Posted July 18, 2025 – Narrated by Jim
The trouble with the world is not that people know too little; it’s that they know so many things that just aren’t so.
Today is our 3,287th day on the road, and the first day of our 10th year of Forever Camping in our trusty rig, Beauty and The Beast, with us since Day One.
Nine years ago, living mobile held more mystery and intrigue. Today, house-free lifestyles are almost as normal as overpriced houses. 😉
Wherever Living in Beauty goes, we receive positive vibes, but occasionally, an unsolicited whopper 😏 pops outta nowhere.
Here are the top twenty whoppers we’ve heard first-hand about full-time travel.
#1 “Your life is an absolute fantasy”
This one is half true. It is kinda magical to RV from one gorgeous location to another. But is it truly “Living The Dream?”
It all depends on the Joy Tax 🧰
Towing loosens bolts, breaks stabilizers, vent screens fall off, and storage bin rails detach. You have two choices: 1) let it shake you up, or 2) you can embrace the never-ending fix-it list as the price of living in a miraculous moving house.
#2 “You must be rich”
Well, we do feel rich, but the full-time RV lifestyle doesn’t have to break the bank. If there’s a will, there’s a way. Car, van, trailer, motorhome or overland vehicle– a dream-machine is out there to suit every budget, preference, age, travel style, comfort zone, skill set and ambition.
For example, we follow a blogger who camps free sites only. Liesbet and her husband, Mark, live on less than $2,000 a month and range far more widely than we do. Another couple we know travel in a two-million dollar motorhome and spend $100 to $250 a night for top-end RV resorts. Carmen and I like contrasts. We riff between undeveloped scenic wonderlands with free or low-cost dry-camping and upscale resorts with wristbands and musical margarita delivery.
These are our average monthly costs.
#3 “I’m so sorry you have to live in a trailer”
Don’t be! Turn that frown upside down. Living in Beauty is our pleasure. We prepared our whole lives for this. Conscious consumption and can-do skills reduces our usage of natural resources to well below that of the average household. Donate that pricy taxpayer funded tiny house, or THOW (aka, Frankentrailer), or controversial ADU to charity. Our Social Security income covers our daily expenses even while paying hotel prices in metro areas with convenient access to health services. Investments from our life-savings cover any short-falls to insure that Living in Beauty is sitting pretty for the long-haul.
We don’t need your snap-judgements, pity or help. As self-reliant RV enthusiasts, we are adapting to metabolize repetitive onslaughts of economic instability while enjoying life to the fullest.
That said, we’d be delighted to have your thoughtful, educated, respect and advocacy. Sales tax on RVs should be used to build metro area RV parks and services beginning with common sense zoning laws and public sanitation stations.
Travel expenses are the only expenses that make you richer.
#4 “You’re just fancy squatters”
😊 Thank you!
Yeah, Beauty is an international supermodel, but we’re into her brains. She’s smarter than the average trailer.
Seriously, our happy places are free, legal dry-camping on public land. It’s not about money. The privacy, views and the challenge are more rewarding than easy hooks-ups along the highway.
#5 “Ya’ll running drugs 😏?”
Absolutely. Freedom of Movement can be intoxicating and addictive.
From 2016 to 2020, we rarely made reservations. We were like unleashed lab beagles following our quivering noses in wonderment. Then, the pandemic hit. RV sales soared and camping surged in popularity– especially on weekends. Around the holidays our preferred campgrounds were impossible to access. We tried, repeatedly, to adjust but anxiety set in and we began exploring alternatives.
Fortunately, entrepreneurial campers stepped up with specialized software to take the whimper out of trip planning. RV Life Trip Wizard is now our go-to travel tool. We even plan periods of that good ol’ pre-Covid spontaneity between reservations. What a rush!
#6 “You’re just playing house –”
“– Someday you’ll come back to earth,” says a dear friend who hasn’t cleaned her own house or tended her own garden in decades, and chimes “TMI!” when the subject broaches tank maintenance 🙄 (Well, she asked!)
We love to throw Shaka 🤙🏽 because our lifestyle is real life-life, not play.
In addition to mundane housekeeping, we vigilantly monitor the wind and weather, mill our own organic flours, make pasta and brew beer. Dirty laundry is washed and dried the slow old-fashioned way. We search far and wide for proper bins to discard our trash and recycling.
We scavange for diesel, DEF, propane, tire rotation services, RV sanitation stations and potable water sources. Meanwhile, we triple-filter our water, treat our sewage, maintain our tanks, monitor our solar and lithium batteries and conserve our resources.
When the chores are done, we carve out R&R in the un-real world.
