Introduction

Our passion for travel goes way back.  I took long car trips with my parents from a young age and  trips “out west” and the National Parks especially made a lasting impression.  Jim and I honeymooned in Colorado in 1976 and he was also hooked. 

Over the next 40+ years, we returned to Colorado several times and eventually visited other western states.  There were family trips to northern Michigan, Florida and Nevada. Our travels in “vacation mode” have been a nice mix of adventure, exploring, and relaxation.  There was never enough time to do all the things and see all the places we wanted.  We were always left "wanting more".  (An expression discussed often with a good friend - SMP.)

In the last 10 years or so we were able to ramp up the trips a little, including more time in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Arizona, family beach trips to North Carolina and a special Florida Disney family vacation.  We also had a Honda Goldwing from 2004 – 2017 that we enjoyed trips to upstate New York, Maryland & DC, Tennessee and North Carolina (and all points in-between).  We loved every trip, but they only seemed to feed the desire for more.

For years we joked about someday buying an RV and traveling in our retirement, but it was never very serious.  About eight years ago, we happened to be in a city (on a motorcycle trip) where there was an RV show going on.  I never considered myself much of a “camper”, but I could picture myself traveling in a nice RV.  That thought got tucked away for another time.

Fast forward to the Fall of 2016 and news that Jim’s job was ending sooner than we were expecting or hoping.  The thought of starting a new career was a little daunting, but he excepted the challenge and started considering options.  About the same time, I experienced an unexpected change in my employer.  My job was secure, but lots of changes.  We started questioning what we really wanted to do and all our options – “everything was on the table” at that point.

That's when Jim and I started discussing the idea of looking into the RV lifestyle we joked about and revisited our retirement timetable. Can we really retire?  Is living full time in an RV for us? Where do you start?  Over the next 6 months or so, after extensive research and many agonizing decisions, the plan was set in motion.  Jim and I are both retired as of the end of July.  As of August 11, 2017, the only home we own is a 2012 Winnebago Adventurer 37F that we purchased in March.  In future posts, I will share how we answered these questions and the steps we took to go from homeowners and full-time employees with retirement at least two years away, to being retired and full-time RVers in less than a year.  Also, follow our travels - we will keep you posted!