One Year In And Counting …

Well, here we are. A full year now since my wife and I took the leap, the ‘chance’ selling our home and moving into a fifth wheel trailer. No more sticks and bricks, no more man cave in the basement but… no more mortgage!

It’s a huge thing not to owe a mortgage, a bank loan and car payments! We not only sold it all but we left our jobs and hit the road! Now, I should still have eleven years left before I retire but what are we going to be like at that age? (if we make it that long that is) I’ve seen people work their entire lives, sweat hard and endure all kinds of stress. They long for the day when they retire and escape but when they reach that age their health has declined and are no longer capable. Now all they can do is stay home, watch from afar and daydream (or regret) at what could have been. I’m not saying this happens to everyone but yes, it does to a good number of fine people. We don’t want to just dream at would could have been so we took the chance.

It has been quite a year. We have traveled over twenty seven thousand kilometers and have seen so much. From the east coast to the west coast we traveled across America, from Chesapeake Bay to the hills of Hollywood we have done more than we thought we ever would, and we have only just scratched the surface. We have also met some wonderful people who we now call friends. Really … I didn’t think things could be so good.

We have also learned along the way. Learned how to be trailer techs, learned to be careful and learned how to be happy. Do we have any regrets? No, well maybe that we didn’t do this much sooner. We have also learned how to be together, lets face it, the trailer can’t be more than 200 sq feet but we did it and you know, we have never been happier individually or as a couple.

With the support of our family we have now seen a year of full time Rv’ing and we are hooked! Still young enough to enjoy it, healthy enough to hike the desert hills and still very much happy about with ourselves. As our journey rounds the ‘first’ with many more to come (hopefully) we look forward to the challenges and adventures together. We invite you to continue to follow us, watch us grow and see just what is possible.

Live, Laugh, Love Life and see it all.

Colleen & Kevin

Taking Chances : An RV Revolution

Spring/Summer Update

Sorry folks, it has been a while since my last post. I ended up with some computer issues that now seem to be ok. We are back in Ontario, at the home base so to speak. I am now working (driving) for a local company for the summer to help us build back enough funds to return to the journey in the fall.

While back we did end up with a trailer issue. We had been smelling what we thought was either a dead mouse or grease every time it got hot out. Upon further inspection it seemed the cause was the black tank, there must have been a slow leak that turned big. We didn’t notice it on the last part of the journey as we winterized the trailer in Montana and just hotel-ed it all the way back. Anyway, our little baby is now in the shop getting repaired.

Soon you will see a new route map as we begin preps for the journey south again. Our destination is Yuma again this year but we are getting there a different way. Stay tuned for that. We will also be adding some video from the road using several camera’s in the truck pointed in and out. Should be quite comical I think.

So there you have it, we are nestled into Ontario while we work for the winter getaway.

Kevin

Almost There …

Our winter journey is coming to a close now, in fact we should already be back in Peterborough but mother nature is throwing us one more F U (You know what I said, trying not to swear). We are stuck in Sault St Marie for what looks like a couple of days waiting out the massive ice and snow storm.

We left in September and drove thousands of miles. We visited Maryland, Texas, New Mexico on our way to Yuma, Arizona. From there we explored Nevada, Las Vegas. California, San Diego and Los Angeles, and had a remarkable time. Definitely one for the memory banks.

We left Arizona towards the end of March straight up through Idaho and Montana into Alberta to spend a couple of weeks in Calgary with our daughter and her family. Though since leaving Montana we had to winterize our home due to this crazy winter that just won’t let go.

After Calgary we started out on the trans Canada highway through Saskatchewan and Manitoba into Ontario where

one of the worst winter storms has us hunkered down waiting to finish the trip. One thing for sure, I am done with the Canadian winter and the sooner we get back into Peterborough the sooner we can get jobs to earn our stay back in Arizona. Lets face it, standing in the desert facing blowing sand is much more preferable to standing in two feet of snow freezing our butts off.

We have learned a lot since we hit the road and we have experienced a few issues as well but most of all we have learned that we can do this every year. We have met so many good people on our travels, people we can say that are now friends and are waiting to meet up with again. Can’t wait to see Dougie and Bently again, some of our favorite doggies we have met.

To those that have been following, keep it up. We will have some great reviews of the places we have seen, done and stayed at. I will also put out an e book of these places and along with my guide to full timing during the first year.

Thanks a bunch everyone, talk again soon. Kevin

Brrrrr…

So here we are, on the cusp of entering Canada again for the summer. We are at a trailer park in Shelby Montana and it’s cold. Water froze last night (back working again now). Temps here are below freezing and stupid windy!!

After checking weather and calling trailer parks in Calgary we are SOL (You know what that means!) One park open but no water till the 10th of April and no dump. Plus……, plus that campground wants 550 for the two weeks we will be there. Now comes the decision, do it and suffer a bit or winterize the trailer and find a hotel.

As you all know I am fair skinned and a bit of a princess and not having water to flush a turd is out of the question. So we just booked a hotel for the two weeks, includes breakfast every morning, a hot shower every day, water to flush the turds and a warm bed to sleep in…all for a few bucks more than the trailer park.

A no brainer I guess! So now I must go outside and winterize my home for two to three weeks until the dam weather turns around. Next year we are definitely heading south just a wee bit later so our entry back will be nicer.

That’s my rant for now, gotta put on two spring jackets and go outside (who would have thought we would need winter clothing!!!) BRRRRRR….. Have fun;

Kevin