RVSue blog announcement today

[GraceinMotion]

Been following RVSue for a while and was sad to hear that she and her sister went their separate ways so soon after moving into S&B together. It was a wake up call for me. My sister and I have talked about doing the same thing and although I love her dearly, I can't face being stuck in one place and saddled with all the expenses of home ownership. So I'm grateful to RVSue for sharing that part of her life to help me and others remain true to ourselves as minimalists and nomads.

 

[MrNoodly]

I thought she would've been the one to say, "I'm out of here."

 

[QinReno]

I thought she would've been the one to say, "I'm out of here."

Yeah, I check Sue's website every week or so. She kept the Casita and was clearly ready to travel again, but also keep the house as a home base. Luckily, she indicates she can handle the mortgage by herself. 

As I recall, the sister came from back east S&B, and she might have found herself moving into what she considered was the ends of the earth. I don't think most easterners are ready for the west. Imagine a naive easterner driving more than 1000 miles across barren Texas and New Mexico. What a shock.

 

[MrNoodly]

rvsue wrote something that that could’ve been part of Bob’s “Crash & Burn” video.

“…In hindsight that dream was improbable — actually, downright ridiculous.
“I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, and I went ahead with it anyway.
“The dream wasn’t based in reality. 
“Those sisters in my dream were imagined sisters.
“They’re not who we are.”

How many people dream of the nomad life, but their dream is improbable, even downright ridiculous, because it is NOT based in reality—THEIR reality, the reality of who they are?

Following this forum for six years now, I see people whose questions and concerns make me think, “They’re not cut out for this.” But I keep quiet. I believe in allowing people to run their own life, even if they’re making bad decisions. But I can ask all the people out there on the verge of becoming vehicle dwellers, is it really who you are? Are you the type of person who can pull it off and be happy doing it? Really and truly? If so, go for it.

 

[QinReno]

Here's a possible scenario. Sue travels around the west for 7 years, telling sister about all the freedom and cool places. Sister is finally ready to retire. Sue talks sister into moving west, so they can share expenses in a nice inexpensive place to live. Sister agrees, but has multiple breakdowns moving belongings 2500 miles (which was the case). Gets extremely frustrated.

Finally, sister arrives but as mentioned thinks the place is at the ends of the earth.Then Sue almost inmediately announces she's ready to grab the Casita and take a 3 month trip. Sister looks at the prospect of now living all by herself for many months out of the year in a place at the ends of the earth, and goes ballistic.

Two people with different realities on life. Likewise, 50% of marriages end in divorce. Same thing. They don't really share a strong "common" goal. They have different goals, different dreams.

 

[bullfrog]

I have followed Sue from her retirement as I spent a lot of my work life teaching and could relate to her posts. There are a lot of retired teachers out there that have very small pensions and some because their school systems didn't do social security don't even get that. Most end up in low rent apartments and many can not escape the state they retired in because their health insurance is baised toward providers in that state. Sue will be very lucky to be able to afford housing in Arizona.

 

[RoamerRV428]

a dream. many call it that and I don't think of it as a dream to be nomadic and want total freedom with no tie downs. I call it my true reality of my goals. I think when we call it a 'dream' it isn't kinda based in a true reality of it all. Kinda like something we truly can't touch. I like the word goal. My goal is to be nomadic and have freedom and less burdens in life. My dreams, well those are over the top and if I told ya them you would say, NO WAY those dreams are gonna happen LOL
Mr. Noodly is right and I agree, so many dream of a easy free life but have no clue what it really means and they are not cut out for what it takes to be free from it all. The dream sounds wonderful, the reality of it is kinda hard for many to swallow on what it takes to accomplish that goal and be very content doing it.

 

[highdesertranger]

I have no idea who you all are talking about but it sounds like a soap opera to me. highdesertranger

 

[Weight]

HDR. RV Sue is a blog by a 60 something retired lady traveling and living full time in her camper with a doggy crew. Her blog; http://rvsueandcrew.net/about-rvsue/

 

[bullfrog]

Sort of another version of "Tioga George" . You would like him as he is getting old and cantankerous, dropped his trailer off the hitch twice in one day while pulling it with his new box truck build out. Pretty fiesty for being in his 80's having been a nomad for years doing his first full build out.

