It’s been quite a rollercoaster for us the past 4 years. We’ve researched, planned, bought, moved, traveled coast to coast, broke things, fixed things, learned A LOT, traveled north to south, sold, bought again, and moved again- all while balancing full-time jobs. Ethan and I currently live in our 21-foot Lance travel trailer along with Loki, Hershel, and Luna- our dog and two cats. We were craving a life of wonder and excitement, so that’s what we created for ourselves.
Our First Move
After dating for two years in college, Ethan and I moved into our first apartment together in Charleston, South Carolina. We both accepted job offers, packed up our belongings, and drove just over 700 miles south. Coincidentally, we both always dreamed of living where the weather was warm and with the ocean nearby- so, that’s what we did. There were many aspects of Charleston that we absolutely loved. Moving from the midwest to a coastal city was invigorating for us. The first year or so I remember us still so giddy about how happy we were to have several beaches, a beautiful historic city, and the most delicious food at our fingertips. I never stopped admiring the drooping Spanish moss over the live oak tree limbs or the rows of architecture dating back to the 18th century. We consistently visited plantation homes, the endless museums, iconic King Street, and of course, Folly Beach. We took full advantage of everything the Low Country offered and never got tired of it.
The Push for Travel
Just after two years of living in Charleston, we began house hunting. Ethan and I probably walked through about 5 houses by the time we considered full-time RVing instead. One of his physical therapy patients made small talk over traveling. Ethan expressed how he’d always been intrigued by travel physical therapy but he didn’t think it would ever work since I, his girlfriend at the time, was a teacher. His patient then exclaimed that she was a teacher too and told him how she taught online for the state’s virtual program. Graciously, she offered for me to contact her to learn more about the program and apply for a job there. I took this opportunity and ran with it.
Ethan and I threw the idea of travel physical therapy around many times since college. The outdoors and trying new things always captivated us. We easily get bored with comfortability and seem to be always searching for new places to explore, unique people to meet, and activities to try out. We absolutely loved Charleston, but we also were so drawn to what else was out there. Our hesitation to choose travel physical therapy was due to the fact that I wasn’t fully willing to give up my career. I couldn’t figure out an adequate way to use my degree and make a decent salary, all while living on the road- that is until Ethan’s patient informed me. Although state virtual teaching programs were relatively new, I couldn’t believe I didn’t hear about them before. After researching South Carolina’s program and confirming that it was a good fit for me, I applied for the open Visual Arts Teaching position. After a few interviews, I was offered the job and given the responsibility of an online classroom and just over 100 students for the summer semester. I was stoked! That next school year I balanced both, my brick and mortar classroom as well as my new online classroom.
It’s relatively easy for travel healthcare workers to find jobs. All Ethan needed to do was pick out a travel recruiting company and apply. The company would be the one in charge of matching Ethan with potential jobs and playing the middleman in the hiring process. Ethan ended up being referred to Cariant Health Partners, a small, reliable, and very personable company that runs out of Omaha, NE.
Making the Purchase
During the year leading up to full-time RVing and travel, we slowly began to prepare for the change in lifestyle. I grew up RVing with my family during holidays and summer break so it wasn’t much of a surprise to me regarding what we were getting ourselves into. Ethan had experience with a few trips in an RV and also felt comfortable with the idea of downsizing our living quarters. We did quite a bit of RV research online and talked with many friends and family members for their input and recommendations. It is overwhelming with how many different types, lengths, and models of RVs there are. We finally narrowed down our RV of choice after visiting a few RV dealerships and walking through several dozen models. In March 2017 we pulled the trigger on a 40-foot Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome. To stay within an affordable budget we purchased a diesel rig that was 12 years old but she was in like-new shape and with only 40K miles.
On May 29th, two days before our lease ended on our apartment, we picked up our new bus and parked it outside of our apartment. It took us about half a day to move all of our belongings into our new home on wheels- leaving our two cats, Hershel and Luna, for last. Don’t worry, the previous months we worked vigorously on purging and donating about three-fourths of our things. Thanks to the pass-through basement storage of the new RV, we were able to fit everything in! But realistically, during the next month or so, we continued to donate even more so it didn’t feel so cluttered. It was a little overwhelming at first, letting go of many personal items, but it got easier with time. I do admit that I mailed a few boxes to my parents with photographs, artwork, other memorable items, and some special occasion clothing. Other than that, we converted our mindset to think minimally. And, we applied a few new mantras to our thought process.
> materials create temporary happiness, experiences create lasting memories
> buy less, choose well, make it last
> less stuff, more clarity
> simplify.
As the artist and hobbyist that I am, it was difficult for me to pick and choose what stayed and what needed to go. I got so attached to the emotions and memories that paired with many things I owned. Ethan continued to remind me of the Wookiefoot lyrics in their song “Just Visiting”-
“On the day that lay your body down to bury
There will be no pockets on the pants you’re wearing
And on that day you will see what it all is worth
So earthlings don’t keep your treasures here on earth
Because in the end we’re only visiting.”
