Week 1 lessons learned!

[Sarah’s Travels]

Good morning everyone! Well I have been on the road for a week now. So far I have had fun, but also realized a few things.
1) I started treating my trip as a vacation. My intention is a six week trip, then go home for the holidays. I have learned that to “live” in my van I must consider my funds. I have stopped at several touristy places and spent money I did not need to. I think I will research low cost entertainment lol. The less I spend the longer and farther I can go.
2) I packed to much. When I set up my kitchen I purchased plates and bowls that matched (set of 6 each) and a set of pots and pans. Set of 4 Tervis tumbler’s and 4 insulated coffee mugs. And of course the silverware set and cooking utensils. I laugh at myself now.

When I arrived at my cousins house we decided to take a trip down memory lane and go see where we all lived in another city. But do it on the cheap. Becky has a minivan we set up for her, and all of my extra kitchen went into her van. That made me feel better that I could pay it forward.

As I researched places to stay I have decided to also research grocery store locations as well as gas stations. So I don’t try to find a place using verbal information. I am really bad at the kind of direction that says go south or west. Tell me to turn right at McDonald’s and I am good lolol

Overall it’s been a great week. I am having fun paling around with my cousin, next week we are going to find the graveyard where our family are located. Great-greats are pretty much all in 2 locations.

I am also rethinking all my summer clothes and going to plan a way to keep winter and summer clothing so I can adjust to the different weather patterns.

I am not complaining lol, actually it’s a lesson of no matter how much I played in my yard, nothing is as educational as going out and doing this. So far I have had a blast!

 

[eDJ_]

Do you have an Android Cell where you can use Google Map App/Navigation. With it you will set your course and as you drive a voice from the phone will guide you as to when to make turns and how far away the turn will be. It may also show you as a dot on the map moving along on the map as you travel. This link may be helpful:

Google Map App & Navigation

This is your shake down trip and you will learn much in this time and travel. If you have a spiral ring note book, Take notes like keeping a diary so you'll have it to refer back to later.

 

[Sarah’s Travels]

Good advice! Thanks!

 

[StacyK]

no matter how much I played in my yard, nothing is as educational as going out and doing this. So far I have had a blast!

Ab.So.Lutely. Shakedown trips and soft landings with family are great for starting out. I had all kinds of grandiose plans on my trial run. They didn’t last through three days of reality.

Keep having a blast!

 

[vanbrat]

This is your shake down trip, and you will learn much in this time and travel. If you have a spiral ring notebook, take notes like keeping a diary so you'll have it to refer back to later.

We keep 3. One just for the van itself, when the transmission was acting up, when the gas tank is less then 1/4 tank, when the brakes got weird on us and why to never leave the inside lights all on for a whole day. And one I keep for what works and what doesn't and how much to spend and what funds and etc.... also a spot here to keep important info in. Meds we take, dog shot records, as well as who to call when needed and some coded bank info we might need. I also keep a van cookbook in the kitchen.
They help with planning and remind us what to do to keep things going smooth. But full sized note books take up a lot of room so I went to the thrift store and got 3 old planning books and stuck in some scrap paper that I had. But I'm sure you can still find the perfect paper at an office supply store.

 

[LoupGarou]

As for time, every year I have fewer summers left.
As for funds, Lou Costello couldn't have said it better; "While I can't take it all with me when I go, it sure would be nice to have something left to say goodbye too when I do.".

 

[LargeMarge]

Good morning everyone! Well I have been on the road for a week...treating my trip as a vacation... I think I will research low cost entertainment lol. The less I spend the longer and farther I can go.
... I purchased plates and bowls that matched (set of 6 each)...

...my cousin...Becky has a minivan we set up for her, and all of my extra kitchen went into her van. That made me feel better that I could pay it forward.

...go south or west.

I am not complaining lol...it’s a lesson of no matter how much I played in my yard, nothing is as educational as going out and doing this. So far I...had a blast!

.
re -- our permanent vacation
Yup!
.
re -- low-cost entertainment
We enjoy stories with our caravan chums around the campfire.
A good walk with the dogs is the best.
Pot-latches?
.
re -- matching set of six
Now, that tall-tale would make great entertainment around the campfire!
.
re -- pay it forward
At camp with our chums, we always have a donation pile.
For entertainment, we pull our chairs nearby so we can watch folks circling the pile, choosing some important Gizmo, holding it while circling the pile and contemplating the use-versus-storage, and inevitably, returning it to the pile with a grin and another 'new sense of freedom'.
.
re -- go south or west
Probably a good idea.
.
re -- playing in the yard
On the road and traveling, your 'yard' is somewhat bigger...

 

[maki2]

it is impossible for me to imagine not having something creative to do with my time.

 

[vanbrat]

it is impossible for me to imagine not having something creative to do with my time.

Me too. I always have embroidery, watercolors, a writing book, I also carry a fairy house kit and if around the beaches a sandcastle kit. At least 2 good books and a chess set(hubby's). And my kitchen. This sounds like a lot of 'stuff' but it all fits in a tiny space so do able. Hubby has a TV for movies, but we haven't used it yet. It is a wasted space hog.

 

[Morgana]

I can mostly work out of a smartphone and laptop at least for shorter trips. They can contain books, notebooks, TV, and camera. I recently switched from paper journals to a thumb drive just to save space (all that paper mounts up!). I was surprised how comfortable the switch was, though I know it's not everyone's cup o' tea.

