I stand at a crossroad, (pardon the cliche) . I am considering what the next portion of my life will contain. I have wanted to live on the road, experiencing our great country and the people around our land. What is currently clear is my house, animals and dreams are all mortgaged! All available funds (and then some) are required to support my present reality.
I am currently following many blogs of women and men who when standing at this crossroads have taken the leap of faith and embraced the gypsy lifestyle. I am guessing that each one has been on this fence exploring all the options and yet hesitating, fearful of making the 'wrong' choice. I have wondered what were the deciding factors that influenced your decision.
Shall I stay or shall I go?
Thought for the Day
Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake Henry David Thoreau
A seven week trip pulling a trailer to Alaska. I considered the life before that, but that trip sealed it for me.
ReplyDeleteAlaska is one of my dreams too...Have you ever had regrets. You seem to be enjoying your travels. Keep on rollin
DeleteI would have such a hard time leaving all that. Especially all those winderful animals and kids. Surely there's some kind of compromise! Maybe we could trade places for a few months each year. I miss my horses and the stability I once had, to be honest, though there are days I'm glad I'm on the road.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your posts. You certainly started some lively discussion and raise some new options to explore. Leaving the animals would be the hardest part... Maybe I need to consider going part time for a bit before changing everything in my life. Much more thought needed for sure!!! Thanks again!
DeleteIt would really have been "smarter" for us to stay put. We would have more money, we would be stable. Our old friends would be nearby. I would be close to my son.
ReplyDeleteIt's just that, once having dreamed the possibilities, picturing giving them up and continuing our old life seemed unbearable.
Spotted Dog makes an unorthodox point that seems really inspired! Seriously, something like that could actually work.
Would you go back and do it differently?
DeleteI Love spotted dogs idea. Maybe a trade program of sorts would help out a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly worth considering. Thanks for your thoughts.
DeleteI barely have a grasp on what I'll be doing in six month's time, so I'm certainly not one to give anyone else any ideas.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet we really only have today... I often feel the same way!
DeleteI know a lady who is in her late 70's, very independent. About 2 years ago she gave up her home to buy a motor home to travel. At this point she is short on funds, many problems with the motorhome and has health problems. She has a hard time each night finding a place to park. She is trying to get into some low income housing and if could go back would not make the same decision. She just didn't have the funds to support her plan.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right.... there are no guarantees in life. She certainly presents a case for trying out the lifestyle before committing to completely changing ones life. I wish her well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
DeleteThe Greatest Adventure, The Ballad of The Hobbit
ReplyDeleteFrom the animated movie The Hobbit
The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
Today and tomorrow are yet to be said.
The chances, the changes are all yours to make.
The mold of your life is in your hands to break.
The greatest adventure is there if you're bold.
Let go of the moment that life makes you hold.
To measure the meaning can make you delay;
It's time you stop thinkin' and wasting the day.
The man who's a dreamer and never takes leave
Who thinks of a world that is just make-believe
Will never know passion, will never know pain.
Who sits by the window will one day see rain.
The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
Today and tomorrow are yet to be said.
The chances, the changes are all yours to make.
The mold of your life is in your hands to break.
The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
Many times, both as a child and as an adult I've drawn inspiration from this simple, yet powerful song. Often, as I've debated whether or not to take a risk or start something new, the line "the mold of your life is in your hands to break" has come to the fore in my mind.
The lesson of this song and all those in The Hobbit have stayed with me from innumerable viewings as a child. There are pieces of your childhood that you stumble upon years later and look back upon with nostalgia. And then there are pieces of your childhood that you never left behind, items that helped shape your thinking, and began to mold you into the person you would become. For me, The Hobbit (and especially this song) was one of the latter.
http://www.jjjwebdevelopment.com/306sites/hobbitsong/hobbitsong.shtml
Thank-you for sharing your inspiration. We all do need to find what lies within us to determine the path we will take... Be well and live strong.
DeleteIn 2006 my wife Kelly & I stood at a similar crossroads. We were financially secure & could remain so by playing it safe & staying at home. We could continue to waste away in a so called 'normal' lifestyle. We could just keep on doing the same boring daily mundane routine things that we had been doing for years. Or, we could pull ourselves up by the boot straps, fasten the seat belt & take on the challenge of a new lifestyle while we were still healthy enough to do so. We chose the latter & haven't looked back. No regrets. No, we are not Full Timers, we are Snow Birds. Basically 6 months on the road & 6 months at home. Happiest time for me is the 'on the road time.' In essence, we kind of have the best of both worlds. My advice to you is this......if you have all your ducks lined up & can financially swing a lifestyle change adventure, then go for it. The sands of time are running faster these days for we older folks & there's a big beautiful world to experience & explore out there. But, only you know your inner thoughts & only you can decided which road to take at the Crossroads......All the best.
