BIG CHANGES: Are we crazy? Only time will tell.
by Jenn
So first we’re sorry this blog and our FB page has been dormant for a few years. COVID came and we didn’t go anywhere, then as restrictions started lifting my dad had a bad fall. The blessing of this RV lifestyle meant Rick and I could change plans. We traveled from OR to NE within a week of getting the call and remained in Omaha for 5 months. I wouldn’t have had it any other way and wish every day that we could have had more time with him. We spent another month with mom getting her settled into her new apartment and planning dad’s service.
We’ve had some great experiences and adventures these last few years. I’m feeling a bit more motivated to blog if only to help myself remember all those fun times. As a result you may see some blogs of things we’ve done as well as some current experiences.
So what are the big changes?
The FIRST big change… A new RV
We were traveling in a 45’ Class A towing an F150 truck making us about 65’ long. We loved our motorhome, but after 4 1/2 years of full timing in it were starting to feel some of the restrictions it caused with the way we’d like to travel. Inspired by some of our favorite RV Vloggers (see list below) we saw a simpler way to travel and camp off grid.
Our new Camper Van…yes you read that right, has a robust lithium battery package which will allow us to run an air conditioner all day without being plugged in. If you’re an RVer you know that’s incredible, if you’re not an RVer just take my word for it. We’re on day 5 of our big journey and have yet to plug in.
Now At 24’ long and AWD the country is our oyster, we can go anywhere!
Other reasons we didn’t want to keep our 45’ coach:
Traveling can be a bit more stressful in a big rig, construction, cities, finding campgrounds, making wrong turns LOL. Plus all the maintenance and potential systems that can break down.
We are not RV resort people and prefer to find campgrounds or private campgrounds off the beaten path. We also love Harvest Host, a program that allows you to stay at businesses such as breweries, farms, museums and more. In return you shop at their business. We LOVE this program and have met the most wonderful people, most, small business owners deserving of some of our cash. Boondocker’s welcome is another program we utilize and have overnighted at a few private homes. Some locations in these programs couldn’t accommodate large RVs, now we’ll have many more opportunities.
The SECOND big change…We are homeowners again.
Dad’s fall and the many months worth of rehab and doctor’s appointments made having a home base seem a bit more important to us. We looked in Vermont and Maine, two places we’ve grown to love, but lack of inventory and the distance from our kids and grandkids in Oregon made us decide against it. On a whim I looked in Livingston, TX, home of the Escapees, a group we’ve been members of for some time. I saw the perfect home that had just gone up for sale. I fell in love with the big deck overlooking the woods. Since we were in Vermont when I found it we had a zoom walkthrough was a local realtor. An inspection came out good and we closed on Rick’s lucky day October 13. Our trip continued and we arrived at our new house in early November. Since then we’ve been in Livingston meeting our new neighbors at the dog park or while picking up our mail at the mail center. We added a big RV garage with a storage loft, and became Texans finding a vet for Lizzie, primary care doctors for us, and obtaining our driver’s license and voter registrations. We plan to spend most Winters in TX and all the Summers somewhere less hot. LOL
Our THIRD big change… I’ve “retired” again.
After running the nonprofit I cofounded in 2011 it was time to hand the Directorship over to someone new. I felt I’d taken it as far as it could go. I knew Adrenal Insufficiency United (AIU) needed some new blood and fresh ideas to keep growing. Lucky for me the perfect candidate was on our board. I’m still involved as President of the organization, but my friend Kerri is now the Director. It’s exciting to see something you’ve worked so hard on be able to take off and function without you! Kirsten, our co-founder and Vice President, runs our store and office out of Astoria Oregon.
What Now?
Now that my days are more freed up Rick and I are looking forward to a more immersive travel experience. One where I’m not worried about checking my email or FB all the time. Our travel plans started with a visit with our grandson stationed Fort Cavasos in TX. We hadn’t seen our grandson in a few years as his leave from the Army never synced with our travels. We had some great conversations over good food as we caught up. Now that we’re in TX for part of the year we’re excited to see him more.
Next we’ll head towards Omaha to meet up with my mom and brothers for a military ceremony for the internment of my dads’ ashes at the Veteran’s Cemetery. In Oregon we’ll attend the HS graduation of another grandson and visit with the rest of our kids, grandkids and family. At the Grech headquarters in Riverside, CA we’ll get some minor adjustments on our van and visit my aunt and cousins who live nearby.
Plans after CA are up in the air. We’ll just see where our new van Greta Grech takes us until we return to our TX home. We’ll try to be better at taking you along on our journey.
Loosing dad was tough and I still think about him every day. I wonder what he’d think of the direction our life has taken. I think he’d be happy for us, but perhaps wonder how it would all work out. We feel the same and wonder what our thoughts will be 6 months from now. We’ll let you know! So far adjusting is a challenge, but we’ve also seen the new freedom this van provides.
Union Grove COE (Core of Engineers), located on Stillhouse Lake was our first stop in our 5-6 month journey. The setting is beautiful and peaceful with chirping birds, hawks flying overhead and deer running through the grass.
The only animal we would have liked to see from a bit farther away was the rattlesnake Rick almost stepped on.
Vloggers who influenced our decisions to downsize while upgrading our off grid capacity. All are full time RVers
LivingRVision: Brian & Michelle
We started watching when Brian and Michelle owned a class A Motorhome. They moved from the class A into an Airstream and then a camper van! Our first thought was, Are they Crazy! We kept watching and were soon changing our minds and feeling inspired by the freedom their van and its battery system provided them. While we’d thought of a smaller class A we decided that if we’re going to downsize we wanted to go as small as we could. We have the same model they are using.
Adventures of A + K: Adam & Kathryn
A young couple who built their own van on a Sprinter Chassis. We found Adam and Kathryn when contemplating Van Life. We love their adventurous spirts, exuberance and love of all things new. Their joy and laughter is contagious as you watch them try new foods and experience life.
RV America Y’all: Tom & Stacie
We’ve also been followers for a while. Tom and Stacie upgraded their class A coach with a huge solar and battery system allowing them to camp anywhere. Our class A package was not working as we’d hoped and we were envious of their abilities to go where they wanted in a big coach without worrying. They have a huge collection of informative videos and other resources on their website. Many are from TX where they used to have a sticks & bricks (a house). We’ve met in person and they are just as nice in person as they are in their videos.