Finally admitted to yourself that you're not made for this way of life... And then something changed
I've lurking around here for over two years...finally mustered the courage to dive in last spring. Placed a large order for my existing furniture, notified my landlords 60 days' in advance, and purchased a 2019 Keystone Passport 240BH from a couple in Ohio, who had only used it three times. I was immensely proud of myself. I think I finally cracked something that most people never will..
The first month was really amazing-set up in a state forest in Tennessee, and spent three weeks there, every morning as the sun rose there were deer sauntering past the window. I spent much of every evening cooking outside-and read more books than I had in the last 5 years combined-and I truly felt much, much lighter than I had in a long time.
Then came June.
The holding tanks scaled out quicker then I thought, went to dump wrong station and totally contaminated myself and the rig. The water pump started sounds like a dying cat just over week seven. I blew a trailer tire out side of Chattanooga in 95 degree heat and was stuck on the shoulder of I-24 for two and a half hours waiting forroadside assistance. My laptop overheated twice because I didn't understand how to control the air flow when I was trying to work remotely from a site with no shade. I drained my emergency fund faster then I budgeted and had to call my sister and borrow money I swore I never would.
Come August I was at a KOA outside Nashville just sitting there looking at the ceiling fan I’d put up earlier that day when it started wobbling slightly to the left every revolution. I contemplating what I’d done with my life.
I took my lunch break at Cracker Barrel, parked in their parking lot, and actually begin looking for apartments back home.
Honestly what put me off was embarrassing. A guy I would say in his mid sixties came up to my passenger window and asked if he could use the picnic table by my site. When I asked him why he said his grandkids were with him and there wasn't enough room for them on his site. We talked for four hours. He had been living full-time for eleven years. His wife died during their third year out. He just kept going, because it seemed wrong to stop.He has a rig that was a Ram 3500 with a fifth wheel on it that clearly been in a real war that appeared to be in pristine condition inside. He didn't just show me his water arrangements but he had a binder of every repair he ever done, every part number, cost and date. He said year one nearly broke him as well and everyone he'd met that stayed said the same.Kinda did not go up as I thought I would go up and left my flat. I just took the first step of somethingthat will take me a couple of years to learn.
That's right ,it's been over a year now. The water pump was replaced, and I did it with a YouTube video and a considerable amount of profanity. I now keep two full-sized spares. Some sort of small organizer I'm designing is beginning to materialize. I've recently been able to help a woman in a campground in Arkansas because her converter wasn't charging her batteries and I was able to tell her what it was.
I'm not writing this as someone who has everything all mapped out. I'm writing this as someone who is three months in, six months in, eight months in, and is sitting in a parking lot attempting to find apartments. Just remember this guy at Cracker Barrel travels; it is always in the back of his mind and when you think you've got nothing left he's right there. Just roll down the window.