Last weekend our friends, Kim and Richard and their awesome daughter Susie, were on a road trip and were kind enough to veer over to Knoxville to meet up with us.
What a great time we had!
Ironically, though Chris and I live a traveling lifestyle, this was the first time either of us had stayed in a hotel since we began RVing. We do have suitcases, but they are full of clothes in storage and since it was just an overnight trip, we managed with a tote bag.
We found a kennel for Dooley and headed for Knoxville (about 3.5 hours through the Smokey Mountains, which were lovely).
We met up at the hotel and then went to dinner. The food was good, but we were having such a good time I suppose they could have served us dog food and we might not have noticed. Well, maybe.
One of the best things about Kim, Richard and Susie is that they are happy people (but not ooey gooey icky sweet) who are also genuinely happy for Chris and me. They excitedly listened to our stories about our adventures on the road and made us feel like we were The Most Interesting Couple In The World (drinking Genesee and not Dos Equis).
The next morning Susie said she wanted to have breakfast at a unique restaurant...and since none of them had been to a Waffle House, we gave it a shot. Loyal readers may remember our last Waffle House experience was not a winner. However, we had better Waffle House Mojo and everyone left happy with their breakfast but sad that it was time to go our separate ways.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Could You Be A Full Time RVer Part III
This list has been interesting to put together. I hope you're enjoying it too. Maybe something exciting will happen and I'll blog about something else soon.
8. How much does a prestigious job matter to you?
If you have an impressive title or job and that's important to you, there's nothing wrong with that. Plus, you could leave that job and still be a full time RVer. But, if you want to be a workamper or if you need/want to earn money while you are living in an RV, then you probably won't have a very prestigious job. Most likely you'll be taking directions from someone much younger, with less experience, and who doesn't care about your fancy diplomas.
In many ways, I've found this sort of freeing. Should I worry about X or Y? Nope. Not my job. My job is to do the menial task I've been assigned and shut my pie hole. Don't lose any sleep over it. I know that if I volunteer a suggestion, 90% of the time it will be ignored, so I go back to shut my pie hole and do my job.
9. How much do you want/need to be near your family?
Plenty of full timers spend a large amount of time with family, particularly their grandchildren. Some spend their summers at campgrounds near the grandkids and then winter elsewhere. But they still miss out on birthdays, sporting events and other things that happen while they are away. This could be the case with any grandparents who live at a distance from their family.
Good news...if your children move far away (maybe to get away from you) you can follow!
But, if you have elderly parents or a new grandchild or family medical emergencies, being far away can be difficult. Just another thing to keep in mind if you're making the decision to go full time.
10. How much of a social life do you need?
Apparently I don't need much of one. I miss Fun Fridays with the gang in Ada, but otherwise, we're sort of homebodies and we are whether our home has wheels on it or not. There are opportunities to be social at the campground but even then we tend to keep to ourselves.
RVers tend to be a friendly bunch and if you're sitting outside people will tend to at least wave and say hi and, if encouraged, may sit down and visit at length. Some people become fast friends and enjoy evenings sitting around their campfires.
But, if your golf or bowling league is important to you (and good for you if they are) or you like to go out with your friends to try the newest restaurants in town, or you love hosting big parties that involve more then lawn chairs and paper plates, then this might not be a good fit for you.
So, I've given you ten things to consider before deciding to become a full time RVer. What do you think?
8. How much does a prestigious job matter to you?
If you have an impressive title or job and that's important to you, there's nothing wrong with that. Plus, you could leave that job and still be a full time RVer. But, if you want to be a workamper or if you need/want to earn money while you are living in an RV, then you probably won't have a very prestigious job. Most likely you'll be taking directions from someone much younger, with less experience, and who doesn't care about your fancy diplomas.
In many ways, I've found this sort of freeing. Should I worry about X or Y? Nope. Not my job. My job is to do the menial task I've been assigned and shut my pie hole. Don't lose any sleep over it. I know that if I volunteer a suggestion, 90% of the time it will be ignored, so I go back to shut my pie hole and do my job.
