In high school I skipped school a few times throughout the year. But I didn’t go to a friend’s house or a party. I’d go alone, about 20 minutes from home, to Border’s Bookstore (remember those?!). At the time they had a large cafe where you could bring the unpurchased books to the tables while enjoying a tea. I’d browse the international section and pile up several travel guides, ready for a day of planning my future adventures.
Wanting to travel has been a part of my life for as long as I could remember. I’ve always been captivated by different cultures and languages, faraway places, and the people who have ventured far from home way before there were reliable maps and communication. The bravery and adventurous spirit of Marco Polo, Amelia Earhart, Pico Iyer, Teddy Roosevelt and so many others were characteristics I wanted to embody. They traveled to learn, to see, to experience the world because of a deep curiosity and a need to know what’s out there.
While I travel with more comfort and safety, the foundation for my itchy feet is a deep need to know. Our world has so much to offer, there are so many ways of living, so many beautiful places that have evolved over millennia – how can I live on this earth and only experience a small part of it?! Before I finished college I was off on my first big adventure alone – to South America to teach English. I lived in Chile for six months and visited several surrounding countries by bus and on foot. It was the adventure that I craved, and it did not quell my desire to travel (much to my parent’s dismay).
Now, fifteen years later, Elodie seems to have a similar spirit – at least for now – and when given the option she choose for us to continue traveling. I love that we get to experience so much of our country together. She’s learning history at the places where events actually happened, seeing geology right before her eyes, feeling the difference in a variety of ecosystems, and (her favorite) tasting many difference types of foods. We’re both learning the skills of self-sufficiency, meeting new people, taking care of our ‘home’ by having to do the things right alongside each other.
While we’re both looking forward to our future homestead, for now traveling offers so much:
An escape
Yes, it’s an escape in a way, but not in the way you’d expect. I’ve been told many times that those who travel full time are escaping responsibility, running away from “real life”, or doing a disservice to their children. These are such broad statements without actually understanding what life on the road is like. Yes, there is an aspect of ‘escaping’, but it’s an escape from the way of living that has become a rat race; one that prioritizes work, money, and materials over family, time together, and enjoying life. Everyone I have ever met in this lifestyle works while on the road, homeschools their kids, manages the “household”, cooks, cleans, etc. just like in a sticks-and-bricks home. The difference in the added priority to be together as a family, to have special experiences together, and to pull away from the normal work-to-pay-for-things lifestyle. I have always wanted get to spend a lot of time with Elodie throughout her childhood, and RVing allows us that opportunity.
Living with less convenience
Our society has become so convenient that it can become mind numbing. We literally don’t ever have to leave the house to get anything and everything we need or want. We have machines to do everything and people to call when something is not working.
This convenience can erode our ability to be self-sufficient. I noticed this during our first mother-daughter road trip. We were in the middle of nowhere South Dakota, with no cell service, when we pulled over to stretch. I suddenly felt so incapable. If one of us fell and got a bad cut or if we got a flat tire…I would not know what to do. It was then that I decided that I needed to gain self-sufficiency skills.
One of the ways we’re gaining skills is by learning alongside each other how to take care of things – when the water is acting weird, we learned where the pipes are and about common issues; when changing batteries (I called a RV tech for that) but we watched what he did so we can take better care of them; Elodie cooks for us and bakes quite often; we both took first aid to know how to help ourselves and each other, and so on. We started thess skills while still at home, but being in an RV does not have all the conveniences of a modern home so it’s easier to stay out of the complacency of convenience.
It’s actually less expensive
People always assume that you have to be wealthy to travel full time, but that is definitely not the case. Sure, there are $1 million dollar buses and campgrounds that cost the same as a hefty mortgage, but that is definitely not the norm. With our camping membership, free “boondocking” sites, and state parks, the cost-per-night is in the $15-20s (which includes utilities), plus the basics of gas, food, and internet. The cost of living is way cheaper than an apartment plus utilities, so I can actually save money for our future homestead and see the country.
We meet great people
Many of the campgrounds we visit are social places! There are activities and parks to meet people, impromptu bon fires, Church services, and more. The range of people that choose this lifestyle is impressive – there are other single child families, large families with multiple kids, retirees, just-married couples without kids, single people of all ages; people from every state and many different backgrounds. When we meet at a park, there’s always a genuine interest in each other, why we’re on the road, where we’ve been, and the inevitable “what’s your favorite place?” convo! (see ours here)
