TALES OF OUR TRAVELS AND OUR LOVE OF ADVENTURE

Friday, June 18, 2010

One of those big (significant) conversations

I was reading Myrddin's description of a grand conversation his owners, Jim and Linda, had about their future and their decision to continue full-timing with their current RV.  It was interesting reading, and interesting timing - Don and I just had a similar conversation yesterday.  Actually, it took two days.

It started with our wishing to own a home here in Lake City.  We looked at real estate ads, both in the papers and online, and discovered we couldn't afford a place here. So we looked at other places - towns in Colorado, Arkansas, and even Texas (affordable, family, etc.).   Over a two-day period, we came to a number of realizations:
1. If we want to keep our house in Forest Falls, I can't retire next June.
2. If we want to own a house ANYWHERE I can't retire next June.
3. All of our calculations that "allow" me to retire next June are based on being without a house and its accompanying expenses (propane, electricity, trailer storage, water, firewood, and so on).
4. The only way I can retire next June is if we sell the Forest Falls house and become full-time RVers.
5. It was fear of the unknown (about full-timing) that prompted Don to have the doubts that started the conversation in the first place.
6. If we look at full-timing as we do the first half of our lives, that is, if we embrace our nomadic military life that we really did enjoy, we will be fine. It's just that staying in one house as long as we have (only 10 years, but for us that's a long time) has caused Don to be a little unsettled about going back into a nomadic life.
7. I need to continue to be a "cheerleader," and to be positive about the upcoming change in our lives. That'll be easy - it's my dream, my goal, my hope - I get GIDDY thinking about it.  I need to be infectious with that giddiness and not let Don's fears overcome his desire to travel and fish this continent.

If you've read all this, thanks for sticking with it.  I needed to get it out.  The countdown happily continues!

Another day closer...

p.s. the recliner's working out fabulously!

2 comments:

Margie M. said...

These are certainly BIG decisions for you. I'll be interested to see what you decide. We're a lot older than you guys, so for us the decision was an easy one.

Have a great weekend.

Merikay said...

If you read my blog, you know I don't say much about what Craig thinks. Mostly because he doesn't talk about it much at all. I hear him tell people we are thinking about full-timing in a big RV in about a year and a half, and he i starting to help me fix up the house, and he has gone to a RV show with me, but to actually talk about it is not something he does.

I hope, I plan, I exercise, and I paint. But I have to leave the dream s written in smoke because it is the most nebulous thing I can think of.

You do have to make a decision though. Is there a deadline for when you have to decide and let the school system know you want to retire or work another year or so?

If you decide not to full-time, at last you have your trailer to take long trips in.

And a husband that TALKS!