9. How much do you want/need to be near your family?
Plenty of full timers spend a large amount of time with family, particularly their grandchildren. Some spend their summers at campgrounds near the grandkids and then winter elsewhere. But they still miss out on birthdays, sporting events and other things that happen while they are away. This could be the case with any grandparents who live at a distance from their family.
Good news...if your children move far away (maybe to get away from you) you can follow!
But, if you have elderly parents or a new grandchild or family medical emergencies, being far away can be difficult. Just another thing to keep in mind if you're making the decision to go full time.
10. How much of a social life do you need?
Apparently I don't need much of one. I miss Fun Fridays with the gang in Ada, but otherwise, we're sort of homebodies and we are whether our home has wheels on it or not. There are opportunities to be social at the campground but even then we tend to keep to ourselves.
RVers tend to be a friendly bunch and if you're sitting outside people will tend to at least wave and say hi and, if encouraged, may sit down and visit at length. Some people become fast friends and enjoy evenings sitting around their campfires.
But, if your golf or bowling league is important to you (and good for you if they are) or you like to go out with your friends to try the newest restaurants in town, or you love hosting big parties that involve more then lawn chairs and paper plates, then this might not be a good fit for you.
So, I've given you ten things to consider before deciding to become a full time RVer. What do you think?
Friday, March 27, 2015
Could You Be a Full Time RVer? Part II
More things to consider before you decide to live in an RV long term.
5. How well do you get along with your spouse?
Most of the workamping couples we've met seem to get along pretty well. I think if you didn't, you wouldn't last very long on the road. All those things I listed before---small space, unexpected delays, expenses and changes in plans---can put a strain on your relationship. Plus, most of the time, you're going to arrive in a town and the only person you know will be your spouse. Sure, you get to know people at the campground or job, but it's not like home where you have a circle of friends or co-workers that are separate from your spouse.
In addition, if you're workamping, you and your spouse will likely be working together. Maybe not side by side, but you'll have the same boss, the same coworkers and the same work hours.
If you have a good relationship and you both want to go full time, I think that can make your relationship better. However, I don't think the converse is true---if you have a bad relationship, packing up everything in a MH and taking off down the road probably isn't going to work miracles. Unless you're in a movie about a troubled teen and his dad, because it seems that getting away together always mends those relationships.
6. How much privacy do you need?
There isn't much in our MH, even the bathroom doors (due to the slides) don't reach the floor. Other RVs (particularly 5th wheels) might offer more private space with rooms with doors, but the only real door we have is the one between us and the outside.
If you're having a bad day and just need some time to yourself...you might need to take a walk or drive. Or sit outside in the lawn chairs.
I suppose if we had a big time shouting match with the windows open, quite a few people could hear. Maybe we'll try that our last night here.
Like any other neighborhood, a campground can have its share of nosy people. When the weather was nice a couple weeks ago we left every afternoon to drive to a nearby park. One "friendly" neighbor felt the need to ask us where we kept going.
7. How do you feel about flying without a net?
Back in Ada, I had a wonderful group of friends, reliable mechanic, doctor, veterinarian and dentist I liked and I knew which restaurants to avoid. On the road, you're much more on your own. We only have one car (unless you count the MH) so if that breaks down, who can we call for a ride? Who can we trust to fix it?
If one of us needs to see a doctor---I guess we'll go to one of those walk-in clinics.
Think about all the service providers you have and how long it might have taken you to find them: a hairdresser, church, dog kennel, babysitter (not an issue for us), yoga class.
It's like moving to a new town, but before you get everything figured out, you move again.
Of all the things listed so far, I think this is the one that makes me feel the most unsettled (and explains my overgrown hair).
That's seven factors to consider. How are you doing so far? Do you think you could be a full time RVer?
5. How well do you get along with your spouse?
Most of the workamping couples we've met seem to get along pretty well. I think if you didn't, you wouldn't last very long on the road. All those things I listed before---small space, unexpected delays, expenses and changes in plans---can put a strain on your relationship. Plus, most of the time, you're going to arrive in a town and the only person you know will be your spouse. Sure, you get to know people at the campground or job, but it's not like home where you have a circle of friends or co-workers that are separate from your spouse.
