We have been on the road for two solid months. (The Stone Begins to Roll.) I can tell you now how this lifestyle is working for my health. Physically and Mentally.
First, I want to be straight up with you. RVing was an option the hubby and I found very appealing for us. The actual cost of living for full-time RVers is much less than living in a ‘sticks and bricks’ home. I think the ability to downsize dramatically was easier for us then it would be for a couple with children. We had less emotional attachment to our stuff. Finally, Jeff was willing and able to make a career change. Basically learning new skills to become a day trader that would allow us to become mobile. We can now live anywhere.
During the beginning of 2019, when we decided to get serious about selling our house, we began to do in-depth research about everything there was to learn about the RV lifestyle. I can not stress enough the importance of research! The information on the internet is vast. YouTube videos became our nightly news. We hit every RV Trade Show we could. Camping World became a second home. There is so much to learn, and it can be just that, learned! Heck, if we can learn it, you can too! No one is going to hold your hand, but it seemed everyone who currently RV’s is more than willing to help!
When we finally put our house on the market on August 1st, 2019, we knew we would not be able to make our September mortgage payment. I had a serious heart to heart with our realtor. He knew what the stakes were.
We used to be your average everyday middle-class couple. A few month’s savings in the bank. A two-car garage with his and her cars to fill it. We bought a city duplex, always adding an additional income to our plight. Then it all changed. President Obama started implementing his policies, and our life was simply turned upside down. Yes, the poor were cared for and insured and the middle class, most of it anyway simply disintegrated.
Our insurance rates tripled. Jeff was phased out of his high paying job, as were many because of the cost of healthcare per employee. Jeff took a much lower-paying job that was actually one of the highest paying jobs left in his field. Having a chronic illness is very expensive. I went through numerous hospitalizations and surgeries. My insurance company crumbled and closed. I had excellent insurance, then I didn’t. We paid three times more for health insurance and received less coverage. Medication costs skyrocketed under the new government. We somehow made too much money to qualify for medical or financial assistance through Obamacare. We just weren’t poor enough, yet. We quickly found ourselves not quite making it from check to check. We began the downhill spiral into credit card debt…
We sold our house in five days and closed in thirty. (This just does not happen!) We were extremely lucky.
Currently, it turns out my daily pain has decreased substantially. When we began RVing, I could barely do stairs. My pain was absolutely debilitating. I could not cook, I couldn’t stand that long as my back pain was severe. I could not physically do much of anything. Now the stairs are an afterthought. Cooking is convenient, even more so now that my hubby has time to grill! Cleaning the entire RV takes less than 20 minutes. I honestly can say I enjoy living in a space I can care for.
Mentally, in the beginning, it was surprisingly difficult to deal with. I felt a bit like an orphan with no place to call home. It’s a strange feeling. A bit unnerving. Luckily those feelings pass quickly! I am genuinely in the best headspace I’ve been in for years. I think the hubby would agree, and I believe he would report his own improvements as well!
We are now confident we will bounce back financially. We now live without fear of the next mortgage payment. We still have bills, but they are manageable! Physically I continue to improve. Yes, I still have bad days. Evenings remain very difficult for me. Going the entire day with almost no pain has been a gift! I am cautiously excited!
I know this isn’t everyone’s bag of chips for many reasons. That is OK. Control your surroundings and make your living area into space you can manage and enjoy. What does that look like for you? That is the right way! Be kind to yourself, don’t beat yourself up. Life is hard enough. You are so much more important than stuff. Always.
Live your best life!
~Kim
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~Kim
~Kim