Doll-making, book-making, and paper-making supplies stay packed until I have time/space to spread out. (Ha! the fond fantasies on what I'd manage to do before Xmas have pretty much evaporated.) Craft-wise, the more you can rely on nonspecialized found materials, the less you have to shlep with you, I think. Thanks to an earlier life detour, I have design software that does almost everything Adobe Photoshop/InDesign/Illustrator can but is much cheaper (put out by Affinity/Serif, I recommend), so that is another way to get creative without having to take up a lot of space. Language learning is another fun thing that doesn't require bulky equipment.

I would really love to have a good tablet (miss my old defunct iPad a lot), but sticking to a smartphone-size screen is not a real hardship even with my geezer eyes.

This is all making me think about how I imagined all the free time I'd have once I (semi-)retired. Hahaha! Seems like there's always something to soak up the time. You really have to focus fiercely to make sure that the "urgent" doesn't crowd out the "important"! OTOH, better to have too many things to do than too few.

 

[WanderingRose]

I believe that getting out on the road is the best way to find out a) whether long term travel is for you, and b) what, exactly, you do and do not need.

I agree with the need to have something creative to do during down times, whether that is crochet, knitting, wood carving, a craft of some sort, which I think are meditative, calming, and centering.

Plus, you may then have a small something to sell or give to fellow travelers.

 

[Tony's Dream]

As I researched places to stay I have decided to also research grocery store locations as well as gas stations. So I don’t try to find a place using verbal information. I am really bad at the kind of direction that says go south or west. Tell me to turn right at McDonald’s and I am good lolol

I am not complaining lol, actually it’s a lesson of no matter how much I played in my yard, nothing is as educational as going out and doing this. So far I have had a blast!

Like you, when I first started I overplanned everything! Too much gear, clothes, food, ect. I have been on 6 trips since I retired last May. Each trip averages 3-5,000 miles. I have also been bothered about what this really is.....a lifestyle or vacation? For me it's a little of both.

I started planning for my retirement about 5 years ago and decided that I wanted to see as many of the nataional parks, monuments, and historical sites that I could. So I spent many, many hours laying out about 20 trips all over the US to encompus as many of the sites as I could. I bought a national park passport book and hoped to get as many stamps as possible. I complied an extensive spreadsheet that projected all the costs......including mileage/gas, daily food budgets, and lodging costs (hotel, camp sites, or free places). I projectd that I would spend about $18,000 and saved $24,000 in my trip savings account before I retired. That way I'm not impacting our regular living budget.

My shake down trips helped me decide what I want to bring and how I will prepare my daily meals. One of my biggest challenges was not to be Clark Griswald.....making it to the Grand Canyon, looking at it for 10 seconds and then saying.....time to go. Forty years of military life and being a postmaster.....I was always problem solving and making it through the day.....not really enjoying the moment. But I am working on that!

 

[RoamerRV428]

Well I have been on the road for a week now. So far I have had fun, but also realized a few things.
1) I started treating my trip as a vacation. My intention is a six week trip, then go home for the holidays. I have learned that to “live” in my van I must consider my funds.

great post. your first one is key. Life on road vs. being on vacay
vacay we spend, heck we deserve it but real life on a budget if on the road is a real thing too so this is a vital issue. At home even I find 'free fun things to do' to save bucks, one can do that on the road also.

Sounds like you are doing well and all is going fine and hope you got nothing but great things to come!!!

 

[ohbejoyful]

Good morning everyone! Well I have been on the road for a week now. So far I have had fun, but also realized a few things.
1) I started treating my trip as a vacation. My intention is a six week trip, then go home for the holidays. I have learned that to “live” in my van I must consider my funds. I have stopped at several touristy places and spent money I did not need to. I think I will research low cost entertainment lol. The less I spend the longer and farther I can go.
2) I packed to much. When I set up my kitchen I purchased plates and bowls that matched (set of 6 each) and a set of pots and pans. Set of 4 Tervis tumbler’s and 4 insulated coffee mugs. And of course the silverware set and cooking utensils. I laugh at myself now.

When I arrived at my cousins house we decided to take a trip down memory lane and go see where we all lived in another city. But do it on the cheap. Becky has a minivan we set up for her, and all of my extra kitchen went into her van. That made me feel better that I could pay it forward.

As I researched places to stay I have decided to also research grocery store locations as well as gas stations. So I don’t try to find a place using verbal information. I am really bad at the kind of direction that says go south or west. Tell me to turn right at McDonald’s and I am good lolol

Overall it’s been a great week. I am having fun paling around with my cousin, next week we are going to find the graveyard where our family are located. Great-greats are pretty much all in 2 locations.

I am also rethinking all my summer clothes and going to plan a way to keep winter and summer clothing so I can adjust to the different weather patterns.

I am not complaining lol, actually it’s a lesson of no matter how much I played in my yard, nothing is as educational as going out and doing this. So far I have had a blast!

These sound like great initial impressions! I'm looking forward to hearing more as you go.

 

[maki2]

It is not at all unusual for women to at first get into a Glamping, fix up a playhouse mode and buy things like a new set of dishes, silverware, pots and pans. Along with twinkly mood lighting, coordinating curtains, blankets, pillows, pictures for the wall, paint schemes etc.

That nesting instinct is perfectly normal. Likely about half of it will actually be used and useful but lots of things will, over time, get deselected as being not just right.

Take photos of those cute souvenirs instead of actually buying the object. Let that feed your need for mementos. It works as an intervention to souvenir hunting addictions.