FROM WHEELS TO A FOUNDATION

June 28/10

Only 3 more days of living on wheels and then we move into the new house.  We are very excited about the change and are trying to be patient during the days of waiting.  I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the things that we will miss about full time RV’ing and the things that we won’t miss.

WE WILL MISS:

Simplicity of life—the daily decisions are reduced to choosing what to do or where to go and are not tied to big obligations and responsibilities.  There are definitely fewer bills to pay, which is great.

Travelling and seeing new places—we love sightseeing and the thrill of discovering interesting towns, parks and attractions.

Challenge of the unknown—when we move on to a new location, we experience some anxiety about what it will be like and that uncertainty keeps the adrenaline flowing.

Quick housecleaning—it is easy to clean the inside of the trailer from stem to stern in less than an hour.  A house takes a lot more time and effort.

Courteous drivers—we generally found that US drivers are very courteous by allowing others to change lanes in front of them and will move over a lane for merging traffic.  Not so courteous in BC.

Playing with the GPS—it was great fun to use the GPS for travel routes, locating RV parks, grocery stores and other services.  We relied on it every single day and only had a few miscues where we were directed to the wrong location.


Uncrowded RV parks:

WE WON’T MISS:

Laundromats—the prices ranged from 50 cents a load to $1.75 a load and you weren’t sure if the spin cycle would work to drain the clothes, or if the dryer would dry everything completely.

Traffic noises at night—most RV parks are near a major road, highway or interstate so there was a constant hum both day and night with a few train whistles added to the mix.

Coin car washes—it was always a race to “get it done” in the allotted time and sometimes the pressure was so low, or the water was so bad, that the truck didn’t look much cleaner afterwards.

Funky restrooms—tiny shower stalls with nozzles that didn’t spray well, or toilet stall doors that wouldn’t stay shut.  In the US showers are free and in Canada, they usually cost $1or more.

Washing dishes by hand—I am getting tired of this “hobby” and look forward to an automatic dishwasher.

Barking dogs—most RV’ers have one or more dogs with them; some are well behaved, but most are not (owners as well as dogs!!)


Crowded RV parks:

There are pros and cons to any environment and we have learned to be adaptable.  However, we will enjoy our space and privacy at our new home.