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Old 01-13-2005, 04:21 AM   #1
Dennis and Carol
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Changing lifestyle!!!!!!

As of yesterday evening it looks like we are about to become homeless. We put our home on the market last friday and last night signed the sales contract. In about 30 days we will become FULLTIMERS. As I write this, I am more than a little concerned that we have made the right decision. We did spend over 4 months in the Montana last summer and got along fine. I am not quite old enough to draw my SS so we will have do some work along the way. Thinking about going fulltime has been great fun, but now doing it is very scary. We are a very close family which makes it especially hard on Carol, the kids and grandkids. Any ideas, suggestions, support, etc. will be greatly appreciated.

 
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Old 01-13-2005, 06:02 AM   #2
Glenn and Lorraine
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It's really quite simple, in about 30 days hook up that Dodge to the 2850RK and head it south for the warmer climates. Stay in those warmer climates until the freeze is out of Washington. At that point turn the rig north and go up and see the kids.
We did pretty much the same thing back in Oct 2003 and it's been working out fine. In fact, this past Sunday and Monday my oldest daughter and hubby drove all the way from southeast Penna to Florida to see us. They returned to Penna this morning. Sometimes you just gotta bring the mountain to Mohammid.

One other thing, Lorraine does draw SS but I won't be 62 until March 14th. As I type this Lorraine is working at H&R Block to help defray some of the costs.

I will admit that we had a slight advantage as we have only 2 daughters, 1 spouse and just 2 grown grandkids.

You have already commited to the sale of the house so just do it!
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Old 01-13-2005, 09:09 AM   #3
RC and Samantha
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Congratulations on your new Upgraded Lifestyle change and your upcoming adventures. I sure envy you and wish you all the best for the future.

We will be looking forward to reading about all your successes in the upcoming days. Enjoy! You'll do great I'm sure.

Patty
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Old 01-13-2005, 09:21 AM   #4
jrgwdenner
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Congratulations on the sale of your house! We've looked into the fulltiming lifestyle and from what I've read Fear is a normal emotion when making such a big change in your life. It is also very exciting. I've read a lot on other forums such as RVNet.com, Hitchitch, Escapees, etc. Try a search with "fulltiming" in the box and you'll find lots of information and reassurance regarding your decision.
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Old 01-13-2005, 09:40 AM   #5
stiles watson
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If you think about it, the biological and emotional reactions to fear and excitement are basically the same, i.e., increased heart rate, adrenalin rush, increased respiration, sweaty palms. So what is the difference? Attitude!!! There is that little switch somewhere in the head that turns us from looking at what we might lose to what we might gain. In that moment, our fear turns into excitement.

Part of my career was spent doing mental health care in a nursing home. In talking to these elders, I discovered they garnered much more regret for what they didn't do than for what they did. "I missed my chance," was an all too common theme. Pondering that with regard to our own lives is what gave fuel to our commitment to going fulltime.

Let me assure you that hesitancy and doubt are very normal responses to approaching the brink of making dreams a reality. A good life lies behind and exciting life lies ahead. It's like "Wagons West" without the indians.