 

[travelaround]

I don't know if I'm cut out for the nomadic life. I hope I am. I've gone places in nomadic ways before for a month or more, but never *until now* intended to do it long term without ever looking for a s/b home again. This time I will cut all ties. Seriously, I have none. No immediate family living with me. No real estate - just an apartment to give up. I will have a nice van and plenty of emergency fund so that's not an issue. I yearn to travel. I hope this all adds up to a successful long-term happy nomadic life. I guess I'll find out when I get out there.

 

[QinReno]

I don't know if I'm cut out for the nomadic life. 
....

Just get out there and try it out. Travel all over the place for a few months. You always have option of going back to renting an apartment in some place or other. After traveling a bunch, you'll likely find other places you'd like to stay at - then take trips from there. It's not a 1-way street. RV-Sue did it for 7 years, but she had her Casita.

If not having a homebase already, I would have liked to live in southern Oregon, maybe Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, or the Bend area. Also liked Salem, small city just 1/2 hour from Portland without the big city hassles.

 

[lenny flank]

Imagine a naive easterner driving more than 1000 miles across barren Texas and New Mexico. What a shock.

Easterner here. First time I ever saw "desert" was when I went through the SW.

I liked it.  It has a stark sort of beauty, and the wildlife is quite different from what we have in the east.

 

[QinReno]

I-10 is definitely the Wasteland Highway.

Same with me. I moved to the CA Bay Area from western NY one week after I graduated from undergraduate college. And never looked back to east of the Mississippi (except for 7 years living in Nashville and Charlotte). Who said "The West is the Best"? Of course, he was a city boy in "west" LA.

 

[wayne49]

"Who said "The West is the Best"? Of course, he was a city boy in "west" LA. "

Gets even "better". He was the son of a USN Admiral, who was the fleet commander off Vietnam in 1964, that reported the "Gulf of Tonkin" incident, that precipitated US entry into the Vietnam War. Said son goes on to spearhead "sex, drugs, and music" as a lifestyle for American youth. His band was concocted in Laurel Canyon, ready to go with a complete album. Total spook.

 

[MrNoodly]

I lived in Virginia until I was 16 and my parents moved us to Utah. I lived in California for 20 years after college then, on a stupid impulse, I moved to Charlotte where I lived 18 years. I thought I'd like the East, having grown up there. Nope, but I was kind of stuck. You know, if I hadn't been dissatisfied living in NC I might never have had the craving to get the hell out and hit the road. I love the West and have no desire to go east again.

 

[QinReno]

"Who said "The West is the Best"? Of course, he was a city boy in "west" LA. "

Wow, he must have written "This is the End" (1966) in honor of his father's deed (1964) - looking up the dates. Brains fried in (1971), buried in Pere Lachaise in Paris. Hard rock and amplified guitar and the European bohemian lifestyle will do that to you, I remember the warnings, ha.

I think this is why I moved west:
- Riders on the storm
- Into this house we're born
- Into this world we're thrown
- Like a dog without a bone

 

[MikesGonenoMAD]

I have been actively researching and learning everything Nomad from what type of RV, TT or Van to start out in, my first launch date was about a year ago and then family issues made me postpone Fortunately, I was able to take several long trips with an Astro Van I had and Loved it! That would be my advice: take a few trips I have a small business and wanted to be sure I could make it work on the road, I pooped in a bucket-Pe pe in a bottle-kept warm at 10 below and comfortable & 80- those are just a few of the adjustments you have to handle. and as I sit here with my 30-day plan to start I'm still nervous & a little scared but I know if I don't do it I will be miserable for the rest of my life! We all have made sacrifice's to earn a living- care for family & live with rules and expectations of society, it takes a special type of person to give up the "security" of an S&B and the Luxury of a Flush toilet and find Happiness! If like me you can, then we're in for the time of our lives!

 

[bullfrog]

If you do get out here and want a real bed, toliet and shower just take a seasonal job that offers housing. That will make you want to get back on the road real quick, as just like most perminent housing it's just to much hassle and work unless you really like hassles and work.

 

[Dennis]

take a seasonal job that offers housing.

Most of those I have seen described would provide just out of high schoolers and college crowd for room mates...