2013 is bringing some big changes for us. We are joining the nomadic, itinerant life!! We’re selling the house, getting rid of stuff, moving from our 2000 square foot house to a 38 foot RV. What? Why? Are we crazy? All those questions from our friends and family so I thought I’d share a bit of our journey, plus answer a few of the messages I’ve been sent by a few of my AFI friends wondering why I haven’t been very active on AFI for the past couple of months.
In late 2011 we made the decision that it was time to downsize, we just weren’t sure what the end result would look like, but we knew it was time to reduce our expenses, house size, time spent on home/yard maintenance and find a new place to live where we could enjoy a little more sunshine than Seattle gives us. We had the “American Dream”, a nice house, a big yard, a great view, good neighbors, etc. etc. However, we were tired of long drives home on Sunday nights, hiring people to take care of our yard when we’re gone for weeks at a time, not enjoying the Mt. Rainier view we paid for when we bought our house because we’re never home in the summer, spending money on mortgage, insurance, utilities, etc. in a home that was unoccupied for portions of the year. So, once again we decided to not follow “conventional wisdom” and make lifestyles changes that suited us and our goals rather than listening to what everyone thought we should do.
As 2012 progressed and we spent 25% of the year on the road, we made the decision that at least for now, downsizing meant selling the house and becoming full time RVer’s. I know this is not the lifestyle for everyone, not all art can be made in the RV, but for us with our jewelry, it works. Life on the road is simpler for us, we won’t spend as much time driving to and from shows, dealing with a yard, house, etc. We’re empty nesters, we’re not to retirement age yet, we can travel and enjoy life while we’re still young enough to be safe on the roads and maybe, we’ll finally satisfy our wanderlust!!
This change will also allow us to broaden our geography and find new shows in the future. So, we’re running away from home, trying to figure out where we might eventually want to live when we grow up!! In the meantime, I’m hoping to meet a few more of you as we travel further away from the Pacific NW and embark on a grand adventure as we run away from home now that we’re both officially past “middle age”!
See you down the road!!!
Comments
Gary & Maureen - one more comment, THANKS!! I remember when you shared a few comments and a message with me a couple of years ago, you and a few other artists we met really helped us see that this full time RV lifestyle was viable. Thanks for the inspiration!!
I'd love to hear an update on how things are going, Ruth. As you know, we've been fulltimers for about 12 years.
We travel and work in an RV although we still have our house. I met a cool artist at one campground. He had sold his real estate and lived in a toy hauler with a complete jewelry studio set up in the back. He had setup a casting studio outside his RV and I got to watch him crank out loads of items with a centrifuge. Unfortunately I only met him on the last day of our stay, because he loved to talk about how and what he was doing, and was a wealth of information.
LOL, OK Connie, you want to be me, feel free to come out west and help us finish painting our house. We got a little behind schedule and now our first art show of the year starts this evening with a Gala event. Yikes, life is about to get really hectic for the next month, but hopefully by the middle of April we'll be living in the 5th wheel.
George - already Escapee members, participate in a great RV forum called RV-Dreamers, attended our first educational rally last fall and we are so ready to get this show on the road.
I want to be Ruth!
Congratulations!!!! My husband and I spent 5 years on the road and that is where I learned to be a metalsmith. It was the best 5 years of my life. My husband wanted to settle back down or I would still be on the road. I do plan to eventually purchase a class c toy-hauler and have my studio in the back. I highly recommend joining Escapees.com. Also join a membership park right away and purchase the "Days End" from the Escapees magazine. Both will save you tons of money.
It sounds like an adventure that many of us dream of. My husband and I sold our home in Ohio in 1999. We traveled with our fifth wheel all over the United States for three years. We were not crafting at the time, but, the traveling was great. We spent a couple of months in Washington state and loved it and also went to Alaska for a month. There are so many wonderful things in the US to see and all different. We finally settled in Florida where we enjoy the year round warm weather. Have a safe and wonderful time with your adventure.
Wow! This is so inspirational. I hope you all do exceptionally well on the road. If anything, you've taken a powerful turn for the better by doing what you love on your own terms. Great luck to you both!
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next