Before we get too far into our travel diary, it might be helpful to explain how this RV Adventure was birthed. Some of our friends and family are aware yet for our own recollection for years to come, as well as, for those who haven’t heard the story, we will share in each of our own words.

Raina’s Story
In December 2016, I experienced an incident that awoke my senses to a degree that shifted all my priorities. My decision to make a lifestyle change came from a combination of exhaustion, frustration, dissatisfaction and a deep sense of realization that something drastic had to occur in my life if I wanted to physically and emotionally thrive. While I’ve happily spent the last thirty years working in public sector, I began to feel a level of hopelessness in my ability to make a “real” difference. Over the years, I worked hard to secure educational and professional degrees, consistently worked 12-14 hour workdays or multiple jobs when needed, and have always been goal driven. However, I became more distressed with the reality I was working to have nice things (boat, RV, bike), yet had no time to enjoy them. We all know this story, working to live versus living to work.

Since I’ve always felt like a wanderer, transient, nomad, gypsy, whatever you want to call it, living a traditional lifestyle hasn't been very satisfying. It's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. So, the idea of downsizing and traveling actually seemed like a better fit for my soul. I thrive in environments with unfamiliar places and the chance to meet new people, do well in small spaces and enjoy spending time with Darryl. Because Darryl and I had already lived stationary in a Class C RV for 8 months and traveled together in a smaller 17 ft pull behind trailer, we knew we wouldn’t kill each other living in small quarters. The only real issue for consideration we had to make was could we afford to become full-time travelers. I figured worst case scenario, I could always get a job, buy another house, and make more friends. After crunching numbers, we realized it was less expensive to travel full-time than continue to manage our current household expenses.

And so, our purge began. I quit my job, Darryl quit his job, we sold our home and all the contents inside, stored some personal belongings in a storage unit, and began the planning phase of our RV trip. We traded in our truck and smaller recreational trailer and bought a 30 ft Motorhome, traded my car in for a smaller vehicle we could tow behind the Motorhome and bought all the necessary accessories needed for a long-term trip.