#7 “Your trailer is too small”
Compared to what? 🫤 180 square feet of living space is way too small for a house. But RVs are not houses, they are machines designed for efficiency and are more functional than a house. Historically, a 30′ trailer is more than enough for two average-sized adults.
Beauty has more living space and amenities than a 50′ luxury yacht. She boasts a gourmet galley with ample refrigerator/freezer space and an oversized food pantry. The bathroom has a shower with a portable laundry machine, a flushing toilet, lavatory and spacious medicine cabinet. The dining nook seats four comfortably. The cozy bedroom has a walk-around queen bed and deep closet space.
For entertainment we enjoy a 42″ high-def TV and Bose sound system.
Hmm… What else? Climate control, of course, and– oh (how could I forget!?) the 24-bottle wine cellar. Guest quarters? Not a problem. Most campgrounds have tiny houses, cabins, and yurts. When we need a good hot soak we stay at a natural thermal spa.
The rig can even travel over water to exotic destinations (on a ferry).
Good luck with getting a yacht to Big Bend, Texas or Dead Horse Point, Utah.
Efficiency is elegance – simple, small, light – and it is the future.
#8 “Whoa, your trailer’s like sooo huge”
Again, compared to what? 😯
The 20-something van-lifer’s comment stung.
Most folks our age schlep heavily outfitted 5th wheels and Class A’s. Overthinking house-free living (like Jeff Bezos yacht fiasco) is a common newbie mistake. Mobility favors the small. More freedom, less joy tax.
We’d love to size down to an adorable single axle, if only we could keep our extra-large tank system and solar farm.
Many successful forever-campers live in smaller rigs and enjoy access to more exclusive sites. We envy them. But for comfort, storage and extended dry-camping trips, we find that our 30′ Airstream is our Goldilocks Zone, just right.
#9 “You two must get sick of each other”
Every day of the last 50 years is an experiment in the “opposites attract” philosophy 🙂🙃. We are truly an odd couple, yet we flourish in our dramatically reduced footprint. We explain our coping strategies in Prickly Pair where (Spoiler Alert!) we reveal that the less stuff we have, the more we dig each other, even in a small space.
#10 “Trailers and trailer people are icky”
We almost spit our beers when we overheard this whopper in a brewery 🤭. The young lady who spoke had been cueing with her partner to view a gorgeous travel trailer in the beer garden.
Ick, is a strong word, and I feel the same about McMansions which are nearly uninsurable and unmarketable without an invasive, unflattering 0-energy retrofit as new home buyers now rank amenities over size.
To my eye, this new Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Vintage Edition Airstream with high-tech and mid-century features is a turn-key experience in the art of living. Go ahead, pour yourself a lager and enjoy the icky trailer porn 😜
#11 “Wow, all this and you don’t pay taxes. Nice.”
No taxes? 🫨 Seriously? 🤔 It’s truly amazing how many people repeat this whopper. Of course we pay taxes, gobs of taxes: Sales tax, federal and California income taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes, vehicle registration tax, diesel fuel tax, and TOT (Tax On Tourism) which is included in our camp fees. Plus user-fees (taxes) at our beloved county, state and national parks. We even pay taxes when we don’t know we’re paying taxes, so I’m sure I left some out. The point here was first coined by Benjamin Franklin. I will paraphrase it in two words: Death and taxes.
#12 “I don’t trust you. You don’t have a mailbox”
This came from an old-timer who didn’t trust my personal check. Evidently, no box-on-a-stick means I’m a sketchy guy 🥸.
Before we hit the road, we switched to iPostal1. This service provides us with a “real” address where daily mail (minus the junk) is delivered. As I sip my morning coffee (wherever we are), I can view our scanned mail online and click a box for important correspondence to be forwarded to our current location. Secure. Private. Efficient.
Of course, the trust issue runs deeper than a box on a stick, it’s more about the dirt under the box 📫
#13 “You can’t vote”
🤨 Yes, we can 🇺🇸 and we do. Our mail service is our “real” official address for correspondence with the IRS, Social Security, the DMV, our bank, medical billings and our mail-order pharmacy. It is also where the Registrar of Voters delivers our mail-in ballots from our home town, Coronado, California, where our military parents voted by mail when we were kids.
#14 “You must be retired”
Yes and no. This is the era of semi-retirement. Carmen and I stay busy with voice-over gigs, writing projects, research, blogging, and remote volunteer work. It’s not your grandparent’s campground anymore. When offices closed during the pandemic, companies adapted to remote work. Employees, by the millions – no longer needing an address near an office – adopted the digital nomad travel lifestyle. Work-camping is also trending through sites like Workamper, WorkersOnWheels, and CoolWorks.
