RV Life
So, I don't consider myself a writer but this is something I really want to share and although it may be long (and not very eloquent) I think you may find some value and inspiration and in the best case, spark a change in your life too...
It started last August. Tim and I were out to dinner celebrating our 3rd year wedding anniversary. We were reminiscing about our favorite memories of the last year and our favorite special dates we went on. One in particular that stood out was a night on a roof top where we had dessert and looked at the beautiful view of the city. We realized that was last years wedding anniversary. Somehow a whole year had flown by without too much significance and that was terrifying.
(mostly) Every day of our lives is routine. Wake up, gym, breakfast, work, home, tv, dinner, bed. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. What are we doing?!
I couldn't stand it, and my first thought was I need more in my life! Lets travel the world, lets help people, lets live an interesting life. Of course Tim is much more practical than me and said that traveling the world will cost a lot and how can we make money if we're always traveling? Let's think about this logically. So I took it back a notch and said okay how about we start by traveling the states? We can rent our house out to cover the mortgage, quit our jobs and just save a bunch before we leave. We wouldn't have too many expenses to worry about and we can drive everywhere.
Surprisingly he said yes, a definite yes right then and there. So from August to December we started planning how to make this work. By December we found the Winnebago for $5000 (5 blocks from our house on Craigslist!) and let both of our jobs know we would be quitting by May.
Originally we were going to rent the house on AirBnb and be on the road for 3 months but decided to find a long term renter so we wouldn't be constricted by time and can stay out as long as we want. The idea is to have no schedule, no obligations or places to be at any given time. To be able to enjoy every experience without looking forward to where we need to be next.
We won't be returning to Portland after this trip, we're looking for a new location. Probably west coast but who knows! Before we leave we will be selling 75% of the items in our house and putting only what we really love into storage. My new motto for bringing anything in to our home is this: Does it serve a purpose and does it bring joy?
The departure date (officially June 1st now) is so close and we are so excited and naturally a little nervous. The life we are leaving behind is comfortable and secure. We just bought a beautiful home and we're happy but time is the most valuable thing we have and it feels like it's wasting away. Although it's a risk it's worth it. I know we'll find a way to survive on the road, we're both creative and capable people.
I guess my point is this: don't let your doubts, fears, rules or social norms stop you from living the life you want RIGHT NOW. We shouldn't have to wait. There are ways to contribute socially and financially without having to work yourself to the bone, exhausted every day just to wake up and do it again.
So take a risk.
GO