It’s been a crazy couple of weeks as we get set to launch Be More Dog, travel down the west coast to our next marathon, and try to keep all our other business balls in the air. As Jim drove us from north to south over the last few weeks, my head was filled with thoughts about the trade-offs of full-time RVing and traveling.
OK I’ll admit, there’s a lot to be said for staying in one spot indefinitely, maybe even “settling” down.
Getting to know a community and making your mark on that little corner of the universe can feel good.
And seeing old friends in faraway places makes you remember what matters in life.
We don’t usually mosey along at such a busy pace, but we’ve been able to see more old friends in the last month than we have in a long time. Full-time RVing and traveling lets you do that. What a gift!
Each interaction with these special people lights up our way from place to place. Cheesy, but true. And we are so grateful to have them in our lives. Yeah, it’s true what the old folks always say: the more time goes by, the more precious these relationships become.
Spending time with people who knew you before you turned your life upside town, and whom you still have lots to talk about, is the closest thing to “settling down” that Jim and I get to experience in this nomadic lifestyle of ours. We’ll take it!
We found over time that the more we veered from a traditional lifestyle, the more we discovered which people in our lives could understand why we live like we do, and which ones got freaked out by it.
The appeal of living a comfortable, predicable life is greatest when we are among members of this tribe, like Marc. We ran into each other three times between Washington and Oregon. I think he’s stalking us.
We found that remote, rural and rebellious Humboldt County hasn’t changed much. It never does. After a couple of glorious days of sunny weather, it rained continuously. And as much as I griped about the weather, part of me missed living there.
It would be so easy to return to our old home town, and fit right back in. But deep down, I know that if we did, that little voice of restlessness would scream at me during the darkest, wettest days of winter. I can’t ignore it.
There is still so much to see and do before I feel like laying down roots again.
It was a tough decision for us to go from full time to part time with a home base. We are happy with our decision but I do get restless when there isn’t a trip at least in the planning stages. After our grandchild is born, in 26 days, we will decide when to travel again.
For now sewing and planning for the baby is keeping me on edge. I’m just too excited to sit still.
I think that any amount of travel is better than none, Patti. Pretty soon you’l be able to take the next grandbaby with you on the road!