Traveler in Progress

[travelaround]

The rules say I should post in here first... so here I am... I'm a retirement age woman living in North Idaho, planning to buy a van to travel in... and I will probably give up my apartment to do this, because -- why pay for an apartment you don't plan to spend much time in? That said, it will be hard because I really like this apartment and of course there's a lot of downsizing to do so I can go on the road and not have to pay for a storage space. Fortunately I downsized from a three bedroom home in 2013 so I could move to Idaho, into an apartment. It will be easy to give up my furniture... but there are other things to consider. So, that's where I'm at right now. I'm a Booktuber on YouTube... and am starting to make travel videos. I read a lot, am a long-time blogger, and became a Christian after I moved to Idaho in 2013. I'm a long-time vegetarian, now vegan for the most part. I write and create folk art.

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome travelaround to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger

 

[Gardenias]

I've read of some who straddle both lifestyles.

 

[travelaround]

I've read of some who straddle both lifestyles.

I find a lot of joy in "letting go" whether it be letting go of things, or letting go of this apartment. I will love the freedom of not having a pile of stuff to pay for and be tethered to.

I saw my nurse practitioner yesterday and was thrilled when she gave me a Rx for a YEAR so I no longer have to worry about being here more than once a year.

 

[QinReno]

I've read of some who straddle both lifestyles.

I have no hard statistics, but my guess is that the vast majority of people in general, and even on this forum, are part-timers. The more vocal ones, however, are full-timing ... at least for now ... so that biases the sampling. A very few have been full-timers for years. My experience outside this forum is that many people get an RV after retirement, hit the road for 3 or 4 or 5 years, and then settle to S&B again. So, it's not a one-way street.

After retirement, I downsized significantly and am still doing it. Live in a small apartment and and travel as much as I can in my van. Working up to 1/3 or 1/2 time on the road. To save money of course, you can move your homebase out of the cities and to small towns where the rent is a lot less, as sounds like Ms T has already done.

 

[travelaround]

My rent is already pretty low, considering how much I love this apartment. My main reason for wanting to give it up is just . . . to not be tethered to it... and also, I don't need the drain on income because this van will have a lot of extra expenses I don't have in my budget right now, like high gas costs, and my insurance will go up considerably. Anyhow, also, it is an apartment, so not quite the same thing as home ownership. I don't have any personal investment in this real estate.

I want to leave all possibilities open as I explore this continent...

My mother did this too, long ago... she lived in an RV for maybe about 10 years. I think we may have Irish traveler blood... at least, it is in my heart to travel, like she did. She finally had to settle down after developing osteoporosis (basically, her spine cracked during one of her travel adventures) . . . then she moved to Rockport, TX on the Gulf... and passed away in February 2017, only a few months before Hurricane Harvey destroyed the town with a direct hit. She had lived there in a mobile home park for twenty years. Got out just in time. The assisted living home she had moved herself into at the age of 85, was destroyed. Also, the nursing home, in which she passed away.

I have other travelers in my family. My youngest son is a long-haul OTR truck driver, and my youngest daughter recently moved into a skoolie and they are converting it as they go.

 

[QinReno]

Sounds like your mother had a good long life, travel and all, Linda. Too many people don't travel. Too many people talk like there is only one option, but there are many. 

One nice thing about traveling around for a couple of years is that, you will likely find a number of places you might like to settle down in later on, if you do decide on that. There are places where the weather is a bit more benign that south Texas or Idaho.

 

[travelaround]

Yes, I might find a better place while I'm out traveling, as you say, and then I'd wonder why I spent so much to maintain an apartment I'm barely using!

In any case, I think for now, the van would be my "better place" and I will call it my bedroom, and my living room will be the world.

 

[QinReno]

You might be interested in the exploits of RV-Sue. She traveled for 7 years with her van and Casita trailer, and then settled down recently in s.e. AZ. It's hot there in summer, but she very much likes the area. She has good info on where she camped for the past 3 years. I'm actually using her pages to plan where to stay on trips. She will hit the road again after getting settled, so she's had it all, .
- http://rvsueandcrew.net/

 

[travelaround]

Thanks for the link! I will read her blog. Great opportunity to learn from the experience of another.