Two Years and Two Months
Two Years and Two Months…. and still on the road. I have started my 3rd loop around the Western US this time slowly moving North through California before heading to Oregon and possibly Washington. Planning is futile and I prefer to keep it that way.
Life in the RV has been fantastic. I love the independence and the flexibility it affords and the change of pace have been terrific. Considering my beautiful surroundings, it is ironic how little I get outside. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise; after all I have been working much harder than ever before. It is what happens when you do your own thing – suddenly the chore of a job is replaced by a challenge, a disaster and a gratifying endeavor. Despite the work I have had some wonderful adventures and I have been to extraordinary places. Whenever I leave a town I ask myself, can I live here? So far the answer has been NO every time!
Life in the RV has its own routine. The RV’s got a knack for generating an endless list of things to fix. If it is not the door lock or the window blind, it will be the water pump or the cabinet hinge. When out boondocking (like I am most of the time), you have to make sure you have enough water and groceries. Going to town become a special event and one that is planned for long in advance. Town Time takes up most of your day… laundry, mail, trash, propane, groceries and then the hunt for water. Surprising how difficult it can be to locate life’s most basic necessity. I have become an expert public spigot spotterer.
Life in the RV makes you intimately aware of how much water and power you use. You quickly realize how little you really need. Using less than 10 gallons of water a day, I am still able to take a nice hot shower, cook and clean to hearts content. I have no generator but my solar panels provide enough juice to run two computers, a 24” monitor, satellite internet and all the RV equipment for at least 12 hours each day. I even use less diesel than before because I don’t need to commute. With today’s environmental issues I consider it imperative to live a low impact lifestyle and to strive for carbon neutrality. It is surprisingly easy to change and to break from unnecessary wasteful habits. While this is partly out of necessity (while living in the RV), I certainly plan to continue this lifestyle after my RV trip.
Regular life is beckoning… I expect to make yet another change fairly soon.