We quickly started to realize that quality was needed over quantity. Functionality became a priority. Multi-functional items were gems to us. This transition gave us a whole new perspective on “things”. We became more aware of how wasteful it is to buy things that are only used a few times, stuffed into a cupboard, and then tossed into our gas-polluting landfills. How there were far more people in the world who were in need of real necessities while many of us are just buying due to boredom or “because we can”. We were ready to make a change. We became excited to make this change! Ethan and I started to become more dedicated to mother earth and began to think with sustainability in mind instead of convenience. This was a lifestyle change for the good of all and it only got easier for us as we continued down this path.
Before heading out on our new adventure, my mom thoughtfully flew down to Charleston and drove our second vehicle back to Michigan, delivering it to my brother. We picked up a used dolly trailer and planned to tow our CRZ hybrid car behind the motorhome- eventually switching to a flat-tow midsize truck and ditching the dolly trailer.
Renovation, Repairs, & Maintenance
About a couple of months after settling in we started ripping off the fabric-covered window frames and valances, adding new curtains, sanding and painting all of the walls, and we hung up some art and framed photographs. My dad helped install laminate wood flooring in the living and bedroom, leaving the hard tile in the kitchen. We removed a recliner and side table and built a TV stand/ storage cabinet in its place. It took a few weeks, but we eventually transformed it into our cozy home.
We read manuals, joined RV Facebook groups, teeter tottered with trial and error, and called the Tiffin service department and my dad for assistance pretty consistently for the first 6 months. It was a huge learning curve understanding all of the buttons, malfunctions, and minor repairs needed on this 40ft fiberglass house. We slowly gained more tools and expanded our handyman knowledge. The use for a professional wasn’t needed until about 10 months, or about 4,000 miles, into life on the road. This is when reality hit us regarding the $150+ per hour that repair shops billed. And soon we started to experience the pricey maintenance RVs need, especially ones this big. We were in need of another $350+ oil and filter change as well as the fuel filter. Soon after it was time for the used tires to be replaced. They cost around $400 a piece and we were in need of 6 of them! Not to mention the average $300 fuel tank fill-ups every 4ish hours on the road. It was hard to really grasp the costs of owning an RV until we were in full force. We learned quickly that RV insurance only covers so much of the rig, and due to this, many full-timers suggest getting extended warranty insurance. But this was just another monthly bill to add to the list. To avoid the average $40 nightly campground fees during longer treks, we found free parking lots, pull-offs, or Harvest Host locations. I began to call around a city or town to compare monthly RV park rates once we were settling for a few months for one of Ethan’s contracted jobs. While some bills were unavoidable, we did our best to save money in any way that we could. If you had the idea that RVing is a cheap way to travel or vacation in, you are misconstrued. Yes, there are inexpensive options- like smaller travel trailers or vintage but mechanically sound motorhomes, and if you have solar to boondock often or if you stay put at inexpensive monthly rate RV parks. Our RV choice and the demanding travel for Ethan’s new job contracts every 13 weeks came with a pretty price. Thankfully, we researched enough about potential costs beforehand and calculated accurately. As a pair, our job salaries allowed us to keep up with all of our bills, even emergencies, and still put a little away each month for our savings. Experiencing the “cons” of life on the road was (and still is) sure as hell frustrating, but it was a relief knowing we have the means to keep going and improving- and all the while- living out our dream of crazy, beautiful adventure.
No Turning Back
We hit the road years ago with no intention of turning back. We felt equal parts anxious and excited. We sighed, cheered, argued, laughed, adventured, deliberated, worried, and just kept going during our first year as full-time RVers. We had no idea how it was going to play out but we smiled at one another, shrugged our shoulders, and said- “let’s see what happens!”. This was our next chapter of life, our steps to reach a dream, our fail or success story. There were countless times we just crossed our fingers and hoped things work out well. As time passed by, our experience gave us knowledge, hope, and confidence.
“we smiled at one another, shrugged our shoulders, and said- “let’s see what happens”
We’ve ventured through over 25 states, visited several countries, explored over 30 national parks, and hiked thousands of miles. When we’re not in our RV, we go tent camping, backpack camping, and occasionally stay at rentals. Along the way, we are very conscious of our carbon footprint and participate in eco-friendly habits. We continuously push ourselves to learn more, and to practice living a beautiful life.
Inspired? If so, continue browsing through our website for more information about camping and RVing, traveling and exploring amazing destinations, how to live healthily and sustainably, and check out our favorite gear. The goal for this blog, our YouTube vlogs, and our social media accounts is to share our first-hand adventures, offer travel advice and guides, inspire you with photos and videos, and motivate you to step out of your “comfort zone” and start living an adventurous, happy life. We want you to join us! Push yourself and see what trying new things can do for your life! If your intention isn’t to get out and explore, jump aboard virtually and live vicariously through us! We’re happy to bring you along our journey- however that may be for you!
Cheers,
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