Looking Back on the Past Year of Full-time RVing

February 17, 2023

We started traveling full-time just a little over a year ago, on January 30, 2022. We packed up and hitched up our 5th wheel toy hauler and just made it out of the campground at the checkout time of 11:00 am, just ahead of an Arctic Vortex blowing south. We burned diesel to stay ahead of the bitter cold as we headed to Florida.

We’ve seen some beautiful scenery, hiked some amazing trails, explored places I wanted to see, found locations I never knew existed, and have handled problems.

We’ve handled getting our mail and discovered while General Delivery works sometimes, it doesn’t work every time. Surprise, surprise, the USP lost an envelope with our mail in it. Sigh! FedEx from now on, even if it is more expensive.

I am on medication to handle my migraines and over active nerves from shingles. https://retirementrvdream.com/2020/07/09/shingles-long-term-effect-postherpetic-neuralgia/ As we moved around, I had to deal with different state laws to get my medication. I have had to spend more time contacting my doctor’s office.

My neurologist has been great.

My insurance company, not so much. They won’t pay for my full prescription needed to deal with the pain. That’s right, United Healthcare is acting against my best interest. They are prescribing medication limits for me. Practicing medicine without a license. My doctor had me cut back on my medication to see if I was being over medicated, and at first I was fine. Slowly, the pain has started coming back. You can tell that I’m a bit bitter about it and worried I’ll end up back in the hospital.

Bruce has been wonderful when I had migraines or when I am not feeling well from the pain. I do wish he’d go and do things, as I feel I am holding him back. He doesn’t seem to feel that way at all.

The first three months, we acted like we were on vacation. We ate out way to much before we realized we weren’t on vacation.

We have figured out that this is our lifestyle. We have to do cooking, cleaning, laundry, taxes, and veterinary care for Nox. Somethings are easier, such as cleaning. The RV is so small, it can be cleaned easily and quickly. On the negative side, being so small, when something is out of place in the RV, it makes look messy.

I have enjoyed cooking in my RV kitchen. I do miss the kitchen I had in my former house.

We’ve almost given up watching TV. We used to watch it regularly, but now we rarely turn it on.

We’ve been grateful that Nox travels well and enjoys being in the truck and RV with us.

This lifestyle has been close to what I was expecting from watching YouTube channels and reading blogs. I enjoy it and am ready to keep on rolling down the road.