When Real Life is a Vacation


Today marks two weeks since I pulled out of the driveway and said goodbye to our house of 27 years.

While that sounds dramatic, in reality, we are only 40 minutes away and return to the house often for a variety of reasons 😊 We are fortunate to have the time to ease into this new lifestyle before we bid farewell to our Kansas friends. Over these past fourteen days, we've worked hard and accomplished a lot.

Organized all possessions into a comfortable home

  • Seasonal clothes are easily accessible ... out of season clothes are stored in a carryon bag underneath
  • The bathroom and shower setup is functional and all the extra toiletries stored away
  • The kitchen is still a work-in-progress, but it's getting there. Plenty of room in the pantry for everyday ingredients. Pots, pans, and utensils fit with room to spare.
  • The basement storage is logically organized and easy to maintain.
    • One special note: We took Toto for a weigh-in this week --  concerned he might need to diet (e.g. more purging on our part). His recommended weight is 33,000 lbs. Toto came in at 33,100 lbs 👍

Learned to navigate RV quirks

  • Since we are not connected to a sewer, we must dump the gray and black tanks every three days. We are now more mindful of laundry and shower schedules.
  • State parks require vacating campsites after 14 days. Summertime overcrowding means moving more often. We are definitely honing our tear-down and set-up skills 😏
  • Kansas weather is always unpredictable. Mobile homes are particularly vulnerable. We must faithfully monitor the weather to take proper precautions.

Established a good daily routine

  • We enjoy our morning coffee (and the occasional Wordle)
  • Geoff takes Hero to the park  --- I clean while the coast is clear
  • Geoff performs routine maintenance (there is never a shortage of projects)
  • I plan upcoming trips
  • We break for a simple lunch
  • Work stops at 4:00 p.m. to enjoy a beverage
  • We eat a (relatively) well-balanced dinner
  • We stream a movie in the evening before bed

But Something's Missing...

I realized yesterday -- what's at odds with my current life -- is I am mentally on vacation. I have not accepted this as a permanent way of life. It still feels temporary. On some level, I feel like I'm playing pretend -  the game will soon be over - and I will return to life as I knew it.

Vacations are great - we all love (and need) them. But at some point, we realize it will be nice to get back home. To return to our bed - our friends - our belongings.

My issue is... I am home on vacation. 


While I'm not complaining (far from it - I know we are blessed beyond measure), I need to accept the permanence of RV life. I can no longer put hobbies and pastimes on hold. These activities ground me, define me and make me whole. I need to find a way to include them in this 300-square-foot space.

I am analytical by nature. I adore research. So it is easy for me to find time to design road trips, develop weekly meal plans, and conduct genealogy research. In fact, I become so lost in these activities that I need to remind myself to stand up and take a break (a lesson my sciatic nerve recently taught me).

However, all left-brained activity and no right-brain stimulation make Molly imbalanced (and sometimes cranky).

Starting this weekend, I will prioritize my time to engage in these other interests:
  • Reading books 
    • I've only read two books in 2022?! I normally read a book a week
  • Reading discussions 
  • Digital scrapbooking
    • I express myself through words and photos. While I spend hours writing on my laptop, I also need to create with tangible products, like colored paper and whimsical stamps and stickers. However, I must be willing to make a mess in order to have some fun 😊
    • Ali Edwards has a fabulous community of like-minded Life Story-tellers who inspire me and teach me new skills. I just can't be tempted to buy products I have no room to store.
As I review the list, I realize no major mind shift is necessary. I simply need to make a few tweaks to an already comfortable schedule. Once I incorporate these meaningful activities into my weekly life, I will then know I am truly home.

Geoff's most recent project:
Undercarriage lighting





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