In addition, if you're workamping, you and your spouse will likely be working together. Maybe not side by side, but you'll have the same boss, the same coworkers and the same work hours.
If you have a good relationship and you both want to go full time, I think that can make your relationship better. However, I don't think the converse is true---if you have a bad relationship, packing up everything in a MH and taking off down the road probably isn't going to work miracles. Unless you're in a movie about a troubled teen and his dad, because it seems that getting away together always mends those relationships.
6. How much privacy do you need?
There isn't much in our MH, even the bathroom doors (due to the slides) don't reach the floor. Other RVs (particularly 5th wheels) might offer more private space with rooms with doors, but the only real door we have is the one between us and the outside.
If you're having a bad day and just need some time to yourself...you might need to take a walk or drive. Or sit outside in the lawn chairs.
I suppose if we had a big time shouting match with the windows open, quite a few people could hear. Maybe we'll try that our last night here.
Like any other neighborhood, a campground can have its share of nosy people. When the weather was nice a couple weeks ago we left every afternoon to drive to a nearby park. One "friendly" neighbor felt the need to ask us where we kept going.
7. How do you feel about flying without a net?
Back in Ada, I had a wonderful group of friends, reliable mechanic, doctor, veterinarian and dentist I liked and I knew which restaurants to avoid. On the road, you're much more on your own. We only have one car (unless you count the MH) so if that breaks down, who can we call for a ride? Who can we trust to fix it?
If one of us needs to see a doctor---I guess we'll go to one of those walk-in clinics.
Think about all the service providers you have and how long it might have taken you to find them: a hairdresser, church, dog kennel, babysitter (not an issue for us), yoga class.
It's like moving to a new town, but before you get everything figured out, you move again.
Of all the things listed so far, I think this is the one that makes me feel the most unsettled (and explains my overgrown hair).
That's seven factors to consider. How are you doing so far? Do you think you could be a full time RVer?
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Could You Be A Full Time RVer?
Here are some points to consider if you are thinking about becoming a full time (or even short term) RVer.
1. Do you need a lot of space?
The house where we lived in Ada was probably about 800 sq feet and other than storage space, we really only used about 3/4 of the space or less. I'm not sure I could go as far as the tiny house people, but I've realized I can make do in cozy confines.
If you're thinking about going full time, maybe try just living in one or two rooms of your house/apartment for a few weeks and see how you feel about it.
Some people park their RV at a campground near their homes and live there for a few months (sometimes keeping their jobs too) to see how they really feel about living in close quarters.
2. Do you need a lot of stuff?
This goes along with number one. However, I will say that there is more storage space than I would have expected and we aren't even using what we have very creatively or efficiently. If you are someone who likes to display photos and knick knacks, then RV living might be a challenge since there isn't much counter space or empty wall space. I suppose you could go with the old stand by of hanging things on the fridge w/magnets.
I'm not sure how I would have done as an RVer before the advent of Kindle ereaders. I do have a few books along, but I had already thinned my library before we moved. With my Kindle, I happily have access to tons of books without taking up much space at all.
We usually like to have a well stocked pantry and freezer so that's a bit of a challenge, though extra freezers can be purchased and kept in the bays. However, often we kept a full larder because we didn't want to run out in bad weather. So, I'd rather just avoid the bad weather and shop more often.
3. Are you status conscious?
If you like living in a neighborhood where all the houses are as nice (or nicer) than yours, then RV living might not work too well for you. Our neighbors change on a regular basis, so that's good, but there are also a lot of people who are living in campgrounds in some less than glamorous accommodations. Neighbors can also be pretty close. Our site here is probably average size and space from our neighbors (and fortunately we only have neighbors on one side) but if we have the windows open and our neighbor is sitting outside chatting on his phone, we can hear most of it.
There are some very nice RV resorts out there and we would like to get a job at one of them sometime, but most KOAs seem to have a variety of residents.
