I knew I would have to come back to Austin for the remainder of my pregnancy. I knew we were going to need to stay for Caspian’s vaccinations through six months. But I didn’t understand how long 11 months in one region would actually feel.

We’re now in our fourth year of full-time travel, and it’s in my blood. Our routine of moving every two weeks has become as natural as the Circadian. Mess with the cycle, and everything gets off-balance.

I have the utmost respect for everyone who lives in an RV full-time, but isn’t a full-time traveler. Some people stay in one place out of necessity. Some stay because they’re actually where they want to be. But full-time RVing without travel is not what I signed up for. As our departure date is finally within grasp (June 1!), I’m reflecting on the past months, appreciating the ability to travel more than ever.

Here are a few reasons I prefer full-time RV travel. [Read more…]

We do a lot of detailed trip-planning. Every RV traveler is different, with different priorities, circumstances and goals. There’s no formula that works for everyone. By reading about the experiences of others, we can find the courage to forge our own path. Welcome to our chaotic journey of learning how to plan our RV travels. [Read more…]

We all have those moments of clarity, when the cobwebs of life are brushed aside from the recesses of our mind and we’re able to grasp something useful enough to be considered a life lesson.

Shifting from a stick and brick home to the full time RV lifestyle definitely speeds up that process. If you’ve ever made this transition, you may be able to relate to the top 10 life lessons we’ve learned. If you’re still thinking about making this change, we hope our experiences will be of use to you.

We promised to be transparent at the outset of creating this blog. By doing so, we hope you’ll learn from both our victories and mistakes. If you read this article, you’ll know we really don’t hold back on our flaws.

In order from 10 to 1, these life lessons refer to when we first made the transition, to now that we’re making our life on the road.

So without further ado, here we go…

Life Lesson #10: There is no shame in not knowing.

[Read more…]

Everyone planning for full-time RV life faces the same challenge: what do I do with all my stuff? Some have gracious relatives with extra space and others spring for monthly storage. But those options aren’t always available. Sometimes, everything must go!

You’re not here for disclaimers, but I have to give two up front:

1. Eric and I had not accumulated a lifetime of possessions before we went on the road. In fact, from the time we were married in 2011, we purposely kept our belongings to a minimum. We already had some idea that this lifestyle might be in store for us, so we only got what we really needed…with just a handful of splurges along the way! All that to say, the amount of stuff we had to get rid of is very likely less than you have - and I want to recognize that!
2. Our 40-foot RV has a ton of storage space. I still have drawers with nothing in them, and our basement storage underneath is kind of unbelievable. If you’re making a gas RV your home, you’re facing a challenge I can’t even imagine, with no pass-through storage!

With those notes out of the way, our 700ish square feet of apartment space, plus a storage closet off the patio, held plenty that I couldn’t take with me. And yes, it was absolutely overwhelming. [Read more…]