ReplyDeleteI have certainly considered a parttimers life also. But even that would probably require me to sell this place in order to be free to go. There is a lot of upkeep (and cost) to a place with farm animals. So a smaller place is in order... who knows where it will be....
DeleteI'm new to Spotted Dog's blog, your blog, and the whole discussion of living on the road, but I really like Spotted Dog's suggestion too. This way you both would have a sense of grounding as well as community.
ReplyDeleteHere's something to consider. Rent some kind of rig and set out for a few weeks (or one month), if you can. See if you like it before committing to a lifestyle that may be hard to change later.
I think it is wise to consider what Richard Savage wrote. It would be awful to have such a nice dream turn sour.
There is a hint in what you write, juxtaposed with your current situation, that you really need a vacation, not a complete upending of your lifestyle. Could this be true?
Best wishes--M
Thanks for your post. You present some good ideas. I do have a vintage trailer that I can see myself in for a period of time. It would be a great opportunity to check it out further. This will always feel like home as I have daughters and grandchildren here. I also have grandchildren in Connecticut that I would love to spend more time with. A vacation sounds in order!!
DeleteI think for my husband and myself, the deciding factor was the desire to follow our dream now and live each day to the fullest. We both have had family members pass away at a too young age, and it made a huge impression on us - we aren't putting things off until some possible later time that may never come. :)
ReplyDeleteI too experienced early family loss. It does change your perspective on the, someday I want to.... There is only today. Thanks for sharing your decision. klb
DeleteI'm at the crossroad also. I made my decision. Got rid of my home and my belongings. Staying at my sons house until my car is sold. As soon as my car is sold, buying a rv. Its been my dream to do full time rving. I'm retired, living on social security, funds are tight, but I am doing it anyways. When I am too old to travel then I will move in with my son or get a senior apt. You only live once! I have grandchildren in New England. I now live in Florida the past 10 years. Now I am retired, I can spend summers in New England visiting my family or traveling. I love love to go to Navada. then I can visit rvsue. lol. When it get snow or cold I will spend it in Florida. What a choice! I can't wait to meet new friends and see new places. My life now is dull and I need a adventure! Who know what life will bring. I am ready to have fun! Hope to see you on the road. Sharon from Fl.
ReplyDeleteI will be receiving Social Security next winter so I would be working towards those goals also. Since I have many farm animals and a house lands and all that goes with it, I would have a lot to take care of before I would be ready to Rv. Thanks for your post!
DeleteI would like to suggest you visit RVSue's Blog. She just told me she spent 8 years planning to prepare herself for her adventures on the highway! She hit the road and has never looked back! Perhaps you could gain some insight from her blog.
ReplyDeletehttp://rvsueandcrew.wordpress.com/
Chuck and I are usually on the road 8-10 months each year. We Workamp! This summer we are working at a campground 12 miles away from Zion National Park. When you are a workamper, you usually work 20-25 hours each week at the campground/state park/county RV parks doing what they need done. They trade your working hours for free rent with full hook up utilities, WiFi, Cable TV for example. Anytime you work over the prescribed hours per week, most campgrounds will pay minimum wage or better. Another possible solution. But the thing you must do is get all your ducks in a row before your tires meet the highway! Good luck! You meet incredible people out here! We have never been !sorry
RV Sue's blog was the first that I followed. I have read every word. She helped me realize that it is possible!! I follow your blog too. It is good to know that you are happy with your life choices. I believe it is really up to each of us to find what works best for us. Thanks for your comments.. klb
DeleteI have odd circumstances, did not have a home, rented a couple rooms, so was easy to leave for awhile. After i started getting ssi & the pension from work. I found it lonely on the road by myself. Came back to my 'home' area, found a cute little cheap house and am moving forward. Still have the RV- getting income stabilized after turning 65, medicare & all. Still want to travel but maybe just from here to one place in So Calif or Arizona, we will see, all things are possible. Many single women take to the life right away :) Take Care & have FUN, we only go through this once!!
