Our Story | Live Work Dream | RVing Lifestyle Design Blog

Happy Anniversary Baby!

May 17, 2008 by Jim

Please allow me this brief moment to shout out to the entire world just how much I love my wife. Isn’t she beautiful?

Living together in a trailer on the road, it’s hard to surprise someone with anything. But since steel is the traditional gift for an 11-year anniversary, and Rene isn’t really into jewelry – the modern choice – perhaps I can steal her heart once again with a few heartfelt words.

I recently expressed concern to René about her dancing on the precipice at Black Canyon National Park. OK, she wasn’t dancing. But her scrambling made me nervous nonetheless.

Fuel’s up, Land’s Down. To Buy or Not to Buy?

May 16, 2008 by Rene

As fuel prices rise, gen-X fulltime RV road trippers ponder settling down and buying real estate.

Live Work Dream Expense Report: April 2008

May 7, 2008May 7, 2008 by Rene

Our RV road trip budget expense report for April 2008.

Road Trip Photo Galleries Updated!

May 6, 2008 by Jim

If anyone follows our adventures close enough to actually check for new photos on our gallery page, I truly wonder why. But they might have noticed some big changes there a little while back. I gave the galleries an overhaul, but didn’t announce it because we went for a while there without a camera. And what fun would new galleries be without new photos?

[Show picture list]

On the road, and in the news.

May 2, 2008 by Jim

Jim and Rene are featured once again in Mike Ward’s First glance column for RV Life magazine along with Phil and Carol White.

Warm Beer in Hot Weather is No Way to Live

September 4, 2023April 30, 2008 by Rene

Time for another reality check.

Ten years ago, Jim and I moved to Eureka on a whim. I knew it was rainy there, but I thought I could tolerate it, because I’d lived in San Francisco. But after a while, the rain forest was getting to me. The endless cold gray days, coastal winds and thick fog was wearing down my psyche. I constantly griped about what I knew I could not change; the weather.

So I started to have these fantasies about living in the desert. I wanted to feel the warm sun. Munch on chips and hot salsa and wash it down with cold beer. Sit next to a saguaro cactus and play my guitar. Go out at night wearing a summer dress, flip flops and a tan.

I thought that workamping here in T or C would convince Jim that living in the desert was a good idea. But after just one month, I’ve discovered that I’m too much of a wuss for this kind of environment.

Don’t Leave Home without Reading “Road Trip Dream” First

September 4, 2023April 14, 2008 by Rene

â€œThe difference between whether you can make it happen or whether you can’t is not how many obstacles you have, it is how badly do you want to do something totally life-changingâ€”totally for yourself.

We will give you the tools to change your dream into reality, but the implementation is yours to enjoy.”

â€” Phil and Carol White, authors of “Live Your Road Trip Dream”

And enjoy we have. When we first entertained the thought of taking a sabbatical, my search on the topic came up with Phil and Carol White’s book, â€œLive Your Road Trip Dream: Travel for a Year for the Cost of Staying Homeâ€

I bought the book because I wanted to figure out how we could take some time off without going broke, and Road Trip Dream succeeded in helping us do just that. With the release of its second edition, the Whites’ book is as vital as ever when it comes to considering every critical aspect of how to plan, execute and live your own road trip dream. Don’t even think of embarking on a journey without reading and following the advice laid out by these two seasoned road trippers.

R.I.P. Spoonie Gee

April 11, 2008April 7, 2008 by Jim

Sadly, we will not be hearing any more comments from our dear friend Spoonie.

Cause And Effect
by Charles Bukowski

The best often die by their own hand
just to get away,
and those left behind
can never quite understand
why anybody
would ever want to
get away
from
them

Kris (Spoonie G) Krall
Feb 22, 1961 – April 3, 2008

The Truth and Consequences of the Resort Life In New Mexico

June 1, 2022April 5, 2008 by Rene

Our RV road trip takes us to workamping at a resort in Truth or Consequences New Mexico.

Channeling Chickens, Coping with Cancer, and Workamping in New Mexico

June 1, 2022March 27, 2008 by Rene

Everything happens for a reason. If we hadn’t have gone back to Los Angeles, we never would have learned that our beloved Jerry’s cancer has made another ugly appearance. You can’t tell by looking at him; he’s as playful and spry as ever. We only took him to the vet for a new heartworm medication, but left knowing we had to get him into oncology treatment, fast. So, we hightailed it back here to New Mexico, to visit a wonderful clinic in Santa Fe, the Veterinary Cancer Care clinic.

We always wanted to see Santa Fe, just not under these circumstances. The closest, most cost-effective RV lodging we found was at Cochiti Lake campground, about 30 minutes south. It’s an Army Corps of Engineers lake, and a bargain at $12 a night.

Our trip into the city was quick; just enough to see the vet, walk around the plaza, and get a good feeling about the place. This joke that a local told us, says it all:

Question: Why did the Santa Fe’an cross the road?
Answer: Because she was channeling a chicken.

The Life of A Small Manufacturer

March 22, 2008 by Jim

We haven’t lived the typical office life for nearly a year now, since selling our business.

And I must say, we don’t miss it one bit.

We got a pleasant reminder of running your own business, however, while in Los Angeles.

From The Redwoods to the Bayou, Now In NOLA

February 9, 2008February 9, 2008 by Rene

Friday, we pointed ourselves westward, right into New Orleans (NOLA), where we’ve met up with an old friend from Humboldt, Mr. Gordon Soderberg. As one of the founding members of the Redwood Technology Consortium, Gordon is one of the reasons why we fled San Francisco in ’98 and moved up to the sticks. He was a geek like us, and we figured if he could make a living in the trees, so could we. In 2005, Gordon left Humboldt to join the Veterans For Peace wagon train that was supporting Cindy Sheehan, and found himself in NOLA two days after Katrina, to help with the rescue, cleanup, and now, grassroots rebuilding efforts (because the government hasn’t done crap. More later).

Workcamping On the Farm in Vero Beach, Florida

March 18, 2022December 17, 2007 by Rene

Workcamping on the farm while fulltime RVing in Florida will teach us many lessons about our potential future vocation in agriculture and biodiesel manufacturing

Wanna see something really scary?

September 22, 2020October 31, 2007 by Jim

Jim and Rene spend a quiet Halloween in a Virginia State Park campground compared to previous hallowed parties.

Life as a Campground Owner; Never Underestimate the Entertainment Factor

October 12, 2007 by Rene

Come September, scenes like this put a wide smile on campground owner’s faces.

We have often considered buying a campground when this trip is over. So whenever we can find an owner who has time to chat about what it’s like to run one, we love to listen and hear about what it’s really like. When we arrived at one resort in Maine, it was a quiet weekday, and the owner was happy to share some advice about the realities of running a campground.