4. How do you handle unexpected events/changes in plans?
Life is full of surprises no matter where you live or how well you plan, but it seems things can be a little less predictable on the road.
As you know, we had plans to go to a KOA in South Carolina in mid-April but we decided to change plans and stay here. About ten days ago, we heard about an opportunity to work and camp at an amusement park nearby (more on that when/if we get that nailed down) so we might be going there in a few weeks.
Sometimes there are breakdowns while traveling that cause a change in plans (and unexpected expenses). If we had been traveling when our jacks quit working, we would have had quite a problem. Instead of loading up and heading out for a day of travel, we'd have had to find a repairman, stayed put for however long it would have taken him to make our repairs (not to mention order parts) and deal with whatever changes we had to make to our schedule due to the delay.
Our friends. Tom and Joni, have been traveling for two or three weeks and even though they had a plan for their trip, it seems like they had a few surprises too. They had planned to travel in our direction for a short visit en route to their next job, but because of bad weather they decided to take a more southerly route. One afternoon they arrived at the KOA where they had a reservation, spent an hour or more trying to get their RV to fit on the site and finally gave up and had to find another place to stay that night.
This is numbers 1-4. Come back next time to read 5-7 (or more. I haven't written the post yet.)
1. Do you need a lot of space?
The house where we lived in Ada was probably about 800 sq feet and other than storage space, we really only used about 3/4 of the space or less. I'm not sure I could go as far as the tiny house people, but I've realized I can make do in cozy confines.
If you're thinking about going full time, maybe try just living in one or two rooms of your house/apartment for a few weeks and see how you feel about it.
Some people park their RV at a campground near their homes and live there for a few months (sometimes keeping their jobs too) to see how they really feel about living in close quarters.
2. Do you need a lot of stuff?
This goes along with number one. However, I will say that there is more storage space than I would have expected and we aren't even using what we have very creatively or efficiently. If you are someone who likes to display photos and knick knacks, then RV living might be a challenge since there isn't much counter space or empty wall space. I suppose you could go with the old stand by of hanging things on the fridge w/magnets.
I'm not sure how I would have done as an RVer before the advent of Kindle ereaders. I do have a few books along, but I had already thinned my library before we moved. With my Kindle, I happily have access to tons of books without taking up much space at all.
We usually like to have a well stocked pantry and freezer so that's a bit of a challenge, though extra freezers can be purchased and kept in the bays. However, often we kept a full larder because we didn't want to run out in bad weather. So, I'd rather just avoid the bad weather and shop more often.
3. Are you status conscious?
If you like living in a neighborhood where all the houses are as nice (or nicer) than yours, then RV living might not work too well for you. Our neighbors change on a regular basis, so that's good, but there are also a lot of people who are living in campgrounds in some less than glamorous accommodations. Neighbors can also be pretty close. Our site here is probably average size and space from our neighbors (and fortunately we only have neighbors on one side) but if we have the windows open and our neighbor is sitting outside chatting on his phone, we can hear most of it.
There are some very nice RV resorts out there and we would like to get a job at one of them sometime, but most KOAs seem to have a variety of residents.
4. How do you handle unexpected events/changes in plans?
Life is full of surprises no matter where you live or how well you plan, but it seems things can be a little less predictable on the road.
As you know, we had plans to go to a KOA in South Carolina in mid-April but we decided to change plans and stay here. About ten days ago, we heard about an opportunity to work and camp at an amusement park nearby (more on that when/if we get that nailed down) so we might be going there in a few weeks.
Sometimes there are breakdowns while traveling that cause a change in plans (and unexpected expenses). If we had been traveling when our jacks quit working, we would have had quite a problem. Instead of loading up and heading out for a day of travel, we'd have had to find a repairman, stayed put for however long it would have taken him to make our repairs (not to mention order parts) and deal with whatever changes we had to make to our schedule due to the delay.