ReplyDeleteAhh Ha..... The secret is in the last sentence. To have fun.... after all we only have today! Thanks for your comments.
DeleteI have a similar situation as Loree. Retired and receiving SS, I also own my own home. Purchased my RV a couple of years ago and have tried extended trips but find it very lonely on the road by myself. I just returned from a month long journey and was so homesick I was miserable. I keep trying and am waiting to see if it gets easier to be away from home. I'm not giving up but I'm beginning to realize that my plans to see the country may not really be what will make me happy. The good thing about all this is that I am learning more about myself each time and maybe I just needed to get away to appreciate all I have at home. Good luck to you in your decision.
ReplyDeleteThank-you for your comments. I appreciate the process you have gone through as you are discovering what you want to do. I am considering a similar process but first selling this home. Then traveling for a period of time. If I find that I need a home base I will look into buying something smaller. I'll be following you and wish you happiness on your journey! Klb
ReplyDeleteIn 2006, I was in the same situation. You can follow my thought process and how I made my decision on my old blog at http://froggilady.com/
ReplyDeleteI am working in Honduras to pay off debt. I'm using this time to also consolidate my stuff down to a manageable size - currently 2 10x20' storage units (one has my Jeep in it) and the things in my apartment down here. This process was started by wanting to hike the Appalachian Trail. The look of the end result has changed over time to include living in an RV as I've started making the changes necessary, but in general it includes getting down to less to take care of and all debt paid off. The latter is what is taking the most time. If you start the process, you may find more answers while you go. A good start might be to start an inventory of what you currently own. All of it. You will be amazed at how much you have. Ponder all that for awhile. Then start letting go of it until it feels right. Just my $.02 USD from where I am in the process.
ReplyDeleteYou've gotten good advice here. You've also got TIME to sell - or rent? - your home/land & find homes for your critters (take the cats with you). I can imagine being SOOO lonesome on the road alone, but that's another good reason to workkamp. You're not eating up limited funds traveling all the time, become part of a campground working group, & have time/money to investigate the nearby area. Even if you downsize what you have now & can't go on the road, it's such a liberating experience. Living small/simply leaves you more energy to observe, be grateful, & help others. Oh, there are some rescue farms/ranches who ask for volunteers & provide a free campsite at least.
ReplyDeleteYour comment on my blog has inspired me to learn more about you so I am responding to this post a long time after it was posted.
ReplyDeleteI too had a farm, 2 horses, 2 burros (full size), 6 geese, 25 hens and a rooster or two if they didn't fight, 2 beagles, and a cat. I only had one child and as she entered high school and became so busy with her own affairs, she spent less and less time at the farm. As the animals died or in the case of the chickens, were eaten by the wild things, I did not replace them. When the last dog died in 2010 and I had only one burro remaining, I found him a good home, bought a used RV and hit the road.
I cannot bring myself to sell the farm since I see so many people who as they age have to come off the road and I don't want to have no where to go in 10 years, 15 years or 2 years however many (I'm 65) but it is very hard to maintain it and not be there. I feel as though I am always having to circle back.
But I try to take it one day at a time. I love being on the road and wonder if my "fear of selling" is a fear I need to walk through. I have done some of my RVing alone and some with my ex-husband. I prefer being alone. But I am somewhat of a loner and pretty different from most folks I seem to meet so lonesome isn't a problem.
The problem now is that he conned himself into my spring trip and while we were on the road he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. He's 65 too. Time waits for no one. Don't hesitate. Do what you most want to do and do it as soon as you possibly can.
Hi Sherry, I have been following your blog for some time. I understand what a tough time you are going through. I also struggle with being available to do the things I want and helping when I can. My dilemma bites me when I discover my life road leading down others path because I have made choices to help others. Sometimes I don't even recognize the scenery any more.
ReplyDeleteI struggle with selling, but I know I cannot afford to stay nor can I afford to travel without selling. How can I continue to want so different lifestyles. The next hardest is trying to find suitable homes for the horses and donkeys. It is so hard to think of the fur kids elsewhere. It is leaving a whole life style behind. One that I love but find it increasingly difficult to maintain.
I vacillate daily on what I will do. Yesterday I was going to sell and find a rental until I was completely ready to go on. Today, who knows....
You are so right... Time waits for no one. If we don't make a decision... the universe will move on... and the options change.