Fully retired seniors and techno-luddites are rare oddities in campgrounds these days. Most seniors are golden-handcuffed to outsized properties. Our mobile neighbors are teachers, oil workers, well diggers, construction contractors, miners, traveling nurses, hospital technicians, entertainers, professional athletes and artists traveling with pets. Campgrounds are becoming the most diverse, interesting and inclusive neighborhoods in the USA.
#15 “Your neighbors, family and friends must miss you!”
No, not so much 🤗 We see family now more than we ever did when we had to fly. When we need them or they need us, we just turn the rig in their direction.
They often join us when we’re someplace they’ve always wanted to visit like Charleston, New Orleans or Dollywood.
Last year, when Pico was sick, we were distraught and needed the company of friends, so we detoured to El Dorado, Arkansas for an Airstream M*A*S*H-themed rally. Familar faces and kindred spirits warmed our hearts.
Music festivals, campgrounds, breweries, wineries and coffee shops are all opportunities for community.
Call it Driveway-Surfing, Moochdocking, or Yamping, we park as close as the law allows to friends and family. We’re no trouble because we bring our own bed, bath and an extra kitchen for holiday cooking.
#16 “You must be exhausted!”
“Don’t you ever get tired?”
We were exhausted until we found our 4-3-2 pace.
If we tried to see everything we’d burn out, so we don’t even try. Maintaining our own natural pace allows us to feel at home, unlike the ol’ slam-bam vacation pace. Relaxed, Golden-age style travel is having a renaissance. But, like slow food, slow travel is an acquired taste.
Arriving to a beautiful place should be like a soft landing. That’s why we keep things light. If an item sparks joy, then the following question is: “Is it multi-functional? portable? lightweight? Flamingos don’t get a pass. We divested everything to make this possible and the rules are simple. We must be able to move within 30 minutes. Any item we cannot locate and retrieve within 60 seconds is 86’d.
The honest truth is, of course we get tired because we’re old . Like everyone, everywhere, we get exhausted and stressed, but never bored 😉
The image below is a mosaic of more than 600 photos of possessions we sold, donated, gifted, recycled or threw away. To see the individual photo details click on the image and zoom in, or the “+” or “–” buttons.
#17 “You are either brave or naive. The world is dangerous”
Relax. The facts don’t support the fear. The RV lifestyle is not dangerous. Few ne’er-do-well’s operate successfully in developed campgrounds with round the clock armed patrols and hyper-observant campers. Still, we take precautions – lock our doors at night and keep our bear spray handy, because you can never escape the world’s most common repeat offenders 👉 🦨💨
#18 “When will you get a real house?”
We have a real house, but we know what you mean. Maybe someday. Maybe never. Carmen sometimes misses her giant shoe cabinet and 150 potted plants. But we don’t miss litigious neighbors, construction noise, lawn care, termite control, roof rats, roof replacements, fence repair, property line disputes, plumbing disasters, permit applications, climate mitigation, remodeling, homeowner’s insurance, garage cleaning, yard sales… You get it! The mental health rewards are priceless.
#19 “You must feel untethered and lost”
🤭 Strangely, no. We feel more comfortable in our skin and in tune with each other and to Nature than ever before. Four decades of home-ownership and sweat equity burned us out. Each new place is a unique interpretation of home and every new day is a mortgage burning ceremony 🥳
#20 “You sold your property and now you’re stuck”
Oops! 😬 While we were Out There having the time of our lives, the housing market doubled, effectively shutting us out of the priciest 8 square miles in America! 🎻🎶
We confess that if, in 2016, we knew a 50% increase in homeowners equity was guaranteed within 10 years, then we’d have probably stayed home. But the intent behind this whopper is, “You must have regrets.” No. We do not.
Did we sacrifice financially? Not sure. Maybe. Probably? But looking back over the last 9 years, even a substantial long-term financial loss wouldn’t trigger regrets. Our choice to work in non-profit careers and have a child also came with financial sacrifices, and the benefits far outweigh the costs. Most leaps of faith do not proceed according to plan, but 9 times out of 10, they work out.
Vienna & Vinnie’s!
So what are we doing in Vienna for 3 months?!
Celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary! 🍾
Where’s the rig? At Vinnie’s! Beauty is enjoying a deep tissue massage and The Beast is pasturing.
In Austria, we’re having a quiet and slow vacation while researching green sustainable housing. In Autumn we’ll be back with Beauty and The Beast, migrating between Taos and San Diego, or Baja and Radium Hot Springs, or Borrego and Mammoth, or maybe even Oahu and Ajijic because… we’re stuck 😅
Your turn!
Have you heard any whoppers about full-time travel or living in a trailer? If so, please share in the comments section.
