We always knew there would come a time when we had to admit we’ve had enough of full-time RVing.

It took us nineteen years to say it.

Some full-timers are done with the nomadic life almost as soon as they started. Others give it a whirl for five, six, even ten years. A tiny percentage keep their wheels turning for more than that. We’ve only met two or three full-timers going longer than 15 years, and we’ve always been proud to be part of that little demographic.

As new full-timers, we laughed when old-timers would tell us us “It ain’t like it used to be!” But the longer we traveled and the more the world around us changed, the more we found ourselves echoing those same words. Can you blame us?

Eventually, many full-timers stop traveling not by choice but because of health reasons, or an RV that falls apart on them. And this summer we too said “Enough!” But oh how lucky we were to do it on our terms!

Full-timing Just Ain’t What It Used To Be

If you’re an RVer you know that the “off-season” has disappeared from many campgrounds. More people caught the full-timing bug, and more are living in their RVs just to get by. Long-term RV sites are rare, and trip planning takes ingenuity.

The impromptu travel mode we loved is a thing of the past.

And then there’s the beautiful, remote boondocking locations that rarely saw any visitors at all. That is, until RV influencers and app developers came along and exposed campsites down to their GPS coordinates. There goes those secret spots.

Don’t get me started on the high cost of RV park rent. Long-term site costs in neat places now rivals that of a mortgage payment (I’m talking to you, $1800-a-month Lakeside KOA in Fort Collins). And when you want full-hookups, anything under $75 a night is a bargain.

Our travel radius got smaller as everything got more crowded, more expensive, and diesel prices skyrocketed (yesterday it was $8.99/gallon in our old hometown of Eureka, California).

I love RVing, but I’m starting to sound like a cranky old-timer. Jim could’ve kept going, but like a good husband he went along with my decision to say “Enough!’

It was time for our Next Big Thing.

Earlier this year, we had our hearts set on moving back to Alaska. We even downsized to only what we could carry in a 16-foot cargo trailer, and prepared for an August departure.

But in late spring the plan fell apart. Our old cabin we wanted to buy didn’t go on the market. And family issues on my side solidified my gut feeling that staying in the Lower 48 would be the only smart thing to do, emotionally and financially. That wasn’t easy for me to admit.

Alaska has my heart. Jim not so much, but he was willing to go back for me.

The only other place we ever wanted to call home was our favorite town, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Back in 2008, we knew we loved it here, but we wanted to keep traveling. And over the years, it’s grown a lot but we kept returning. Owning rural property in Colorado was nice, but we always had our sights set on a house or condo in town for our retirement years.

Well, we’re far from embarking on that life chapter. But with each new website that names it a “Best Place to Live,” this summer we knew that if we didn’t buy here now, the odds of us being able to afford anything for retirement were slim to none.

So, the decision was made. Savings funds were set free. And on July 30, the deal was done.

We are home.

Built in 1960, we’re living in a cute little 1200 square foot fixer, right in the heart of the city. It’s across the street from the university, which has positive impact on everything that makes this town so desirable to us. The house even has RV parking for friends.

It’s a bike-friendly, dogs welcome kind of community with a forward-thinking civic agenda when it comes to the environment, education, social services, diversity and small business support. We love that about it.

Not as wildly leftie leaning as Planet Boulder or as solidly maga red as rural Colorado, Fort Collins politics are right smack in the middle-of-the-road, which feels like a relief during these crazy times.

We plan on being here a while, and getting our hands into all sorts of projects both at home and around the community.

Yep, we’ll still keep RVing and camping too, but we won’t be hauling anything as large or expensive as our awesome Arctic Fox 25R.

It took me a long time to find the words to write this.

Now that we’ve been in the house over a month, we knew without a doubt it was time to set roots. A sense of relief and calm settled in, something we hadn’t felt for many years. And that’s when the Universe decided to shake things up for us again.

The sad news I didn’t expect to include when I drafted this post a couple of weeks ago.

On Saturday, September 19, we suddenly lost Nellie at around noon. There was no warning, no long decline. We wrote about our worst day ever in her blog, and we’re gutted more than words can say.

What I can know for sure is that Nellie appreciated all her new space. She was happy here for the short time she got to enjoy it. I can’t write any more about her right now or I’ll crumble. Again.

For now, this new home of ours is filled with heartache and hope for better days ahead.

Between losing Nellie, and admitting that 19 years of my life and my full-timer identity is behind be just like that has left me gobsmacked.

I know we are so fortunate to get into a home in our favorite spot in the Lower 48. My gratitude is immense when I can feel it through the grief.

Alaska’s people and oh that awesome scenery, well, it’ll always have my heart. Living in Willow was the experience of a lifetime and we miss our North Country friends so much. Walking outside every day to soak up remote, solitary experiences that are only found in that part of the world. It was life-changing.

And after surviving an Alaska winter, spending the coldest time of the year in Colorado will be child’s play.

I won’t say that we won’t ever live in Alaska again. But for now, this is where we need to be and we’re glad to stop moving and lay down some roots.