theboondork's RV blog

am I having enough fun?

1/18/2020

don't forget to click the pic

Sunset Ajo Arizona

I posted a link to my 2019 expense blog post yesterday on the Escapees forum, "RV network" and got a comment from one of the readers that gave me some food for thought when he commented about my total expense for the year and said, " I don't think I could get anywhere near that [total], I like to do too much". That made me wonder if I'm not doing "enough", and should I be having more fun?

It's true I don't live an exciting life by any stretch of the imagination but that comment made me wonder if I wasn't doing enough things in my life, and if I was more interested in saving money every day than actually enjoying life? so I gave it a lot of thought because I know that I don't live a life of discomfort and austerity, but am I doing enough to be having fun? And here's what I came up with.

I'm 73 years old and was lucky enough to retire when I was 47. I've only been full-timing for about five years but I've been RVing in one form or another since I was a young man. Before I went full-time I spent time deciding on what kind of life I wanted to live while full timing and the best way I could come up with was basically the same way I was living at home only without the snow, in other words a normal life but in a home that had wheels.

I knew that some folks describe their full time RVing life as an "adventure", or a full-time "vacation" or a "marathon" of seeing every national Park in the country which is all well and good it just wasn't what I was seeing for the remainder my life.

Since I retired fairly young, was already into RVing, and had done a lot, and seen a lot already I wasn't really seeing my full timing life to be an adventure or a vacation, and especially not a travel marathon. All of those things seem to imply a lot more effort, a lot more driving, and way more planning than I wanted to deal with, after all I just wanted a new view every once in a while without the snow.

Since selling my home and becoming a full timer living in a house with wheels was such a huge change I figured why not live my life the way I wanted to and enjoy the things I want to enjoy, after all I'm rapidly becoming an old geezer and this drastic change in my current life may be my last hurrah.

So I came up with this current life that I'm living now. And the very fact that my life fits me so perfectly and makes me so happy is a sign that it probably wouldn't work for hardly anyone else because were all different enough that something that works perfect for me is probably not going to work very well for anyone else. But that's the beauty of the full-timing lifestyle you can shape it and form it to make it fit our life without having to worry about whether it works for anyone else or not.

This post is getting way too long so this will be my last thought. Even though we full -timers are all different and all live different lifestyles I believe there are two things that we all have in common that I believe will make almost anyone happier in their life, and that is simplifying life by getting rid of all the useless stuff that we've all bought to make us happy only to find out it has the opposite effect, and most important, being as free as you can be. Free to come and go as you please, free to be who you want to be, and free to make your own decisions all the time. It's hard to get to that point, it's even a little scary, but when you do you will find joy, happiness, and yes even fun in everything you do, or even doing nothing at all.

theboondork

Desert boondocking

Boondocking in Ajo Arizona

Cowboy bulldoging a steer

Arizona high school rodeo Tucson Arizona

Steer bulldoging a cowboy

Steer wrestling, yet another really dangerous thing that rodeo people like to do. Jump off of a horse running full speed, grab a 600 pound steer by the horns, and throw him to the ground. Who comes up with this stuff?

High school barrel racer.

14 Comments

Barney Ward link

1/18/2020 04:42:38 pm

Very well written and extremely correct in the thoughts presented.

Tom

1/18/2020 05:57:20 pm

Thank you Barney, that's a very kind thing to say. And coming from someone with your full–timing experience it means even more.

Linda Sand

1/19/2020 02:34:49 pm

It's good that we each get to do life our own way. Trying to live someone else's life is just irritating.

I'm

1/19/2020 03:48:46 pm

Ain't that the truth. I write about being free all the time, and living life your own way is another way of saying freedom. To me being able to move to a different location anytime I want and for as long as I please is a big part of being free. I know most people aren't like that and feel perfectly happy in a home that doesn't move. But I've lived both ways and to me being able to hitch up and go on a whim is the very basis of my freedom.

Tom

1/19/2020 04:19:22 pm

I actually get pretty fed up during the five month stretch in Alabama being in the same place the whole time. It is not continuous grand-kids. So this year I plan (there's that silly word again) to try my luck with some truck/motel trips to see a little of the east. In other words do some cloverleaf travels.

1/19/2020 05:47:13 pm

That's an excellent idea, if you sit around too long you tend to gather moss, so ya gotta keep rolling.

The downside is, just like I face when I'm taking minivacations in Colorado, the summers tend to get pretty busy not only for campgrounds but for motels also, and back in the day when I used to stay in motels a lot I found that during the tourist season's they would raise their prices, not be inclined to offer a discount, and fill up early. Which is one of the main reasons that I bought the little Bronco pop up camper last summer. Colorado is a summer destination and places to stay overnight are sometimes hard to find, but one way or another I can always find a place to boondock in the little Bronco.

I wonder why Texas made those weird entrances and exits on their highways, everybody in the country is used to cloverleafs so it sure takes some getting used to for us visitors. Since Texans are always complaining about visitors coming there and not leaving, I think there's a song about it, maybe it's because the visitors can't figure out how to get back on the interstate.

