When I was younger, I swore to myself that I was never going to be one of those old folks who traveled by RV. My husband and I would grumble about the monsters on the road, the gas they guzzled and just how ugly they were designed (think tacky graphics all over the exterior). Nope, not me, it was going to be air travel and fine hotels all the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s funny how things change. Not only did I grow a little older but the world became a whole lot crazier. The global pandemic, political unrest, and the growing lack of civility made us want to retreat to our happy place, the great outdoors. It was only natural to crave solace among the giant redwoods, starry desert, and beautiful coastlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shopping adventures were definitely a challenge due to Covid 19. Inventory was limited (on all types of RVs) and prices overly inflated. Each day, we stalked dealer websites, watched hordes of YouTube videos (thanks Youtubers), traveled out of state to shop, and kept a watchful eye on the classifieds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the end, it was all worth it when we found \u201cHowie,\u201d our home on wheels or as I like to say \u201cHowie go.\u201d He\u2019s a Rockwood Geo Pro 19 RD. The travel trailer is 20 feet long and offers everything needed: a sleeping and dining area, a bathroom with shower, a small kitchen, and a convertible second bed (for grandbabies of course!). He weighs approximately 3,000 pounds and can be pulled with our Toyota Tacoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After taking several trips, we couldn\u2019t be happier. There was definitely a learning curve (which I reminded my husband was good for our brains). Understanding how to safely tow the trailer was only the beginning. Other lessons included dealing with grey and black water tanks (don\u2019t ask), RV park etiquette, and boondocking techniques. Everything was new to us but we\u2019ve quickly adapted and have begun to feel like old pros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the most meaningful takeaways has been learning how to travel light. Not only in terms of clothing, but in terms of everything. Howie only accommodates a given weight so it\u2019s critical to prioritize needs. Things I valued in the past such as fully coordinated outfits, an abundance of beauty products, and the latest electronic gadgets no longer made the cut. As I debated how many spoons to bring or the number of necessary bath towels, I quickly realized just how little one can do without and it\u2019s been quite liberating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve had absolutely no regrets. Spending time exploring nature is just what the retired soul needs. And after a long day of outdoor adventures, it\u2019s nice to return to a tiny home we call our own. Being able to sleep in a comfy bed and cook favorite meals makes travel that much sweeter. And while the RV life may not be for everyone, we have loved every moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Muir once said, \u201cOf all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.\u201d I couldn\u2019t agree more, and I\u2019m certainly not alone. Numerous studies have demonstrated that seniors greatly benefit from outdoor activity in many ways including: increased energy, less depression, better physical health, and longer lives. So even if you\u2019re not the RV type, remember to make time for nature. Your mind and body will thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I embark on new adventures with Howie, I\u2019ll be sure to share some updates and photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When I was younger, I swore to myself that I was never going to be one of those old folks who traveled by RV. My husband and I would grumble<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,4],"tags":[12],"class_list":["post-2485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new","category-travel","tag-rv"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/image0.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2485"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2841,"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2485\/revisions\/2841"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hellomondays.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}