Our friends. Tom and Joni, have been traveling for two or three weeks and even though they had a plan for their trip, it seems like they had a few surprises too. They had planned to travel in our direction for a short visit en route to their next job, but because of bad weather they decided to take a more southerly route. One afternoon they arrived at the KOA where they had a reservation, spent an hour or more trying to get their RV to fit on the site and finally gave up and had to find another place to stay that night.
This is numbers 1-4. Come back next time to read 5-7 (or more. I haven't written the post yet.)
Monday, March 23, 2015
Lessons From Statesville
We aren't sure how much longer we'll be at this location. Probably at least another month, maybe longer. Last week we applied for jobs at Carowinds Amusement park which is about an hour south of here and they have a workamper program so if we are hired we'd move down there. We ought to know more about that (I hope) in the next week or two.
Our job here at the Statesville KOA is pretty low stress, which is part of what appealed to us in the first place. However, if we do a guardhouse job in the future, we'll look for one that is not every single day. It's a drag to have the alarm go off every morning at 5:20 plus it makes it difficult to plan even an overnight trip anywhere. I expect we can trade with someone to cover the time and that's not a big deal, but in future I think we'll look for something that gives us a couple days off each week.
Another thing---this area is pretty boring. Granted the weather hasn't been very nice and it's now improving so we may feel differently, but other than grocery shopping and the usual restaurants, there's not a lot to do nearby. I'm sure there's interesting things in Charlotte or Winston-Salem, both about an hour away, but not much to explore close by.
Although the weather is much better than winter in Ohio, it doesn't really look or feel much different. Not quite as flat, but otherwise, about the same. New Mexico and even Tennessee seemed distinctly not-Ohio so that made them more interesting.
Good things about working here. It's pretty low key. One of us sits in the guardhouse and we're done and back home by 8:40 am, about the time most people are starting their workday. The weather has been decent and looks to be improving and the other workampers here are a nice bunch.
Our job here at the Statesville KOA is pretty low stress, which is part of what appealed to us in the first place. However, if we do a guardhouse job in the future, we'll look for one that is not every single day. It's a drag to have the alarm go off every morning at 5:20 plus it makes it difficult to plan even an overnight trip anywhere. I expect we can trade with someone to cover the time and that's not a big deal, but in future I think we'll look for something that gives us a couple days off each week.
Another thing---this area is pretty boring. Granted the weather hasn't been very nice and it's now improving so we may feel differently, but other than grocery shopping and the usual restaurants, there's not a lot to do nearby. I'm sure there's interesting things in Charlotte or Winston-Salem, both about an hour away, but not much to explore close by.
Although the weather is much better than winter in Ohio, it doesn't really look or feel much different. Not quite as flat, but otherwise, about the same. New Mexico and even Tennessee seemed distinctly not-Ohio so that made them more interesting.
Good things about working here. It's pretty low key. One of us sits in the guardhouse and we're done and back home by 8:40 am, about the time most people are starting their workday. The weather has been decent and looks to be improving and the other workampers here are a nice bunch.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Things That Have Surprised Me
As part of my reflections on our first 9 months on the road, I thought I'd share some of the things that have surprised me.
1. This really is enough space for us. We have about 400 sq. ft. of living space, possibly less. Knowing myself, if we had more space, I'd just spread my clutter further. It's not enough space to entertain or have house guests, but we can entertain people outside, which is much more pleasant anyway. We actually wear the same few items of clothing repeatedly and don't even use all the pots and pans we have.
2. The variety of people who live in campgrounds. Some are full timers like us moving from job to job as workcampers. Some don't really travel at all, they are living in the RV and going to work every day like everyone else. Others travel some, but for work, these are people who are in the military or might do construction work and they are traveling from assignment to assignment. There are families with children and older, singles, though most are couples. Some are living in what appear to be pretty dire circumstances while others have quarter million dollar motor homes towing a high end luxury car.
3. The number and variety of jobs available for workampers is astounding. I've mentioned this before but I think it is the most surprising thing to me. There are jobs available at campgrounds around the country doing everything from answering the phones and taking reservations to making fudge and renting out paddle boats. When we had our resume viewable on the KOA site, we were getting 2-4 calls and emails per week asking if we were interested in different jobs. In addition to campground work, there are seasonal jobs like Amazon, amusement parks, the sugar beet harvest, Christmas tree lots and national parks. It appears that demand for workers is high as pay seems to be going up and many places are offering bonuses for staying for your entire commitment.
