What Do You Do?? - Montana Owners Club

Hooker · 07-23-2013, 12:26 PM

This may seem like a dumb question, but what do you full timers do day to day, week after week, month after month? At the present time, we travel an average of four times a year for a month each time. We've done it all, a month at one place, two weeks at two different places, a week at four different places, and visited relatives and friends. After a week or so, we've seen all there is to see, and done all there is to do and I'm bored. I've cleaned everything that needs cleaning, fixed everything that needs fixing, read all I care to read and don't like daytime TV. At home, there is always something to do...on the road not so much. After a month or so, I'm ready to head home. So, back to my original question...what do you do?

halfwright · 07-23-2013, 01:48 PM

Right now, we are in our third month of volunteering at Steamboat Lake state park in Colorado. Before we had a month volunteering at Ft. Stanton NM. When we are traveling, there is always plaenty to see and do for us. Of course, we are easily entertained. I take lots of pictures and spend some time organizing and processing them.

bigskyjimmy · 07-23-2013, 01:51 PM

We have a "home base" Resort on a lake with a little boat for fishing etc.. that is by our Family and take off for month long trips at a time with other friends that are fulltime Rver's and do lots of things Fish, hike,clam digging, explore new places,photography, campfires at night drinking wine laughing and we also have scooters that we bring with us to explore towns, beaches,then come back "home" for a few months take care of some business then head out for another adventure with buddies

ols1932 · 07-23-2013, 03:02 PM

We do many of the things we did when we had our stick house. My wife and I are both computer literate and spend a lot of time working on them. She's a graphic designer, I'm a former technical writer. We sight see and do a lot of walking when we can. We usually can't find enough time to do all the things we want to do.

Orv

WeBeFulltime · 07-23-2013, 03:38 PM

We live our lives just like we did before going full time. Many who full time, us included, can't afford to stay in "vacation mode" all the time.

JandC · 07-23-2013, 04:25 PM

Our day to day lives haven't changed since going full time. I am winding down a small contracting business so we are staying in our home area for most of this summer and then down to Florida for the winter. Starting next year we will do more moving around but with 5 grown kids and 10 grandkids we will still spend 3 to 4 months back "home". Our future plans are to take numerous 2 or 3 week trips to different parts of the U.S. but keep returning to our "home" port. We both have some hobbies plus our Monte is a 2008 so it will probably keep me a little busy maintaining everything. I think the draw for us to take the plunge into full-timing was the fact that we can do pretty much whatever we want to do whenever we want to do it. I don't know if we could stay full time for 10 or 15 years like some folks have, but I am sure we will need 4 or 5 years to do the traveling that we want to do.

K0LCB · 07-23-2013, 04:42 PM

We read, play computer games, look at forums, sleep, eat, watch people, play with our dogs, take walks, try to act like normal folks

**DQDick** · 07-23-2013, 06:49 PM

We volunteer both as jobs and just to volunteer on projects, Joyce produces art, I work on my photography and making and selling greeting cards. Frankly we seldom have enough time in the day.

Phil P · 07-24-2013, 02:00 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Hooker

This may seem like a dumb question, but what do you full timers do day to day, week after week, month after month? At the present time, we travel an average of four times a year for a month each time. We've done it all, a month at one place, two weeks at two different places, a week at four different places, and visited relatives and friends. After a week or so, we've seen all there is to see, and done all there is to do and I'm bored. I've cleaned everything that needs cleaning, fixed everything that needs fixing, read all I care to read and don't like daytime TV. At home, there is always something to do...on the road not so much. After a month or so, I'm ready to head home. So, back to my original question...what do you do?

Hi

That’s why I have 100,000 miles on the truck and 50,000 miles on the trailer.

We full timed for almost a year. Then my son whom I had given the stick house to free and clear gave it back because it was too much maintenance.

The longest we have stayed in one place was about 10 days until I found a way to make money pulling my trailer around the country. Now we stay some times as much as 3 months before returning home.

Phil P

Recumbent · 07-24-2013, 05:01 AM

Actually there is less to do at our home-base than when traveling. We retired from our non-farm jobs and leased out the farm, so the only things left to do (that I want to do) is yard and house maintenance. Our pattern is to travel about 6 months yearly with 3 months of that being during the winter in Florida where we have lots of fun with friends and family. There are many bike paths we ride, do some surf/peer fishing, and we still take time to go to the beach. We enjoy art and attend many shows and theater events including a wonderful presentation of Wicked in Ft. Lauderdale this past winter. Having worked for 36 years on the job, plus being a sundowner farmer (at night and weekends including taking vacation to farm) we are pleased to make a change. We have tried to make sure our lives were not about "work" (employment), there are so many things to see and do, friends to know, places to go, and so little time.

richfaa · 07-24-2013, 05:58 AM

We have a S&B so we are full timers for 6 months in Florida. We work very part time at Disneyworld and do whatever we feel like doing. For the other six months we travel wherever we feel like traveling or do whatever we feel like doing .The only thing that is different is that we have no full time job commitment.