But spending some time on the road sounds like a great idea, there's an awful lot to see in the South, and some nice Smoky Mountains to visit when it gets too hot in the flatlands.

Tom.... Having toooo much fun in the desert.

Tim link

1/20/2020 01:30:00 pm

Hey Tom,

Your photography is one great hobby that can be really time consuming and a lot of fun. I always had a blast just getting out and taking photos; I think it appeals to what little creative side I have.

BTW, I'm still leaving vicariously through your blog, but have been going up to the RV every couple of weeks and hanging out in it. There aren't any campgrounds open here this time of year, but it's been warm enough that the batteries are still charging off the solar panels, which has been great (just have to pick a relatively warm day to go up).

I've also been talking with some of the other RV owners up there and have a list of fairly local places to visit this year with the Arctic Fox, now that I have most of the projects completed. Still don't have a definitive date for pulling the trigger on full-timing, just playing it day by day and having fun.

Looks like you had a blast at the rodeo!

Tim

1/20/2020 04:30:53 pm

Great to hear from you Tim, I wasn't sure you were still out there. I think photography is a really great hobby for a full-time RVer. There's so many hobbies that you can't have while your living in an RV such as raising Great Danes, breeding horses, or collecting antique cannons. I think taking pictures is one of the better hobbys you can have especially if you have a blog.

And since I have very little imagination and run out of things to take pictures of pretty quick, being able to hitch up the Arctic Fox and move to a place with different scenery really helps me to get a few pictures for the blog.

It's good that you're visiting the Arctic Fox fairly regular, I think being left alone for too long is not good for an RV and causes tiny problems to grow into bigger ones. And when you've been away too long it doesn't feel like home when you walk in the door, it feels cold, dead, and unfamiliar, but once you move in and make it a home then it will always feel like home. And that's the beauty of it, no matter where it's parked, either on a beach or in the desert, it still feels like home when you walk in the door.

That's a good idea to stay local and your first few camping trips, it takes a little while to work the bugs out and a few shakedown cruises before you hit the road full time is always a good move.

I guess you'll know when it's time to leave, and if you're having fun it might take longer because there's no sense in trading the fun you're familiar with for fun you might or might not have.

I did have a great time at the rodeo. I enjoy being around rodeo kind of people, and it's a target rich environment if you like to take pictures. It's colorful, there's always some kind of action going on, and there's animals doing interesting things, what could be better?

Tom

1/22/2020 07:13:49 am

Hi Tom - Yes, I'm still around, just haven't pulled the trigger on retirement quite yet. As I'm getting older, the company is taking more of my responsibilities away from me. At first, this really bothered me, but as time is going by and I realize that I'm making the same with less responsibilities, it's bothering me less and less. Right now, I'm just enjoying the ride and not sweating it anymore. I figured I've paid my dues over the last 30 years in this industry.

In the meantime, I'm still really enjoying the Arctic Fox, even in the middle of winter. Installing those solar panels, batteries, inverter, etc. was a real game changer. Most people at the RV storage don't ever go up there in the winter (several have their RV's covered and would be a struggle to get into), but I just keep using mine. It's like a little cabin for me and is as comfortable as home.

Also, really glad I got the Arctic Fox because of the extra insulation. When I go up there for the day and the sun is shining, I'm even using a small 600 watt electric heater and it works great to heat things up enough to be comfortable (as long as the sun is shining; it would run the batteries down fast otherwise).

That's about it. One thing about living stationary is that there aren't as many interesting things that happen on a daily basis compared to your life.

Hope you're enjoying your time in the desert. It sounds super relaxing.

1/22/2020 09:03:22 am

It makes sense that the company would be depending on you less and less because I assume everyone knows you're preparing for retirement so their just making sure others are prepared to fill your mighty shoes when you leave.

You could look at it as stepping aside and making way for a younger person that has a large mortgage, several mouths to feed, still trying to make their way up the ladder of success and by gracefully retiring you make way for new people with fresh ideas, loads of ambition, and boundless energy to move the company forward.... Or you could sit there behind your desk until one of the underlings poisons your coffee.

By visiting the Arctic Fox like you're doing it will start feeling a little bit like home so at least the transition from storage to weekend trips to full-time won't be such a shock. I traveled extensively in my Arctic Fox for about a year before I went full-time which gave me most of the ideas and information I needed to turn it into a home.

Being able to change locations whenever I feel like it is a big help in thinking of things to write about, and finding things to take pictures of, but because I look at my full-time life as just a normal life except that my home has wheels, its not a whole lot different than the life I was living before. Since I had retired almost 20 years before I became a full-timer I had a lot of free time to travel and do the things I wanted to do, so I already knew that full-timing for me was not going to be a vacation or an adventure, it was just going to be the ability to live a normal life in places that are warm and not sprinting from National Park to National Park in the shortest time possible.

