Expert Advice
Did you know that the average person retires at the age of 62? Pair this up with the average life expectancy age of 78.7 years in the U.S, it doesn’t leave much time to enjoy life after retirement.
When Luis and I decided to be “crazy” and sell almost all of our belongings, buy an RV, and hit the road with our kids in July 2016, it was because we didn’t feel we had to wait until retirement to collect epic adventures.
We were at a crossroads in our lives that we had no idea where we wanted to settle down in our “forever home.” We also missed traveling how we used to before we had our little ones. Our vacations every 3 months had dwindled down to maybe once a year.
We decided over a weekend that we could get an RV, work from the road, and collect experiences together with our family instead of waiting 30 years, longing for our retirement. We strongly believe that the way us humans grow closer together is through shared adventure. Our RV travels, we knew in our hearts, were about to create a bond as a family unit that we wouldn’t be able to create if we settled down in a sticks and bricks home.
So, we chose our fifth wheel, had 7 garage sales, and were out of our beautiful house in Downtown Orlando in 4 weeks.
Our first major adventure was driving from the east coast of the country to the west coast on a mission to San Francisco with Luis’s parents. Boy, was that an adventure. We all grew in so many ways and that’s when Luis and I truly felt we were on the right path, not only for us.
For our kids, our state of mind, and our souls felt alive.
We quickly learned that nothing ever goes as planned when you Go RVing. Tires get nails in them, bearings fall out, unexpected rest area overnighters can happen, landing legs won’t go up, and the list of what has gone wrong is too long to count.
The reason that list doesn’t even matter is because we learned how to come together and overcome whatever situation we were in, and all of the PROS of collecting adventures together far outweigh any “con” we have had to overcome.
Another epic experience we’ve had thanks to our RV lifestyle is having the opportunity to live off-grid. I’m not going to lie and tell you it was all rainbows and butterflies. Because the truth is it wasn’t.
Sure, we had views for days, but we were not prepared. We have learned since then and warn people to boondock with others that know how to do it and do their homework beforehand. Especially if, like us, you need power to work.
Summer of 2018 we spent a month in the mountains in Colorado and thankfully we were alongside fellow professional boondockers. The views outside our front door were indescribable and left us in awe every time we walked outside. We collected so many adventures while living in those mountains it was incredible to say the least.
We went diving into the Colorado River, Luis tried some fishing, spent nights around the campfire sharing stories, and witnessed an unbelievable beauty watching the sun rise and set every single day. Writing about it doesn’t do it any justice. Our hearts were full.
Another epic adventure we had while boondocking during the summer of 2018 was in the Badlands of South Dakota. We spent about 3 weeks taking in the indescribable sights of the Badlands every time we looked out our windows or stepped outside. This shared epic adventure consisted of lots of bonding time with our friends from Hebard’s Travels who found themselves stuck there waiting for new tires.
Thankfully, we all together, were able to share the adventure, and make sure everyone was safe. This adventure also gave Luis and John the opportunity to check Sturgis off their bucket lists because we happened to be there at the same time.
As we come up to 3 years of our RV lifestyle (as of the writing of this article), I am proud that we went against the grain. I’m thankful that we had the courage to RV so we could collect adventures before retirement. If there’s one thing you take away from this article, it is that it’s ok to follow your heart and take a detour from what people say is “real life.”
When was the last time you took an adventure?
I challenge you to go ahead gather your family or partner and share a new adventure this month. Whatever makes you both happy; go do it. Remember there’s no wrong or right in the adventure you choose.
Happy adventuring!
Comment below where your next adventure will take you – we love hearing from you.
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