Turn the switch and have a great adventure.
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Old 01-13-2005, 09:45 PM   #6
Montana Sky
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Dennis and Carol,
I will have to admit I am jealous. I would love to be able to full time, but have many more years ahead of me before that time comes. I pretty much live in my coach all summer down at Lake Roosevelt and drive in for work every day. We have 5 or 6 full timers in the marina that live there all summer and then head to Sun City, AZ for the winters. When talking with them the love it, spending the winters away gives them the private time they want and being up here in the summer allows for the close family times. If something is going on up here in the winter they just fly up. Best of luck on your upcoming adventure, and if your ever down at the lake stop in and say hello.
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Old 01-14-2005, 12:21 AM   #7
Montana_2821
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Dennis and Carol, I hope you keep us informed. We are considering selling our house in about a year also and am very interested in your reactions for the next year or so.
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Old 01-14-2005, 03:35 AM   #8
Montana_2304
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Dennis and Carol,
Sue and I were in the same situation last year. We had talked about fulltiming for several years and last year sold the house in April. We stayed at a local resort til mid october and went on trips about every two weeks for long weekends. Sue is still working and plans on retiring this fall. Our first six months living in the 5'er went very well. We had kept some of our furniture and personal stuff at a storage facility, that was a waste of time and money. Finally have gotten rid of most of the furniture and gave the rest to the family. Storing our personal things at one of the kids house.We are renting a condo for this winter and I don't want to do it again next year. Going south this coming winter and if she misses the kids and grandkids alot they are only a short flight away. I want to travel as much as we can before we can't anymore. Remember you can always go back to a stick home when the time comes. It's an adventure, do it while you can!
Charlie and Sue
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Old 01-14-2005, 04:07 AM   #9
Chester
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Stiles, you have such a way with words. Your advice is great and well said.
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Old 01-14-2005, 01:00 PM   #10
Native Tex
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Dennis and Carol - we are jealous of your situation. We are planning the same thing in the next couple of years. The wife can retire now, but is waiting on me. We too just love the idea, but are apprehensive due to the closeness of our family. Even though our kids and grandkids are strewn in three time zones, it is still a shaky feeling knowing that you do not have that terra firma waiting on some street corner should you desire to return some day. I think we are ready to stop all the yard work, the leaf raking, house upkeep, etc. Please let us all know how it works for you two.
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Old 01-14-2005, 02:32 PM   #11
Montana_2771
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We too are starting the "fulltimers" life. My husband is on disability and unable to work. As we are "youngeters" 45 & 46 I still need to work but be close to my husband. We have always enjoyed camping so we sold our home in December and we are awaiting the arrival or our 3400RL. It is scary but hey we raised 5 kids, 2 of which are serving our country,we should be able to handle anything right? Good luck, enjoy and hopefully we will be seeing you sometime soon on the road.
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Old 01-14-2005, 05:18 PM   #12
stiles watson
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Smurfette,
How can fulltiming be any scarier than giving birth to five children. This should be a walk in the park comparitively.

My son has five from age 9 to 6 mos. His comment, "With four, you have one for each hand. With five you run out of hands."
My daughter-in-law says she wants a nine pasenger van. My wife told her, "Watch out, he might want to fill it up."
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Old 01-15-2005, 02:39 AM   #13
larryngail
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Dennis and Carol,

Our current lifestyle is a lot like Charlie and Sue's. We've been in our estate-on-wheels for one year. Neither of us are old enough for SS either -- so, yes...it is scary. Though Larry thought he was ready to quit working, he has not. It's scary. I kind of think the scary part for Larry is that it's such a huge change. He's worked very hard since he was 19 years old and doesn't know anything different. Since selling the house, Larry has taken more time off. He's beginning to ease-in to the fact that it really is okay to enjoy himself. He'll get there when he's ready.

There are many different full-time lifestyles. Check out sreigle if you want to see a couple who have really put on the miles. I'm seeing much of the country through their eyes (Vicki has a great photo/journal of their journey). I mention Steve and Vicki because I thought I wanted to travel in the way that they've been doing.

Now that I've had time away from my life of over 25 years, I don't know that I will ever want to be away from my family for long periods of time. My life was where my daughter and her girls would just pop-in, joining us for a meal or just a chat. We were VERY active in each other's life. We still are, but in a different way.

Durning this past year, we've been able to detach ourselves from more of our belongings. We have been able to simplfy in a way that I never believed possible -- and I am VERY happy. Though we have not traveled about, I love the life I am living.

Because of our family attachments, I doubt that we will ever be away for to long. It's just to hard on both Larry and me. Our home base will be where our children are.

Neither of us are sorry we sold our home. We are content in our lifestyle -- and enjoy the changes we've made. And we look forward to changes we'll be making, when we are ready.

Hang in there.

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Old 01-15-2005, 05:23 AM   #14
Montana_74
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Dennis and Carol

We had the same fears as everyone else and after two great years in our 'cabin on wheels' are still in love with the whole idea. We have found while we do both draw retirement but no social security, that we do not have the expenses that we had with the stick house and going to work every day. That seems to offset $$$$$ problems we thought might accompany full-timing. We seem to be able to do everything we want to do.

We normally base at Toledo Bend Lake in Louisiana and travel when the time allows. We have not been able to do as much as we would like to, for one reason or the other. This time, we have the pleasure of being in Scott Louisiana to set up the mobile Pop N Granny's day care for our brand new grandson. We will be here through the end of May, when our daughter is finished teaching and we close the day care. It's working two ways, (1)we get to spend quality time with our little family (one daughter, husband and first grandson) and (2)enjoy all of the festivals that Cajun country has to offer and they are many.

