Women Only: Hi Everyone...

[Tessie]

I am a first time poster although I have been reading here for awhile. I have enjoyed the many voices here, and it feels like home. I am 65, retired, longtime single (thank heavens) and free as the wind. 

I started out last year in an older class c, 27 footer, and had a ball. Problem was the old girl was just too heavy for her transmission, 5 tons on a one ton chassy. I had to have the tranny rebuilt in New Mexico,  and its leaking again. So....the next in line is a chevy van which I spent the summer building into a mini motor home. Put 8,000 miles on the old rig, and thoroughly enjoyed myself just wandering.  Plan on doing the same this year along with my kitties and dog. 

Since my new rig is a honkin big chevy 3500 wrapped in tomato red, stealth is probably not happening. She is an ex fleet vehicle, a 2001 with only 118,000 miles, and I got her at a good enough price that putting the extra money into her to fix her up doesn't sting too much. At the moment it's a phantom electrical draw that needs sorting out, then I am outta here.

Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and say howdy.

 

[Moxadox]

Hi Tessie, it's exciting to see you here. I'm another of your age and condition, and very happy to be that way!! Now I know that if I see a bright red van, I should look closely to see if there's another feral old lady in it ;-)



The Dire Wolfess

 

[RoamerRV428]

HI! another gal here who loves her freedom

Sounds like you are a pro at life on the road with your dogs and kitty! Your new van will work so well for you I am sure, you know what you need and don't need. Bright red. Great color if ya ask me

 

[travelaround]

Hi Tessie, I'm another single, age 66 this year. I'll be going to the WRTR in a 2005 Ford Taurus - I'll have a tent with me - but am getting a van next year, probably in the springtime. Can't wait to transform that into my full-time tiny home. I hope I get to see your big red van one of these days.

 

[cyndi]

Tessie! Welcome to the CRVL forums! In my opinion, stealth is a state of mind. And not worth worrying about. I downsized from my class C, which I loved, to a van. The van is soooo much simpler. I love it even more!

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.

 

[DebC]

Hi Tessie,
I am 65, single and plan on retirement in January. I just bought a 2002 Pleasure Way which I pick up on 10/26. If I can get everything sorted out, I want to attend the RTR in January.

Hope to meet you there,
Deb

 

[LivGolden]

Hi, Tessie. I'm Liv. I'm sixty. Widowed. My only significant other from here on is my Golden Retriever. We are a good team. I do have a TT and have refurbished it- ready to go but I still prefer tent-camping. I'm looking for a van. I hope your travels are fun and safe - - -in that order...

 

[Tessie]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. It is much appreciated.

I found I loved the nomadic lifestyle. I am definitely still learning, but then this lifestyle is good for keeping an open, flexible, adventurous mind set. Being able to see what is around the next bend is amazing. New things to see, experience and savor is what keeps us young, in my opinion. Being planted all day in front of a TV set all day is like living death. I don't want to live life vicariously through the boob tube. I want to see, feel, experience thing myself, there in person.

I don't have a lot of money to live on but being a nomad lets me stretch my SSI check a lot further. It's a win/win in my book. Plus we get to go when we want to go, stay when we want to stay, eat when we want, sleep when we want. It's pure, unadulterated freedom. We get to step away from the mundane and into the extraordinary. Of course we deal with set backs and problems. that's just part of life. But nomads seem to have a can do attitude and a resiliency that is tough to find in the world of the stationary. Maybe it's because we have to call on our considerable creativity to live the best life on the road we can. Certainly, we have a brave, adventurous spirit to be out there living this life, because it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Double that for we solo women. I think we rock!

And Moxadox, feral old woman, ha ha ha, you got that right! Most people see me as a sweet, petite, round, redheaded little old lady, The more astute see the steel beneath the fluff. Like you, I have lived through some very tough stuff. As you know, those things either temper us, or break us. Yet here we are, standing on our own two feet, living our lives on our own terms. Not bad for two feral old women I'd say, not bad at all.

 

[Moxadox]

LOL there are a bunch of us feral old women out there, breaking the mold (and all the rules)! Here's to us!!!

The Dire Wolfess

 

[ThisDharmaBum]

Cheers to all that! Steel beneath the fluff, very good! I'm starting out soon in a silver SUV. Hope to see you at the WRTR. I'm deciding if I join a caravan prior, but leaning more towards getting my road-legs back under me before the WRTR with a solo adventure or two. Looking forward to sharing adventure stories.
-Lisa

 

[Gardenias]

Howdy Tessie!
Y'all read like a nice bunch, so, looking forward to the day I can get out there!!

 

[travelaround]

I'm joining the feral old women tribe in my Ford Taurus for WRTR. Can't wait for a chance to meet you all. I'll be getting a van but it won't be ready before January. Most likely.

 

[Tessie]

I plan on being at the WRTR and hope to meet you all. Was there last year in my feeble class c. Had a ball. Plan on doing it again. Maybe we can have a feral old women's encampment!

 

[user 22017]

Sounds fun! I'm 60 and bought a pickup truck, but it is slow going getting a camper or topper. If not now, then in the spring. WRTR sounds like so much fun.

 

[Tessie]

Well, the phantom electrical drain turned out to be a bad alternator, Just got a new one installed at less then half the price the dealership wanted. Problem solved! Now all that's left is too finish hooking up my solar, moving in and trying to figure out what I really need, what is non essential, and where to stash it all in the van. I plan to be heading out of here on Sunday with a quick stop to see my son, granddaughters and a friend. As of Monday it will be a new state and the open road! Whoohoo!

 

[maki2]

. A feral animal is one that has rejected humans, wants nothing to do with them. So being feral and attending the WRTR are statements that do not go together. If you want to go to gatherings with other people you are not "feral". Feral does not mean being strong and brave, it is an animal that is afraid of being around people. Basically pretty silly to give yourself that title if you are sitting at your computer participating in forum discussions as you are instead exhibiting the behavior of a domesticated animal that wants to participate in interaction with humans.

It cracks me up every time Bob Wells claims he is an introvert. He is no more of a real introvert than any of you are actually feral women. You are likely to never have any contact with a feral human, those are the people who are living up in the remote mountains or hiding in cellars in a city only sneaking out at night time when no one is around. They don't engage or interact with other people. Just because we enjoy spending some of our time alone in peace and quiet on undevoledoped land does not make us introverts or feral. It just makes us pretty much an average human being.

 

[Moxadox]

Speak for yourself! I'm feral and I like it.

The Dire Wolfess

 

[travelaround]

I was thinking of feral as being wild. I'm not fearful of being around others but really do avoid it most of the time.

 

[Moxadox]

From Google Dictionary: Feral (adj)

"(especially of an animal) in a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication.

"a feral cat"

synonyms:wild, untamed, untamable, undomesticated, untrained"

I especially like the synonyms:

Wild
Untamed
Untameable
Undomesticated
Untrained

Yep.



The Dire Wolfess

 

[travelaround]

Maybe some of those words apply.