4. Sometimes getting the jobs is a big hassle. I've had jobs where I had the authority to issue arrest warrants and to send people to jail. I got those on the basis of a resume and a couple interviews. In order to get a menial job at an amusement park making slurpees, the application process takes a good 30 mins online, then a personal interview where we waited around for two hours (they don't take appointments) and if we get hired there will be drug screens and background checks and probably at least one or two more personal interviews plus orientation. More on that later, if we get hired.
5. Some people probably shouldn't be driving RV's. At the KOA in New Mexico two older gentlemen came into the store to buy supplies. I had to help them pick the change out of their hands because they had trouble discerning nickels from quarters. Later they both got into some big-ass motor homes and headed down the road. One man we know has a torn retina and no peripheral vision on his left side and he's tooling along America's highways hauling a fifth wheel. I applaud older folks who aren't sitting at home watching TV all day long, but maybe they should get someone else to do their driving.
6. How much I really enjoy living this way. I've never been into big houses or lots of stuff, so living this way suits me well. No yard work (unless that's our job), no hassles with the utility companies when we move, and if we don't like our location, we can pick up and leave. We aren't completely off the grid, but we are rather anonymous and there's something a bit freeing about that.
7. And last but not least, I am surprised (and pleased) by the number of people who seem to actually enjoy this blog and following our adventures. Thank you all.
1. This really is enough space for us. We have about 400 sq. ft. of living space, possibly less. Knowing myself, if we had more space, I'd just spread my clutter further. It's not enough space to entertain or have house guests, but we can entertain people outside, which is much more pleasant anyway. We actually wear the same few items of clothing repeatedly and don't even use all the pots and pans we have.
2. The variety of people who live in campgrounds. Some are full timers like us moving from job to job as workcampers. Some don't really travel at all, they are living in the RV and going to work every day like everyone else. Others travel some, but for work, these are people who are in the military or might do construction work and they are traveling from assignment to assignment. There are families with children and older, singles, though most are couples. Some are living in what appear to be pretty dire circumstances while others have quarter million dollar motor homes towing a high end luxury car.
3. The number and variety of jobs available for workampers is astounding. I've mentioned this before but I think it is the most surprising thing to me. There are jobs available at campgrounds around the country doing everything from answering the phones and taking reservations to making fudge and renting out paddle boats. When we had our resume viewable on the KOA site, we were getting 2-4 calls and emails per week asking if we were interested in different jobs. In addition to campground work, there are seasonal jobs like Amazon, amusement parks, the sugar beet harvest, Christmas tree lots and national parks. It appears that demand for workers is high as pay seems to be going up and many places are offering bonuses for staying for your entire commitment.
4. Sometimes getting the jobs is a big hassle. I've had jobs where I had the authority to issue arrest warrants and to send people to jail. I got those on the basis of a resume and a couple interviews. In order to get a menial job at an amusement park making slurpees, the application process takes a good 30 mins online, then a personal interview where we waited around for two hours (they don't take appointments) and if we get hired there will be drug screens and background checks and probably at least one or two more personal interviews plus orientation. More on that later, if we get hired.
5. Some people probably shouldn't be driving RV's. At the KOA in New Mexico two older gentlemen came into the store to buy supplies. I had to help them pick the change out of their hands because they had trouble discerning nickels from quarters. Later they both got into some big-ass motor homes and headed down the road. One man we know has a torn retina and no peripheral vision on his left side and he's tooling along America's highways hauling a fifth wheel. I applaud older folks who aren't sitting at home watching TV all day long, but maybe they should get someone else to do their driving.
6. How much I really enjoy living this way. I've never been into big houses or lots of stuff, so living this way suits me well. No yard work (unless that's our job), no hassles with the utility companies when we move, and if we don't like our location, we can pick up and leave. We aren't completely off the grid, but we are rather anonymous and there's something a bit freeing about that.