It is great to be able to leave one place and go to another and still have your own bed (purchased special mattress) and other items to provide the comfort to which you are accustomed.

We are finding out that 'you are a true cajun when you can stand on the levee of your rice field and tell how much gravy it will take to cover it'.

travel safe and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
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Old 01-15-2005, 05:23 AM   #15
Parrothead
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Stiles,
I love your comments. You have a great way with words and very good insight.
One way to travel and keep in touch with your kids is to have them kind of strung out across the nation. We have one in Florida, one in Northern California, and the rest in Southern California. So the one in Florida will give us an excuse to go there.
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Old 01-16-2005, 08:13 AM   #16
Dennis and Carol
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Thanks to all for the great responses and support. It really means a lot to us. The MOC is great in all respects.
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Old 01-16-2005, 10:07 AM   #17
vickir
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Dennis and Carol ... We're coming up on two years of full-timing and, except for being away from the family (for too long, in my mind anyway), I wouldn't trade it. We're seeing things in this country that we've only read about and enjoying every minute of it. Today, for instance, while the washer was washing and the dryer was drying I was walking on the beach at Tybee Island, Georgia ... and found a conch shell (while dodging the incoming tide)... and yesterday we were in Florida and I saw three alligators and two manatees ... I could never have done that in Topeka, Kansas!

Our kids all live in the KC area and we get back twice a year ... for the holidays/granddaughter #3's birthday and in the summer for granddaughter #4's birthday. I won't go into all the details of how we juggle family and this life-style here on the Forum, but if you're interested, just PM me and I give you all the gory details.


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Old 01-16-2005, 10:19 AM   #18
Montana_2771
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Stiles,
Giving birth was a piece of cake. ( just ask my husband )
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Old 01-16-2005, 02:11 PM   #19
sreigle
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Dennis and Carol, congratulations!

I suspect you're going through the same emotions most of us went through. In fact, that not only applies to going fulltiming. When you left your parents home you developed a lifestyle that worked for you as a single adult. When you got married, you and your spouse adapted to each other and developed a lifestyle that worked for you. Likewise as kids came along. And when kids left the next. And now, when you move to the next phase of your life. Each of those is scary as you first approach them but in each you develop what works for you and begin to enjoy your 'new' life.

As Vicki mentioned, we get back to visit our kids and grandkids. We spend Nov/Dec near them and a month or so in the spring/summer. It's a bit easier for us since our kids are in the middle of the country but you can work out the plans to get there.

We continue to develop our lifestyle. We had some things we wanted to do early on, including visiting friends and relatives we had not seen in a very long time. They are spread all over the country so we did a lot of miles in the first year or so. Now we've begun to slow that down. We've discovered we're not on vacation. We don't have to see everything in two weeks. We can stay in one place for a month, or two, and really get to explore the lesser known areas. Some of those are amazing. For example, we spent two plus months in the Kansas City area around our kids/grandkids. And now we're spending two months in Savannah, GA. We also discovered we need days for laundry, for house cleaning, for maintenance, and days just to be retired and do whatever we feel like doing. Or nothing. In other words, we just moved our residence to one that's on wheels and we move around a bit more.

You are young but so were we, relatively speaking. I retired 5 weeks after turning 55. Shortly after turning 56 we started fulltiming. Vicki was 53 (See, Glenn, she's not 60!). We thought when we started out that by the two year mark we'd either be bored with this lifestyle or burned out. Not long ago we both commented we now think we need five or six more years before we "settle down." Next week we mark 22 months of fulltiming. The secret for us was to slow down and give ourselves more time to do the things we want to do and see. And we have the time to do that.

Please don't hesitate to ask anyone on this forum or post questions or concerns as you begin your new adventure. I hope you'll find you are entering a grand new lifestyle you can mold into what you want it to be, just like you did with all the other stages of your life. And you have all the folks in this forum for support.

Good luck. It's a great way of life. And if you find it's not really for you, well, you can always reverse course. Don't forget to check out those US and state highways. To us they make the travel part of the adventure much more interesting and I think the Montana likes them better too (they're usually better roads with less traffic).

I could go on and on but have already made this post far too long. Good luck in your new life.
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Old 01-17-2005, 10:33 AM   #20
adelmoll
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Dennis and Carol,
Congratulations. You are so lucky. You should try the Escapees forum(escapees.com) fulltimeing, class of 05. It is so exciting you will not give anything else a thought.
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