Down but not out.M

[mothercoder]

I know you want to be on the road yesterday but having the time to get ready properly is a blessing believe me. I had been prepping my trailer for boondocking for 6 years. Learned solar and designed a system, even had the components. The same with the internet and making sure I was connected, handling finances on the road, I have even been thinning out and packing up what I could for a few years. The thing is there was so much that couldn't be done until I knew it was happening that it was overwhelming when I finally knew I was hitting the road in just months. I thought I'd leisurely sort and pack the rest but instead I was dealing with doctors, work, injuries and pushing myself to the point of exhaustion daily. A some point I passed the point of recovering on a regular basis and just kept having to force myself to keep going no matter what. I was shoving stuff into boxes, putting off things that I needed to do and by the time I made it to the RTR I could barely do anything.

So be glad you have time to heal, do things at a comfortable rate, be well prepared and be able to enjoy it when you do finally get to hit the road. The road will always be there, you will be better off if you can do it right.

Sage advice.  I do not want to hit the road until I have reached a comfortable physical place.  PT starts Monday so a new kind of pain but progress. 

I also learned that I'm going to be a grandma!  My youngest son is the only familly member in this area so I will be here for the birth and first 6 months of life.  So there is something to look forward to and a good reason to be here.  In this case I don't ascribe to the injury happening for a reason because I would hate to believe that awful things happen when a gentler approach could have done the same thing.  lol

 

[Stargazer]

Mothercoder,

Congratulations on becoming a gramma!  It may change your life in ways you cannot guess.

Over three years ago, I was happily living in my van, going here and there, meeting new folks and generally enjoying the free life.  When my daughter announced her pregnancy, I didn't think much about it.  When baby came early, I came back, decided this baby was not going to daycare if I could help it, so I bought a 15' travel trailer and parked it in an RV park, and went to their house Mon-Fri, 7:00 am-6:30pm for six months till baby was 9 months old.  Went back out in my van and came home in 3 weeks because I missed him so much.  Three years later, I am in a fifth wheel in the same park.  The past 3 years have been wonderful!

Two months ago, they moved to California (job related).  I had sold my van last year.  So I bought a Class B and was in the process of packing up and heading their way.  Health reasons have delayed my departure and it's killing me not to have my little buddy around.  But we're working on that and I hope to be out of here in a couple of months.  I love this little guy more than anyone in my life and am determined to be in his life, one way or another.

Since my lifestyle is so much different than theirs, it has been an opportunity to teach him the mysteries and joys of living in nature and all that.  This park is in the country, on a river, forest all around.  We went wading when he was 18 months old, skipping rocks, watching for snakes, looking for doodle bug homes, finding the perfect stick, building campfires, all of that.  Once, his mother was here and we were walking the trails.  She commented on the disturbed areas under the trees and he told her, "that's the armadillos looking for bugs, Mommy."  She chuckled and looked at me and I told her, "He's right."  She said, "Where did he learn that?"  And I said, "What do you think we do when he's here?"

You can teach this new life coming into yours so much!  Be a very real influence!  I wish you the best.

 

[mothercoder]

What a lovely message and you are so right.  On the one hand I have been stressing a little about how this might affect my plans.  I have always ALWAYS made decisions based on the needs of others instead of myself.  And here I was beginning to think it would all be about me!  LOL  These last couple of days I was struggling on whether or not to move to a room rental in a house of other renters so I could really sock away money or stay in my current place.  I really struggled with it but one of the deciding factors was that if my new grandbaby is to spend time with me, I need a place where she (I'm hoping girl) can come to.  A room rental will not work. 

I don't know if I will want to stay in the area after she is born.  But I will be here for the first 6 months.  Unfortunately I'll be working full-time during those months and they are really too far away to see in the evenings but there will be weekends.  Who knows what might happen.  My son is still finishing his education (the timing wasn't the best but oh well) and I am guessing that he will go back to the Army (he's a combat vet), this time as a commissioned officer.  If that's the case, who knows where they will end up.  And that's okay because I will just follow or visit as often as I can.  Which is something I wouldn't be able to do if I weren't living in an RV or van. 

So the plan is get better, prepare for this new baby and then see what life brings.

 

[DannyB1954]

I seen a video of a guy that explained the relationship of people with their grandchildren. He sold insurance and was not doing well. His friend asked him about his presentation. He said I tell them to do it for their kids. His friend said you idiot! People hate their kids. Tell them to do it for their grandchildren. He became a top salesman.