[DutchmenSport]

Welcome to the forums! And congrats on getting your Montana.

I retired 2 years ago (actually, January 14, 2022) ... today is the 12th ... and never looked back. We are "half-retired". My wife is still working. We were both working from home full time for quite a long time before I retired and we'd taken our "home office" on the road. Now, we are spending time camp hosting as much as possible and she's still working remote.

I started sending out applications for camp hosting almost 2 years before we landed our first gig. The year I retired I got my first "hit". But it was not in my home state. It was North Carolina. I committed to only 1 month, but that 1 month opened things up. We returned the next year for 2 months and returning again this year for 2 months. Meanwhile, another opportunity opened up in Louisiana at the Audubon State Historic Site. The position is "camp host", but there is no campground here. They do have a set up for full hook-ups for 2 RV sites. My duty is a tour guide, and I'm helping (not my required duty) around the grounds with odd things to keep me busy.

So, if you are interested in the camp host opportunities, they are "out there", but you really do need to start working on them months in advance and start inquiring about the month of October for the following year. Breaking in in some states is near impossible. Other states, they are screaming for help.

Anyway, if you are interested, it's a great alternative for some free camping and longer stays that permits you to REALLY get to experience the local culture and history that often is missed when just passing through or staying only a couple days simply to hit the high light tourist attractions.

Personally, we enjoy engaging in the local culture and community and shy away from the tourist trap attractions.

But, each of us does it different. At any rate, now is the time to start making plans how you want to travel, what you would like to accomplish and things you'd like to do over the first 12 months of retirement. But also, keep yourself flexible. Once you start out, plans change easy and you many end up in an unexpected delightful experience you didn't plan on at all.

Happy camping!