The Imperfect Story of Our Tiny Home
It’s a story of risk, reward, lessons learned, tears, laughter, and above all “adventure”.
Until We Meet Again
The past couple weeks we have been a bit quieter than normal on social media as we have been dealing with the loss of a family member.
Andrea’s father, Ed “Pops” Skinner passed away and onto a better place over the weekend.
4th of July
Seeing him happy, smiling, and at peace living the life he wants to live not one based on the expectations of others, is one of the greatest gifts a child can give their parents.
Where will the Kids Call Home?
During our planning and preparation for life on the road this was a question we struggled with.
Where would our children go for the holidays? To have a home cooked meal, a bed with extra pillows, and just to be comforted by the love of mom and dad?
Rediscovery and Perspective
Full timing is all about new experiences and discovery. When we travel to a new place, see new sites, learn about new cultures and people, it has the potential to unlock something inside of us.
Pace of Life
In a world constantly on the go, fixated on grinding, hustling, and filling your day with as much as possible we wanted different. Full time rving has allowed us to take greater control of our pace of life.
Becoming Resourceful
Traveling full time means our home is frequently being pulled down a wide variety of roads at 65 miles per hour. The impact this creates is like a traditional home being affected by a small earthquake on a routine basis. After each trip when we open the door to the Queen, we anxiously await the surprises inside.
4 Hidden Life Gems in Full Time Rving
An unforeseen blessing of our new lifestyle has been all the “life gems” or hidden lessons that were waiting out on the road for us. Over the next four weeks we will share four of our favorite “life gems” with you.
Laughing, Learning, and New Friends
I went back to our three questions. Would I be learning, can we adventure, and would it be fun? It seemed like a solid yes for all three, so I agreed to go to an interview with her on her next shift.
During my meeting with the owner, Rob, it quickly became apparent that the universe had aligned our families for this summer gig.
A Life Lesson from Mother Nature
Our brief “winter” will help us appreciate these long summer nights all that much more and allowed us to reflect on the importance of what you don’t want in life at times.
A Texas Sized View
Was an “unbelievable or amazing” sunset worth the risk of having “sketchy” neighbors nearby that made us feel unsafe?
Many times, in our lives, we would have said a resounding “NO”, not based on what we had experienced but simply based on opinions of others.
We would have sacrificed the “unbelievable or amazing” experience because we focused what could go wrong and were blinded from what could go right.
How many times have we missed an experience or adventure because we played it safe?
Wildcat Philosophy, French Rum, and The “Happiness” Business
It got us thinking though as we left the next day, westbound stocked up on the best French rum, stories, and a slight hangover.
What if we were all in the “happiness business”?
Living The Dream
We are blessed to be told by many that we are in fact “living the dream”. Some who aren’t quite full time yet but aspire to be will even add that we are “living THEIR dream!”
I find that last statement to be quite an honor. In choosing this life for us, others are seeing possibilities in their lives as well.
What people find interesting though is when we share our TRUTH with them.
What Size Camper Do We Need?
This is a question that is bantered about by those wanting to get on the road and those already on the road around the nation. It seems to be an almost endless pursuit of the “perfect rig”.
The truth is you will not truly know until you answer a couple questions for yourselves.
CAMPING IN FLORIDA FACT OR FICTION?
We knew camping during the winter in Florida would be a logistical challenge, but we wanted beaches, oceans, and palm trees.
So, we accepted the challenge and spent January through early April wintering in south Florida.
Now that we are back in the west, we wanted to share what we learned with all of you.
4 Steps to Full Timing Part 4
Finally, how do we decide where to travel?
The full time rv lifestyle will always be a work in progress as we continue to refine our approach as we experience more.
4 Steps to Full Timing Part 3
Our most frequently asked question is “how do you afford full time travel”?
Ironically, at the time we are writing this Andrea and I are apart for the first time since setting out to live full time in our Airstream and it is because of our work.
4 Steps to Full Timing Part 2
Some moments we were in sync financially. Saving first and living comfortably but well within our means.
At other times, we were not. Finding ourselves with credit card debt rolling over month to month, a car payment, and a lifestyle that felt good in the moment but was not sustainable. Reflecting on this now it is clear, we got caught in “keeping up with the Joneses” syndrome.
4 Steps We Took To Full Timing
In the spring of 2014, our oldest daughter graduated high school. Wasting no time, she embraced her sense of independence and adventure by moving out of our home that summer.
This moment was a wake-up call for us. While were proud of our children’s independence, we were a bit saddened by the end of their childhood.
We also knew we were facing the same reality with our younger two children in only a few years.
We began questioning what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives?
We Made It! Six Months of Full Time RVing!
To celebrate our six-month milestone, we wanted to share with you the top four things we have learned living full time in our Airstream.