The ranks of Full Timers have just decreased by two. After three plus years, we’ve decided that what we really want is to be part timers. Several factors contributed to our decision. One of them was (no surprise here) the cost of diesel fuel—when we began our adventure in 2005 we were paying about $1.56/gallon—yesterday we paid $4.25 and felt lucky to get it so “cheaply.”
We have loved our travels over the last three years, but what we’ve realized is that we loved the “traveling” part—seeing parts of this beautiful country that we had never visited before. When we were forced to remain in one place for more than a couple of weeks, the rig (a 36’, 3 slide fiver) became claustrophobic—and it wasn’t the kind of claustrophobia that could be cured by just going outside! We found that we missed having a house, with a nice kitchen, two bathrooms (and a bathtub!) and a separate room for an office so one of us could be on the computer while the other watched TV—and didn’t have to lie on the bed in order to do so.
We have many friends who can’t imagine every going back to a “sticks & bricks” but we are very happy in our new home. DH loves the small yard and the chance to plant flowers (we’re in a 55+ manufactured home park where we are only responsible for any flowers, bushes, etc. that we choose to plant—the lawn is mowed and watered by the management.) I love the full sized appliances, our big bathtub, and the chance to have our stuff around us. I know it is just “stuff”, but it’s our “stuff” and brings back lots of memories.
Our home is small enough, with management that will keep an eye on things while we are gone, that we are still able to travel—although fuel prices will cramp our style a bit. I’m so glad that when we sold our last house we put the money aside to purchase this one. We really thought we would love the full time lifestyle (and we did for a few years), but are very fortunate that we had other options.
For those of you who are thinking about selling everything and going on the road, the best advice I have is to go out on the road for an extended trip—I’m talking at minimum 2-4 months—and see how you feel at the end. Do you dread returning home—or do you look forward to getting back to your house? We wished we had asked ourselves that question, because when I reflect on the many trips we took over the years, while we enjoyed going away, we always looked forward to spending time at home.
That said, I would not give back any moment of the last three years. We have memories (and friendships) that will last the rest of our lives. We wish all of you safe travels and the freedom to do what is right for you.
MaryAnne.. Happy to hear you enjoyed your fulltime adventure and now back to the stik/brick..
We too, left the fulltime lifestyle almost two years ago, wife is happy with our new house..
With me, just the opposite, I still long for the total freedom I felt while fulltiming and wish we were still doing it..
I hope that feeling will fade soon because we will never return to the fulltime lifestyle.. We even sold our little RV and haven't bought another one yet, not sure if we will...
I can now understand how others feel about living where it is not as enjoyable as it once was... Both of us were very happy in the fulltime lifestyle, didn't miss the ole homestead, had enough room in the RV for over 9 years..
I still don't understand why she wanted a house... We did make a pact when we decided to go fulltime, that if either of us wanted to return to the stik/bricks, we would... It just came way too soon for me...
I still cannot rap my brain around the idea of having to have a stik/brick house when the RV gave us the best way to retire.. Which was to stay in fair-weather year round.. To move at the drop of the ole hat... To meet new people instead of seeing the same ole faces everyday.. To enjoy new sunsets/sunrise at different locations when the mood struck us...
Yep, the Majority of people are very happy with their stik/brick, so I must be the oddball, in a tailspin of life...
I've never full-timed, although I thought about it. I retired to rural Oregon three years ago, thinking I'd do more traveling. Much to my surprise, I rarely go anywhere. I've got privacy and a view that I rarely had traveling. I can sit in the living room and watch the hawks circle. This is after almost 50 years of camping & RV'g. Got rid of the RV & when I do travel, I'm basically camping in a steel tent.
Thanks for the honesty in your post. DW and I have discussed fulltiming and I don't think we'll ever do it, although I can certainly understand how nice it must feel to be free to go and do as you wish. We both like our house too much. I expect we'll probably do an extended trip during the summer and an extended trip during the winter and a few shorter trips during the spring and fall.
I could full time in a minute.
I always want to see around the next curve.
My wife, no way!
She tolerates our three months in Florida cause she knows that I want to go.
She is too wrapped up in family and friends to even consider moving or full timing.
So, there will be no fulltiming in our lives.
I always wanted (and still want) to see what is around the next curve. The problem for us is that with the cost of fuel (and the increasing costs of RV parks) we can't be on the road as much as we would like. I really enjoyed last fall, when we traveled from Michigan to North Dakota, to Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee, visiting national parks, etc. along the way. The longest we stayed in one place was three weeks. However, finances just don't allow for that much travel, and when we had to stay in one place for three months this winter, we both started to go a bit stir crazy.
With our new home we'll both work at least part time (DH) and/or full time temporary jobs (me) and save enough money--even with the cost of our home--to take some extended trips. We're set to leave next week for a trip through the Blue Ridge mountains on our way up to Michigan for a few months. We're already planning some additional trips out west in coming years--but that could change if fuel prices continue their upward spiral.
For us, this will be the best of all worlds for as long as we are able to travel--probably, due to age and health, this will be another ten years.
We are into our 9th year of fulltiming. We just can't see any other way to live at this point. We will not let fuel or cg prices stop us. We travel over 10,000 miles yearly and intend to continue.
We would most likely spend way more in a stick house. We are true pioneers in the wrong century...
Dianne
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