I believe the biggest fear people have about transitioning to full-time RV life is the problem of minimizing or downsizing. I think we all can agree that as Americans, we have too much stuff. But there seems to always be that pull to get more and more. RV living seems to be kind of like a rebellion against modern material living, though I do not consider what we do deviant or rebellious or even a sacrificing for the greater good; we are not on some crusade to minimize our energy usage or lower our personal waste, though we have by default! We strive to simply live optimally for us. We optimize what little we do have without room for the rest!
Still fearful of letting go of it all and hitting the road? I had the same thoughts go through my head when we first discussed the idea. Where am I going put all my clothes and boxes of stuff? Can I really have two teenage boys come stay in that tiny of a space with me and my husband? What about my guests? What about my dog? What if I need privacy? Is it even safe?
The very fact I was fearful was what drove me onward. It’s the fear of the unknown that prevents many of us from optimizing our lives. I’m not saying RV living is for everyone, and I have sat with neighbors who had a baby on the way and listened to their fears of staying in a small and potentially hazardous area such as their RV. Don’t get me wrong, I think the RV lifestyle can be a challenge especially when raising an infant, but it is working for some, and it has obviously worked for me, my husband and my two teenage stepchildren who visit quite frequently.
In the early stages when my husband and I continued down the path of converting our lives from a house to a fully furnished apartment and then finally into our RV, we realized we really only needed some of our clothes. We totally hit the reset button, and it was amazing, liberating, and exciting! I have to confess though, I had already had a good breaking-in with moving as a member of the military, and I did not make this RV transition until after a deployment where I lived for seven months in a train container (connex) with only an AC unit and a metal bunk bed. I had already received the “death-by-fire” to living minimally, but I knew it was temporary in Afghanistan. (Some of my military friends are chuckling at me, because they lived under HMVs with just a poncho during Desert Storm and the initial invasion into Iraq. Well, sorry guys I missed that part, and I feel a little sorry for those of you who had to experience that, but I know you are a badass!) Regardless, to the average American, living in a train container is not the norm. Ironically, though, I have never felt more freedom in my life, because I had no idea what to expect, plenty of time to think about life, and no excessive stuff to hold me down! In fact, the realization and the consistent reminder that living in an RV (and being in a combat zone) reminds me is that life is so temporary, and we must live it to the fullest everyday!
Living on the road and with minimal stuff simply makes you grateful. In the RV community, there is no competition involving who has the bigger or most stylish house or better lawn. The RV community is built on cooperation and getting though the day-to-day life together. It’s truly remarkable how helpful everyone is everywhere we have been in this mobile community. There has only be one time I can recall pulling up to an RV site and getting the feeling we were not wanted. Everywhere else has been amazing!
Very quickly, I learned I had too many clothes even though I spent twelve hours a day in the same old uniform. (I am still a little bit of a fashionista! I have a terribly expensive Michael Kors obsession ever since the PX, AKA military Walmart, started selling the brand!) I had a place to put my book collection, Army gear, two kayaks, two bikes, seasonal decorations, bathroom toiletries, pots and pans and a ton of groceries. I had a place to hang pictures and a place to put important documents and a place to store lawn chairs and 50 lb bags of dog food. I can fit so much more in my camper, because its 42 feet and well designed. But I have to stay in a constant state of downsizing or stuff simply starts piling up. It is very satisfying, though, to be forced to keep everything neat and tidy or you literally will not be able to move around. Now, when I go out shopping, I usually do not want to spend anything which is a natural barrier for me to think, “I really do not have anywhere to put that!”
So, when you sit down to speak with your significant other, or for the super brave single RVers, sit and think just to yourself about how you want to live, remember that this may be a challenge, but this an amazing opportunity for personal growth, and it will bring you into a whole new community and bring your family closer. Whatever you decide, optimize your life now!
~Lesley
