Missing Full-Time RVing

by Lou Finkle
(MS Gulf Coast)

Sadness of losing a life-long wife led me to move into a motorhome. Not wanting to sit and grieve for another 6 months, I sold all and went on the road for 3 years. Magazine articles described my ramblings and joys of a few years wandering. And, then fate intervened. I met a pretty lady who was deeply entrenched in a large estate and business. We shared square dancing and local activities. Within a few years, settled in to a beach cottage, bought equal shares in chain of stores and used the rig only for Samboree rallies. Now I long for the carefree lifestyle to replace sedentary living!

Each night I walk out of my new cottage, enter the motorhome, watch TV, read and, occasionally, sleep there! This has been going on for more than a year. I lie in bed and think of how I lived at campgrounds, boondock, traveled and the hundreds of places I visited. I read my RV magazines, hang around full-timers at rallies and deeply regret leaving the full-time RV life.

My advice to any full-timer thinking of moving from full-time to home-bound ... think carefully. Think of more costs, less freedom, more local demands, greater clutter, less travel, etc... Full-timing occurs to few people. Once full-timing becomes a reality, we get complacent about its lifestyle. It becomes a daily "ho-hum", nothing to it! Then the thoughts return of maybe ... "been there, seen it, bought the t-shirt." But have we seen it all? I doubt it. I still see it ... in my mind, alone, while stagnating. Someday, I will return to free travel. For those of you who are still at it ... "hope to see you soon!"