We launched this past Friday!

[ependydad]

It was an ugly slide into home plate. On Wednesday, June 17- movers came and took our stuff to storage. We spent Thursday and Friday moving boxes into the camper. By Sunday, we were at Disney's Fort Wilderness. And we've been unpacking and settling in since. Not quite how we envisioned it, but it's what we're doing.

We aren't "fulltiming" more that we are on a very extended trip. The current plan is for 14-months of weekly moves. Incredibly hectic and I have already heard all of the dire warnings that it's the absolute worst approach to fulltiming. I hear ya, I get it- but it's what we're going to try. 🙂

Like many others, I'll be updating my blog as I go:
http://nowornever.learntorv.com/

[ependydad]

jeepfreak wrote:
ependydad, We'll be staying at Lake Magic RV park , which I believe is part of the Thousand Trail system. Site 835.

We stayed there last summer for a week. It was incredibly empty. Decent place, though. I believe that is an Encore park. It's similar to the Thousand Trails parks, but you have to pay for them vs. using your membership.

IBroadin wrote:
I must be looking into a mirror. What you've done is what we are doing very shortly. The Disney trip is on for October (Food and Wine Festival)and before that four(4) other short trips to work out the kinks). From then on it will be on the road for somewhere between 2- 5 years (or longer) depending how long it takes before I go crazy being in the same small space with the wife a 100lb dog and a 17lb cat (no, I'm not telling you how much the wife weighs).

Ha. Yeah, right now the plan is for a just over a year. But with the decision to make deviations to the route right out of the gate- I am betting that we'll stay out longer. It all comes down to how roadschooling (aka homeschooling from the RV) goes.

---

And, it's official- we're headed to Branson, MO in September and it completely messes with my route!

[IBroadin]

I must be looking into a mirror. What you've done is what we are doing very shortly. The Disney trip is on for October (Food and Wine Festival)and before that four(4) other short trips to work out the kinks). From then on it will be on the road for somewhere between 2- 5 years (or longer) depending how long it takes before I go crazy being in the same small space with the wife a 100lb dog and a 17lb cat (no, I'm not telling you how much the wife weighs).

[jeepfreak]

ependydad, We'll be staying at Lake Magic RV park , which I believe is part of the Thousand Trail system. Site 835.

[ependydad]

The greatest of plans and intentions...

This morning my wife was on the Fulltime Families website and asked me, "So... can we make it to Branson, MO by September?" There's a "NOT Back to School" rally there that she'd like to attend. We haven't definitely firmed up that we're breaking so much of our plans, but I do really believe we'll end up there. 😄

[ependydad]

jeepfreak wrote:
We just had the realtor take pictures of our house to post. Sign goes on the lawn next Thursday (14th). My brother is letting me store my toy (79 cj7)in his garage , as I just can't part with it now (owned it since 1981), have made reservations to snowbird in Clermont fl. for 5 months. Daughter is planning on getting a bigger house that has an in-law or we can add on to so we can return for the summer. Must add getting rid of 43 yrs worth of stuff is really tough!

Whereabouts in Clermont, FL? I'm there right now at the Thousand Trails Orlando park. And we are supposed to be coming back to this area in February to catchup with some friends from back home (Maryland).

And YES- 10 years of stuff was bad enough; I cannot imagine 43 years worth. Because ours isn't initially a long-term plan, we stored a bunch of stuff. Those things that we "just couldn't let go" went to storage.

[Roy_Lynne]

Don't frustrate yourself as that is just not fun. Move when feel the urge to move, don't go far each time and have fun. We are leaving in November for an extended trip and I have marked stops along the way but no schedule.

[BarbaraOK]

It wouldn't have spent the money for Fort Wilderness for my 'unpack' and 'settle in' time. To much to do at FW to be sidetracked spending time looking for a place to put extra Toilet Paper. We did the move every few days the first six months - put 11,000 miles on the coach in those 6 months and were completely worn out. Why do you have to move every week? Give yourself a break and spend a little extra time - your body & mind will thank you later on.

Barb

[jeepfreak]

We just had the realtor take pictures of our house to post. Sign goes on the lawn next Thursday (14th). My brother is letting me store my toy (79 cj7)in his garage , as I just can't part with it now (owned it since 1981), have made reservations to snowbird in Clermont fl. for 5 months. Daughter is planning on getting a bigger house that has an in-law or we can add on to so we can return for the summer. Must add getting rid of 43 yrs worth of stuff is really tough!

[ependydad]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. They're really appreciated. I'm sure that we'll find a groove that works for us. So far we are still tush-deep in unpacking and getting things sorted. This poor campground has taken a brunt of bags of garbage and recycling as we sort through what stays and what goes!

[MTPockets1]

As others have said, it's your life; do it the way that brings you the most enjoyment. We learned and realized after a year or more, that in the beginning we were always in "vacation mode", or the feeling we had to move on because there was some imaginary deadline we had to meet. We've slowed way down now as the realization finally became clear; We don't have to get back home because we're already there. Our there is here wherever we are. We change scenery on occasion and have enjoyed retirement for eleven years, full time traveling on a boat for 14 months and now full time RV over 3 1/2 yrs. Best to you.

[GMandJM]

Captain_Happy wrote:
I'm also in the full-time planning stage. Lost my wife to cancer 2 years ago. I've been reading about this lifestyle for well over a year now. Been working on my house to get things fix and then have it listed on the market in the next month or so. Already set with an RV site in Pahrump, NV at the Escapee Park. Wish me luck with my new chapter of life.

Good luck!

[JAXFL]

ependydad

Congratulations... now the bad news..... you cannot put a 3 bedroom house worth of stuff in a 5thWheel no matter what.

Enjoy.

[C-Bears]

The only rule we had when we sold the house and started full timing was: THERE WOULD BE NO MORE RULES!

We have done exactly what we wanted to do, gone where we wanted to go, and stayed wherever we wanted to stay.

We could have had plans to spend July in Michigan but then on a whim decided it had been too long since we had spent time in New Mexico, so the next thing you know we are visiting El Paso.

[Captain_Happy]

I'm also in the full-time planning stage. Lost my wife to cancer 2 years ago. I've been reading about this lifestyle for well over a year now. Been working on my house to get things fix and then have it listed on the market in the next month or so. Already set with an RV site in Pahrump, NV at the Escapee Park. Wish me luck with my new chapter of life.