7. And last but not least, I am surprised (and pleased) by the number of people who seem to actually enjoy this blog and following our adventures. Thank you all.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Talking To Myself
We arrived in New Mexico at our first workamping assignment last July, so I thought I'd do a little recap of some of my thoughts on our first nine months on the road.
What do I wish we'd done differently?
We left a few things at my parents' house that were of sentimental value, but also breakable. I wish we'd packed them up and brought them with us.
We had a nice mattress on our bed in Ohio and we ought to have switched it for the sleep number mattress that came with the MH. Sleep number beds seem to be popular in RVs because they are very light. Less weight = less gas usage. However, uncomfortable mattress= not sleeping well= cranky campers.
We had two cars, a Dodge Magnum and a Chevy Aveo, we assumed we would get a tow bar and tow the car, so we sold the Magnum and kept the Aveo. When we left, we were in a time crunch and money crunch. A tow bar, even used, was over $1,000. The Aveo gets 35 mpg so with lower gas prices and the fact that we were going to be driving a few hundred miles and then parking, spending money for a tow bar didn't make sense. The downside is that when we travel I am in the car while Chris drives the MH but it's not like we are vacationing and I have to spend our two week trip to Yellowstone looking out the window of the Aveo. Anyway, if we'd realized that we were unlikely to get a tow bar, we would have kept the Magnum instead. The gas mileage isn't as good, but it's more comfortable.
When we applied for this job in North Carolina, we were very tired. We'd been working long, hot days in New Mexico, then working at Amazon, so this job which only required one of us to wake up, put on a KOA sweatshirt and sit in a room for 2.5 hours seemed like a good idea. For the first month, it probably was because we did a lot of sleeping and catching up on things and with people that we'd missed out on while we were in the Amazon work cave. But, in retrospect, we probably ought to have picked a job that gave us more to do and also included earning money beyond getting our site for free. Frankly, we're a little bored and this area isn't particularly interesting either so we'll keep that in mind in the future.
Also, having the alarm go off at 5:15 am every day is a bit of a drag even if you're the one who gets to roll over and go back to sleep.
Next time...things that have surprised me.
What do I wish we'd done differently?
We left a few things at my parents' house that were of sentimental value, but also breakable. I wish we'd packed them up and brought them with us.
We had a nice mattress on our bed in Ohio and we ought to have switched it for the sleep number mattress that came with the MH. Sleep number beds seem to be popular in RVs because they are very light. Less weight = less gas usage. However, uncomfortable mattress= not sleeping well= cranky campers.
We had two cars, a Dodge Magnum and a Chevy Aveo, we assumed we would get a tow bar and tow the car, so we sold the Magnum and kept the Aveo. When we left, we were in a time crunch and money crunch. A tow bar, even used, was over $1,000. The Aveo gets 35 mpg so with lower gas prices and the fact that we were going to be driving a few hundred miles and then parking, spending money for a tow bar didn't make sense. The downside is that when we travel I am in the car while Chris drives the MH but it's not like we are vacationing and I have to spend our two week trip to Yellowstone looking out the window of the Aveo. Anyway, if we'd realized that we were unlikely to get a tow bar, we would have kept the Magnum instead. The gas mileage isn't as good, but it's more comfortable.
When we applied for this job in North Carolina, we were very tired. We'd been working long, hot days in New Mexico, then working at Amazon, so this job which only required one of us to wake up, put on a KOA sweatshirt and sit in a room for 2.5 hours seemed like a good idea. For the first month, it probably was because we did a lot of sleeping and catching up on things and with people that we'd missed out on while we were in the Amazon work cave. But, in retrospect, we probably ought to have picked a job that gave us more to do and also included earning money beyond getting our site for free. Frankly, we're a little bored and this area isn't particularly interesting either so we'll keep that in mind in the future.
Also, having the alarm go off at 5:15 am every day is a bit of a drag even if you're the one who gets to roll over and go back to sleep.
Next time...things that have surprised me.
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