What Have We Done?

Our home could qualify as a disaster area and I’m waffling between high stress and mild anxiety. Not a state I care to find myself in. But not uncommon in the midst of transitions…

We are moving!

When we started out on our adventure, we envisioned a Phase I and a Phase II. We figured we’d start out like we were on vacation, then at some point we would move towards less traveling and more living in-place. Which is where we find ourselves now – at three years and two weeks into our full-time journey.

Phase II meant we would be open to changing rigs – even perhaps to a 5^th Wheel. After owning our rig for over five years now, we are certain we prefer a Diesel Pusher. It’s been in the back of our minds for the past few months that it may be time to start looking for something bigger and newer. We agreed that next January would be a good time to make a transition.

Then the lockdown happened.

Staying put in one place for a month (perhaps longer) that is practically free (A big Thank-You to Tom’s brother John), and has a workshop and tools available, made us think of moving now. Then we got news from our bank that we could access our money without penalty (our funds were tied up until next year). Despite this being a bad time for so many, the signs seemed to be pointing us to getting a new (to us) rig. So we started online shopping again and even spent a day driving to Eugene to kick some tires.

We toured some beautiful rigs, but I have champagne tastes and we have to keep on our beer budget!

After watching too much news, we began to think that this may be a better time to invest in a piece of land. (That’s a whole other story!) So we switched our online searching to land. We even found some places close to my cousin who lives a few hours away. So we decided to go visit her and check out a place or two on the trip.

Then fate intervened.

One of the RV’s Tom had found online was on the way to her place, so we stopped to check it out. A good deal, but I didn’t like it. On our drive through the mountains, we were not agreeing on what we wanted in a land purchase, so I thought we should just skip the looking on this trip. But since we had left ourselves plenty of time, I did a search for RV dealers in the next town and came up with three. One was a consignment place that I thought we should check out. Tom said the only thing there was a 2007 and he didn’t want to go that old. I stubbornly said I wanted to see it and told him we should check out the lot anyway because maybe they didn’t have everything listed.

The 2007 coach was beautiful, but a little dated and would need new flooring and a new couch. Tom wanted something more turn-key.

As fate would have it (I love serendipity!) there was a newer one on the lot that had just arrived. They were still getting it cleaned up and ready for pictures.

We spent quite a bit of time going between the two before we had to leave to my cousin’s place.

Tom and I  had a long discussion on the three-and-a-half hour drive home, and we agreed that the 2008 Monaco would be a good fit for us. We went home and slept on it.

The next morning – after a lot of stressful discussion – we decided to drive back to buy it. And we did!! We will go back to pick it up next week.

My emotions have been on a roller coaster since then. I have really loved our home. It will be missed.

And although we are gaining more than six feet in length – and all the extra storage that should provide – I keep wondering how it will all fit!

So much to do. So much to do that we can’t do until we pick it up. I’m trying to clean out cupboards and organize, and we’re able to utilize some of John’s storage areas, but most things we only want to move once – from rig to rig.

So I wait. And I worry. And I wonder: Will it feel as homey? Will I find a comfortable place to work? Will we be able to sell our current rig? How long will it take us to figure out the new systems?

It’s like starting over. We will have to replace all the light bulbs to LEDs – again. Tom will have to install solar – again. I won’t be painting or wallpapering or reupholstering, but I will have to figure out where everything fits. Living full time (and working part time) in an RV means that finding ways to store things amounts to playing Tetris.

Plus now I need to find a new bedspread.

And all the stores are closed.

But I’m excited. Really I am.

At least I will be when the transition is complete and we’re back to one rig with a place for everything and everything in its place.

Happy Travels (eventually!)

Love & Light, Joy