Annual Statistics
I celebrate every new Living in Beauty year by posting annual statistics. Here’s the 9-years animated travel map. Enjoy 🥳
Here are all our “On-the-Road” Annual blog posts.
- Saying Goodbye
- Published starting our first year – July 18, 2016
- Facts of LIB
- Published starting our second year – July 19, 2017
- Canadian LIB Moment
- Published starting our third year – July 19, 2018
- Counting Moments: 3 Years
- Published starting our fourth year – July 19, 2019
- Four Years and Counting
- Published starting our fifth year – July 18, 2020
- Captain’s Log: Stardate 2021.0718 – Five-Year Mission Update
- Published starting our sixth year – July 18, 2021
- RVer’s Bag o’ Tricks
- Published starting our seventh year – July 18, 2022
- Launching Year 8
- Published starting our eighth year – July 18, 2023
- The Magic of Number 9
- Published starting our ninth year – July 18, 2024
- 20 Whoppers About Full-Time RV Travel: The Start of Year 10
- Published starting our tenth year – July 18, 2025
If you want to see the exact route we travel, click here.
*photos in this post (unless otherwise noted) were taken and copyrighted by Living In Beauty.
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Don’t have any whoppers but I doubt I could ever live like my dear friends. In many ways I admire and envy you. — all the adventures and scenic and historic wonders visited. But I know whenever we go on vacation whether for a weekend or a month I am longing to get back to Canterbury Hills where we raised our 3 kids (two of them well), have our neighbors and enjoy our backyard oasis. Plus, I have never liked uncertainty or surprises (unless one comes with a cake and candles). And living in our home with pipes and wiring and stucco means you both know where there is always room for you to stay especially at Christmas. Geniessen Sie Ihren Aufenthalt
Love and chocolate truffles with a splash of Merlot
Me. and Her
Jim, appreciate the offer to stay anytime at your chateau. Your backyard is a peaceful paradise to relax and enjoy life. BUT… Jim, really? No comment about my beautiful legs in the Corporal Maxwell Klinger Beauty Contest? Is it because you are jealous? Just wondering!?!? As always, send our love to your beautiful bride. Jim
I’ve seen that picture before. My eyes only can stand and reflect on so much beauty
One of my favorite posts that you’ve written! I felt my blood boil at a few of those questions, sheesh.
Isn’t it amazing how people project their stuff upon any lifestyle that isn’t their own?
Keep on living YOUR dream. Enjoy Vienna, what a place!
Dakota, so happy to hear you liked this post. You need to know we accumulated those whoppers over many many years. Many of them not even aimed at us, just over hearing them in a converstaion at a brew pub or restaurant. We are indeed living our dream. Thanks for following Living in Beauty. Jim
We are slo mo travelling in Canada this summer (10 weeks to get from Ottawa to Edmonton!). At the same time, I am working full time this summer so every Friday is Boxing Day! That’s the day, my big monitor, keyboard, laptop etc gets put in a big box and stored in our truck’s back seat. A former RVer always says to us that RVing is far more stressful than sailing. We’re finding just the opposite. As former sailors, we appreciate that our home won’t drag anchor in the middle of the night, and that we only have one water pump to worry about instead of four (water pump, sump pump, bilge pump, macerator pump).
Mary, love your travel philosophy. SLO MO!!!! We enjoyed our visit to Edmonton back in 2018. Someday we hope to go up there again. Boxing Day Friday, love it!!! We have never been sailors, but we don’t think this lifestyle is stressful. Most of the time it is magical, with times inbetween fixing stuff! 🤪 Yep, only one pump to deal with! Stay safe out there! Jim
Congrats!!
Susan, thank you! Jim
Another wonderful blog post. We hope to live this life too when we retire! Thank you for all of the great info and inspiration. Happy Airstream anniversary, and happy 50th anniversary. 🥳🥳
Judy, glad to enjoyed this post. We hit the road full-time 18 days after I retired. Not sure why we waited so long!😉 Oh yah, we had some last minute details to deal with. Thank you for your well wishes! Jim
Your posts are inspiring us to not wait too long either!
Some people are so narrow minded if someone isn’t doing life like they are.
Charlie, the good news is we get positive feedback a hundred times more often than any negative comments. It took us 9 years to accumulate these 20. Life it good! Jim
We plan to go west from East TN next spring. Would love to hear your DO NOTS…if you have the time. We will be pulling a 30 ft trailer and plan to take 2 to 3 months
Peggy, your trip west next spring sounds wonderful. Advice? DO NOTS? The big one is “Do not rush if you do not have to.” Take you time, plan for the unexpected, stop more often than you plan, and remember it is the journey, not the destination. