Taking the Plunge

by Stan Furman
(Norwich, CT)

We're making the move to full-time! For 2 1/2 years we've loved traveling in our 24 ft. motorhome. The adventure, excitement, unpredictability and challenge of "just wandering" is wonderful, and my wife and I are surprisingly compatible. We have one granddaughter and one enroute, but both our son and daughter are 3000 miles away, with minimal thoughts of returning.

Coming home after a trip is overwhelming. The chores are never-ending, and there's no peace. Sit down to relax and see a fence section falling down, or another unfinished project, or something else that didn't get fixed right the first time. One time, about 20 minutes from home, my wife remarked "there's a Wal-Mart off this exit"!

The untangling from 40 years of life in our humble ranch is a MAJOR challenge. Our treasures are junk. The house (and neighborhood) continue to decline in value, and waiting for a turnaround is not reasonable (I'm 70, wife is 67). We own a 6-family for cash, but are underwater on our home.

I've come to realize I'm a "project-a-holic". I LOVE the satisfaction of fixing, building, creating, and have created an environment that provides that....in spades. Now, at 70, it's becoming overwhelming. The true challenge will be to channel that desire to fix into being a Mr. Handy at campgrounds (trading for campsite), doing more photography and "portable" hobbies.

Somehow, while traveling, the urge to take on a new project diminishes, probably being replaced by the variety of new places, experiences, and the peace of a campsite where my only "job" is watching the bugs on a tree take advantage of the sun and move to maximize their exposure.

Hopefully, someone out there can relate, and let me know if my expectations of the new lifestyle are realistic and what problems I can anticipate.

Happy Trails!