The desert is a relaxing place, as long as it's not too crowded. And since there's more and more baby boomers retiring the desert is not as deserted as it used to be. Reading on the different RV forums it appears that its getting harder and harder to find RV parks to stay at during the busy seasons. And according to some folks its almost impossible to find RV parks to stay at without a reservation, and since schedules are an anathema to me I'm glad I started out as a boondocker because with a little ingenuity you can always find a place to boondock.

Take it from an expert at relaxing, relaxing is all in your mind. A relaxing expert such as myself can relax anywhere, anytime. It helps to be out in the desert, or on a beach, but any amateur can relax in places like that. To be a Zen Master of relaxing you have to be able to relax in a Walmart parking lot boondocked between two semi's with their engines running, or next to a clueless RVer with two barking German shepherds and a 40 hp contractor generator that runs all night. When you can relax under those conditions you will have truly earned the title of.... Boondocker.

Tom

1/23/2020 08:37:25 am

Hi Tom - you make some really good points. I can't say too much right now, but will say it's all just a matter of time and the right time will come at some point soon. I'm just learning to be patient and not sweat the timing anymore. Just relaxing and having fun, even though I'm still working. I will say that I'm looking at it as mentoring those younger people so when they and I are ready, they'll be poised to succeed and not fail; I see a lot of young people fail in the business world and this industry because they're not prepared. The one thing the company does depend on me for is the history of the company, since I've been hear for so long, but I'm imparting that information to others for the future.

Yeah, the Arctic Fox has woven it's way into my life, even though I'm not living in it and it's my home away from home right now. I always feel like I'm going home when I drive up to it, turn the power on, and then start my puttering around and relaxing. If I do nothing else but visit it every couple of weeks and relax in it, it's been worth it for just that.

I'm getting list of places together for this summer and will probably go up to Bar Harbor Maine this summer for a week or two. Acadia National Park is one of my most favorite places in the country.

Hope your desert stay has been relaxing and you have had any of those contractor generators or barking dogs close by.

Tim

1/23/2020 10:08:58 am

To me being free is the best way to have fun. It's hard to enjoy your life when you're not free, after all what is a "vacation" other than the freedom to do what you want to do for two weeks. So when you say you're having fun at work that might be because you're getting more freedom, and less pressure than you had before which would automatically make things more fun. And the reason I point that out is to emphasize how much fun it will be when you're a full-timer and have all kinds of freedom to do whatever you want. And being a boondocker you will have even more freedom because you're not limited to staying in crowded RV parks all the time.

Ba Haba sounds like a great place to spend some time in the summer, but I would imagine the campgrounds get pretty crowded in a tourist area like that.

I'm loving the desert and haven't been inconvenienced by any extraneous noise, I consider the sound of the Air Force jets every once in a while ambient noise.

Tom

1/23/2020 12:26:39 pm

I talk to a lot of people about retirement and it's amazing all the different perspectives that are out there. It's very difficult to generalize that total freedom makes everybody happy. Surprisingly, for some people it makes them really unhappy and the reasons for that vary - some people feel they don't have a purpose any more, some just don't have any outside interest, some just don't take initiative to be happy, etc., etc. And of course, there's the flip side of people (like you) that are crazy happy being retired and free. So, what I've decided is that we all have to figure it out ourselves and there's no one size that fits all. I do think for me, the more free I am the happier I am; so, I agree, that as I gain more freedom, I'm going to be happier (all else, such as health, being equal).

When ever I've been up to Bar Harbor, it hasn't been too terribly bad, people wise. My RV neighbors have given me some campgrounds to go to that they like. Also, there is a ton of stuff to do up there (biking, kayaking, hiking, etc.) that I don't plan to spend a lot of time in a campground.

I'd like to spend time by a bombing range just to plane watch. I used to live close to a B-52 base and I knew the first Iraqi war was about to start when the B-52's took off for hours in the middle of the night - it was pretty intense.

1/23/2020 02:49:29 pm

I agree completely, like I said a long time ago some people can't deal with freedom, freedom removes the structure that they've always had in their lives and leaves it up to them to make decisions about everything and I believe most people don't like or want that. Full-timing doesn't make you free, full timing gives you a great opportunity to be free, your mind makes you free.

I think maybe that's why I'm happy no matter where I'm at and what I'm doing I love being in control of my own life and the more control I have the better I like it. Most of the structure we have in our lives take that control away from us, parents, school, jobs, etc. etc. all of those things, though very necessary, take away what little control we have of our lives. Being a full-timer, especially a boondocker, gave me a shot for the first time in my life of being truly free, and the more freedom I have the more I want and the harder its going to be come the day I have to give that up.

I meet people all the time that are full-timers, have enough money to do whatever they want, and yet have created as much structure in their life as they had when they were working, everything they do is on a schedule which is exactly what they were doing before they retired. That's the thing about freedom, just like you said, "we all have to figure it out" which means you're free not be free if you want to.

Talk about a warhorse B-52s have been around since the Stone Age, I believe the Wright brothers flew the original one. But they've done really well and lasted a long time for a plane with wings so droopy they would drag on the ground when full of fuel if it weren't for the outriggers.

Tom

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