Archive for the 'ReVised Living' Category

Jun 10 2008

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Marcia

Moving up - the wrong direction

When you want to become a full time RVer or at least 3/4 time, you must learn to let go of things - and space. We moved from 1746 square feet to around 400. A step in the right direction, though it was not intentional, just all we could find cheap in a hurry when we moved back to Florida.

This move we are going up, to 640 square feet or so. I don’t think that is conducive to learning to live with less in a considerably smaller space, do you?

I do think it would be easier for us to live in a smaller space if we were in the Pacific Northwest where the climate is great and we could be outside more. So, hopefully, when the time comes, we can make the adjustment completely to less is more, we know it is true, but not here in Florida, for us.

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Jun 07 2008

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Marcia

Small Space in Perspective

Leon loves large spaces, not that he has lived in many most would deem large. However, in a hurried move to Florida, we landed in a 400 square foot apartment two room apartment. It would not be that bad really if it were not for the window shakers (A/C wall units). They blow hard and in your face through most of the room. Since we are working at home most days the desks take up so much room, we live in our comfortable desk chairs. There would be room for a small couch if we didn’t have to avoid the A/C. So, we are not happy here.

Same space with central air and multi use furniture would be usable in spite of our desks, tight, but usable. It was also designed with more space in the bedroom than need be, but again, the window shaker negates much of the usable space.

Last night he said that living for long periods in an RV would be a major adjustment, and though he is right on the one hand, I just had to (grin) remind him just how much he was already there in a manner of speaking.

In this apartment he spends 90% of his day/evening in one small corner of the apartment. He works there; eats there, by shoving his laptop to one side; watches DVDs on his laptop, his back does not allow him the “luxury” of reclining in bed and enjoying TV or reading there for long. He, also, turns slightly to watch TV which shares the same 6 foot long desk. He does get up to walk around the bookcase and counter into the kitchen to grab a snack. And it is a walk of a whole 9 steps or so to the bathroom and a couple more to the bedroom, but he does not lounge in either space.

So, a park model with central air that has a good floor plan would be a vast improvement over this apartment; same square footage, better use of space. Tah dah! And, a large RV would be almost comparable, but we do not want to drive a large RV.

But, realizing he stares at one small wall most of the day (except when he turns to throw work at me, or rather my desk on the opposite wall) and that in an RV parked where we want it there would be a view and lots of outdoor time, it wouldn’t be much different - well except the fabulous closets, the one thing this apartment owner did right! But I suppose that just means yet more downsizing.

Point made.

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May 23 2008

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Marcia

Next Step to Fulltiming

In our case, the next step is budgeting for part time RVing. It is not as simple as just coming up with money for a vacation or extended vacation. Every month we are gone not only prevents him earning anything those months, the first three months back will have no income coming in because of the nature of his business. So, before we leave we would have to have saved 4 months minimum, if only gone one. Plus, many of the business expenses would be ongoing, just as household bills would be.

So, I’ve begun the tedious process of figuring a tentative budget - and the tentative figures did nothing to make me smile. That said, once the house is sold, the computers and the new software is paid for by the business, the smile that is more a frown, should begin to turn its edges up a bit!

I am sure that, plus finding an HONEST CPA that we are happy with to explain a few things, and cooking more meals at home once we move will head us a few miles closer to our dream. Our dream and alternate but equal ones are in place, we can see them, and we have given more than just precursory thought to them, so we are closer to this, RV camping next to the water and a ferry terminal with mountain views in Washington state:

Surely you have dreams, too. Are you heading for them?

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Feb 24 2008

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Marcia

Why RV? The Other Reason

Why RV?

“Why not?” is both a flippant and serious response, but another thought shoved its way into my thoughts this morning. I have never RVed, though I want to, so I am speaking from observation, primarily - and even that was garnered merely through reading blogs of RVers, though many.

So, let’s first shove out of the way for now, obvious reasons: travel for adventure, the awesome beauty we will discover, the desire to improve the environment by using less energy, CLEAN toilets in our own RV, our own clean and comfortable beds, the ability to eat what we really want when we want and healthier (assuming we have learned to cook), controlling our own schedule, doing our own thing… I better stop now, I know there are more, but I am running out of room here. Those are givens for many people. As for negatives, forget negatives, there are negatives in anything we do if we start looking! Now, on to the other reason.

In our daily lives most of us get to interact with people at home, work, or through our hobbies. Because of our schedules and lifestyles we often meet and interact with the same type of person, or the same people every day. We assume we know what humanity is like through the newscasters and our gossiping friends, our own experiences, and all those magazines that tell us about the “others”. A few of us have expanded our world by jumping onto online bulletin boards. Even that, to a point, is often made up of people with the same interests, though at least many of these people may be of varied backgrounds or cultures.

Those of us who have gone online have learned just how much we are all alike as humans. We have also gotten a glimpse to just how different we are, but usually online those differences seemed more positive than the same off line — where we were readily or easily influenced by family and friends and co-workers.

Disasters have historically brought groups together that would otherwise not communicate. But RVers don’t have to wait for disasters. They are thrown together, if for no other reason than there are so few places to park. There are still RVers out there that are painfully shy or genuine loners that will keep to themselves. For the latter, I would hope their wishes were respected. For the shy ones, I would hope they would run into the gregarious ones!

For the rest of the RVers, whether thrown together because of logistics or just recognizing they have one common bond, the RV, ice is normally broken and conversations begin.

Think of RVs as front porches in comfortable neighborhoods in spring. People are out in the open, only the most rude would not speak. And it is that first, “Good morning. How are you?” that often leads to a pause for more information, for a sharing of words.

There is, however, a major difference between the RV and a front porch. Many front porches are in neighborhoods filled with people with similar cultures, backgrounds, or interests. A common denominator, but a limiting one at times. But a group of RVs in the desert, perhaps, or at a rest stop, could be filled with people from anywhere and with jobs or interests or a culture one has never been exposed to.

This morning I thought of times I have been lucky enough to have a conversation with someone new and learned something fascinating. My mind quickly flashed to the blog posts of RVers this wannabe RVer has read for years. Yes, many post on the wonder and awe of nature and share photographs. But the posts in which enthusiasm is the most apparent, are the ones telling of new people they have met, even those quite a bit different than themselves.

I can get that without RVing, but I want it as often as RVers get it!

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