RVing vacation at times. For sure you definitely need to make some travelling/sight seeing and activity doing plans, and probably plan on spending a few days here and there on route or even just an overnight.
You don't have to book into CGs "ALL" the time, you can boon docking here and there, take some odd down days to smell the roses and just enjoy the freedom. Do you play cards/games/jigsaws/sew/arts & crafts etc for wet days or a relaxing down day?
Retirement will be boring for any of us whether in a SnB or RV if we don't have a reason to get up in the mornings and embrace doing activities.
If you love the interaction of meeting other folks, what about a volunteer gig at a Fish Hatchery or Wildlife Refuge or otherwise, but not until you've had the chance to explore somewhat first with your new found freedom.
There's no right or wrong way to do this FT lifestyle, same as there's no one way to live retirement = we are all so very different in our interests, needs, wants and desires.
A lot of folks talk about just going where the wind blows them "serendipity" - ironically for us we've found that planning our travels (with some wiggle room for extra days if wanted enroute) has been far more rewarding, enjoyable and fulfilling for us. To others it would drive them bonkers being quite so structured. No one way is right or wrong and we can of course change it up as we go along.
As always, to each their own, but remember, nothing is forever! However, it would be a shame for your wife not to embrace at least a few months to a year of living this lifestyle, before making a concrete "not for me" decision. You've both waited an awful long time to experience this part in your lives.
Personally we can't wait to be out there FTing it, especially after spending many years of extended time out there. Will we like it in the long run? Truthfully I don't know, but for sure we'll keep changing up anything we don't like in case we might be missing the big picture somewhere down the road.
Determined to enjoy the Highlight of our Twilight which we can now taste not just smell :)
