Take Aways from the first 2 weeks full-timing

We said goodbye to our home of 19 years on Sat Sept 25th.  A bitter sweet day for sure.  The next 2 1/2 weeks were spent "couch surfing" at each of our children's places.  A very different experience for sure, but it was wonderful spending time at each place.  

We hit the road on Monday 10/25 for our new life of living full time in the 5th.  Our first stop was at a Boondockers Welcome site in Ontario, NY for 3 nights and then to a campground in Middlesex, NY for 4 nights.  From there we headed South to Schellsburg, PA were we stayed at Nature's Getaway RV Park for 9 nights and we leave tomorrow morning (11/10) for 12 nights at the Hagerstown/Antietam KOA in Williamsport, MD.

So, what are my big take aways from living full time in a 5th wheel with my hubby and our lab Jazz?  

Well, the first thing is that even though we bought a 33' 5th wheel, there isn't a lot of space when the weather is bad and you're stuck inside.  Fortunately, we both like to play cards and board games, read, listen to music, watch shows etc.  We enjoy each others company and I can't imagine doing this life if you didn't like spending time together.  There is little to no place to "get away from each other"! We had rain while we were in Ontario and Middlesex, but it has been dry in PA, albeit a bit could the first half of our 9 nights. (During those rainy days that we were stuck inside, James increased his already big lead over me in our on-going Rummy game by over 1000 points.)

Next I would say that it is ok and actually helpful to have some of our "creature comforts" along for the ride.  Having these things gives us a feel of home and I believe will ensure that our adventure will continue for a long time.  Creature comforts that we have with us include a few dumbbells, yoga equipment,  our XBox, my travel guitar, our Ninja blender for smoothies and our favorite yummy evening snacks.  We also have our coffee maker so we can start our day with yummy coffee and our favorite creamers.

It has also been important for me to put on makeup everyday and get dressed in clothing for outings that are something other than sweats and t-shirts.  It has been quite a transition to go from work clothes to camping clothes all the time, so finding times that I can wear something "nicer" has been a good choice.  

I also have found that washing the laundry, doing dishes, putting clean sheets on the bed and taking regular hot showers help me to feel more at home in this lifestyle.  It is easy to feel discombobulated when you have pared your belongs down to fit in your new home.  Being organized so that you know where everything is helps me.  

Some of the things I did before we hit the road were things such as putting together a first aid box and a medicine box for us and one for Jazz, and having those handy and full help me to feel more secure.  I also brought our favorite pillows and blankets which provide a comfort as well.

I am 100% sure that each and every trip and stop/stay along the way will be a learning time, and I look forward to that!

Joni


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