Loneliness Fulltiming

[blamb]

I'm lonely for a significant other's presence and hugs. I miss having someone to live with and see everyday, instead of being isolated. But other than that, I don't find myself very lonely, I am a friendly outgoing person despite communication difficulties. I know for sure that if I had a truck and were able to travel around the US I'd probably have lots of friends in every state. The only reason I don't really have any is lack of opportunity to make them, since I can't drive.

[billklem]

We have been full time for a year, like everyone has said we have met many people and made several friends. I would not trade this for the world.
Last Christmas one of the kids met up with us and spent a week in a cabin, My stept son said that he thinks he will visit us this next year, So you see the kids will come to you.

We just bought a new rig, its a 09, 34ROLQ. It holds 6 for drinks, 4 for dinner and sleeps 2.

Bill

[Glenn and Lorraine]

BTW- If you are the least bit shy of just walking up to a stranger and starting a conversation try this...

Like you I have a Duramax and, of course, a Montana. Anytime I see a Duramax come into the CG I try to find where they are set up. I will walk up and say "how you like that Duramax?" I let them know I have one and the conversation is off and running.
I'll do the same thing if they have a Monty. "How ya like that Montana"? Now here you can get different responses. Some negative, yes I said negative, but mostly positive replys.
If they are positive, once again we are off and running. This is when I ask if they ever heard of the MOC. More often than not they will say "no". Not a problem as I am all set to explain the MOC to them.
If they are negative I try to find out why. I have met some very disgruntled Monty owners and after a bit of conversation I can sometimes solve their problem due to what I have garnered from the MOC. If I can't change their negative attitude toward their Monty, more often than not I end up walking away.

Anytime you have something in common you also have a conversation opener. Be it a pet, TV, hobby or even from the same state you have that as an opener.

[Art-n-Marge]

My wife and I retired early in life (I was only 50). We downsized to a smaller stickhouse 60 miles from our mansion in the crowded big city. Guess what? We don't see our families any more than we used to, in fact less, because they still work and have no time and maybe there's a little envy. We mostly go to their houses but they still aren't always available.

We learned that enjoying our retirement is very much up to us! First, as I learned 3 years later, you'll gain thousands of friends just by becoming a member of this forum. You will run into others who are in your same boat - retired and claiming loneliness, NOT!. When you become a full-timer or a long-timer you are already friends with all the other full-timer and long-timers you meet. In time, you will see what other friends and family will be envious that you are finally your own boss with no one else to answer to you if don't want to. To live in a country that is free and actually be free - there's no feeling like it.

Good luck on your decision and as a full-timer you will be even more free than DW and I (we'll probably still be stuck with a stickhouse for a while). Be patient with your new found freedom and learn to live it. There will be plenty of new friends to help you!

[JimF]

You are only lonely if you let yourself be that way. We have campgrounds that we go to that are like going home and we know most of the folks there and we socialize. The neat thing is we keep meeting these same folks in parks whereever we go, like home is always with you, friends and all.

We were a little concerned about the same thing until we got to our first campground, we haven't been worried since. ENJOY..

[clutch]

We are long timers. We have lived in the same town for me 62yrs and for Sallie 45yrs. We have more friends in the camping world than we have at (home). It seems that at home all our friends are still working and we have little contact with them unless it is a weekend. We look forward to the fall each year because all our new friends have the same intrests and time off that we have.

[Wayne and Carolyn Mathews]

Being lonely is nearly impossible. We're not fulltimers, and even stopping for a night on the road means someone will soon walk by and ask one of the following (if we aren't out asking it first):

1. I see you have a Montana. We love ours. Do you know about MOC?
2. You have a Ford F-350 like we have. How do you like it?
3. What is your dog's name? Does he travel well?
4. Can you suggest some things we should do or see in this area?
or, if all else fails . . .
5.Hello! My name is Carolyn and this is Wayne. Where are you from?

I can't imagine being lonely, even if we went fulltime. Attending rallies, running across friends in odd places (you're going north on a bridge and they're going south on the same bridge, and you spot one another), meeting people who know your friends and relatives or your home town--all of those can and will happen. If you want peace and quiet and no personal connections, I'm sure it could be managed. But set up your rig, take a walk through the park, and I bet by the time you return to your spot you'll have met at least 5 people, some of whom may have a lot in common with you.

And now, a word for MOC: It is impossible to be lonely when you're a MOC member. Even before we went to our first rally earlier this month, we'd made friends through the MOC site. We've shared stories, discovered common interests, suggested ways to make RV life easier and more comfortable, and gained valuable suggestions when for solving RV-related repair issues.

I think owning a Montana, joining MOC, and traveling fulltime is a great way to visit friends you never got to see very often (because they were so far away) and to make new, good friends who will expand your world and happiness!

Carolyn
PS: You can also discover a hobby you never thought you'd like, one that could possibly . . . just possibly . . . cause you to spend hours and money in ways you never imagined. In my case, I was introduced to beading at the 7 Feathers rally a few weeks ago. Thanks, Pam and Susan, for helping me find another way to spend my money!!!

[vgforbes]

easiest way to make new friends is to get out of your rig and go talk to people It is unbelievable how many of us are just ntoo shy to do so... hey if nothing else knock on the two rigs on either side of you and announce a potluck at 5pm.... what;s the worst that can happen? someone says no... and chances are you'll end up with so many people you wont know what to do,,, word spreads fast

[sreigle]

Glenn neglected to say one thing. He's also known (by me to walk up to a Ford (at that time) owner and say "When are you going to buy a real truck?" My response, of course, is always to laugh and say, "I already did." But I don't think Glenn would start this particular conversation with a stranger. We've known him and Lorraine for quite awhile.

Another conversation starter is "Where in (name the state on their plate) are you folks from?" That usually gets things going.

In Branson I had a neighbor walk up to me when I was outside and say, "First, I want to congratulate you on the terrific job you did backing that rig into that site, between those trees." I had to tell him what he didn't see was a park workers walking beside my truck talking me into the site. It was a tough one but he sure knew what he was doing. Anyhow, the neighbor's comment broke the ice and we talked several times before they left a couple of weeks later.