Irlpguy · 07-24-2013, 10:21 AM

When we are away from home for an extended period of time we are finding it increasingly more expensive to go and see some of the things we might want to see. We also have had issues with RV parks that just happen to have no knowledge of dogs whatsoever and lump the Doberman in with Pit Bulls and Rotweiler's as being a vicious variety. Others that claim to have a dog area, which turns out to be a 10 x 12' fenced in area in which to take your dog, really is not a dog area. I refuse to go away for long periods without my dog and until she is not around that will be the case.

Where can I go and visit, where in less than a five minute drive this morning, I was able to see Osprey, nesting Blue Herons and Bald eagles all along one of the most productive fishing rivers in the Province. Deer, Bear and many other animals all within a half hour drive.

When we travel I go geocaching, some hiking and bike riding mixed in with the odd game of golf, after 2 months in desert like places, I want to go home and see trees, crystal clear water and be able to wander out to my workshop and weld, do woodwork and many other things.

I do not ever see full timing in my lifestyle. Some find it wonderful and would have it no other way. Whatever makes you happy and keeps you busy and enjoying each day is what it is all about. Like Hooker, keeping busy when away can be my problem.

Parts Ed · 07-24-2013, 01:30 PM

Oh to be able to do that....... Maybe in about 10 years or so.....

Mrs. CountryGuy · 07-24-2013, 02:15 PM

All I have to say is I want your energy levels Hooker!! I have energy level envy.

We are in an extreme long timers mode right now. It is a blend of vacation mode, seeing OODLES of stuff in too big a hurry. My definition of big hurry would probably be slow and lazy for you.

It's different for all of us. Yes, we still have a stick built. Do I miss it, not too much, honestly. When I am there I will have much work to do, yard, big house to clean, piles and piles of research to mess with. When I am not there, I sorta miss my family heirlooms and artifacts. And, we miss the kids and grandtwins.

All this said, in this extreme long timers mode/vacation mode, I still feel we are moving tooooooooo fast. Even after a week somewhere I leave slightly frustrated in having not seen it the way I want, to immerse my soul in the area, find the great photo spots and visit them over and over at different times of the day. Find the museums, really have time to go in and look, really learn the history of a place.

Shoot, by the time we do the reality of life things, like laundry and shopping and fixing stuff that breaks, and research the next place we will be visiting and writing blogs and genie research, I have NO time for my crafts or reading a novel or any number of other things.

See, for us all, it is different. But, I still have energy level envy! If you could share it would be so wonderful. I'll even say, "please".

richfaa · 07-24-2013, 02:26 PM

The full timer mode was also not for us. We found we could enjoy the best of both lifestyles and do the long timers thing. We can't wait to be full timers in the winter and we can't wait to get home for the summer. Next summer our travels will take us to the N.E states and the year after that to Wyoming and points west...again. We sort of laid back this summer to do some work on the S&B and get reacquainted with our family.This is the longest we have been at the S&B for the last 6 years.

rving2us · 07-25-2013, 02:54 AM

Great thread, I enjoy reading how all of us fill up our days. I am just begining to have the freetime I have dreamed and Mary will be retireing this Friday and yes, we are pumped. Full time, long time; it all sounds great to us. Keep the information coming.

Hooker · 07-25-2013, 08:18 AM

Thanks for the comments.

Maybe I'm like Rich, and just not cut out to be a full timer. When we've been home for a while...I'm ready to head out; when we've been out for a month...I'm ready to head home.

Flymutt · 07-25-2013, 10:24 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Hooker

When we've been home for a while...I'm ready to head out; when we've been out for a month...I'm ready to head home.

That's exactly how it is for me and the DW.

steelpony5555 · 07-25-2013, 06:07 PM

I watch grass grow. .....we are just long timers when we can get away. Wifes little business keeps her busy, but I'm retired and I have gotten really good at watching grass grow and being an expert porch sitter lol lol........

Rainer · 07-26-2013, 02:02 AM

We're not fulltmers, but we do stay out on the road for months at a time. We're currently one month into a two month adventure, having driven 3000 miles. We've reached the half-way point in this adventure both in time and distance from our home in Southern California as were currently just outside of Cleveland.

To keep things interesting we believe one needs to follow a theme. And to make it more interesting, we're now combining themes.

On our odyssey around the U.S. in 2010, our theme was presidential birthplaces, homes, or libraries. We've continued that theme as it is extremely interesting for us.

This year for our adventure we've added state capitols. These buildings have great architecture and even greater history. Tours are free and take you places you'd never see otherwise.

Both my wife and I love photography, so we "compete" to see who can capture the best scene. And every night we sit at our computers editing those photos and proudly showing each other our "catch of the day."

We blog our experiences and photos: http://monte2013.blogspot.com so that also takes time.

With a senior national park pass (just $5 for a lifetime) we're able to get into most presidential places for free. State capitols have also been free. And once you purchase a computer and digital camera the photography aspect is also free.

Free is good.

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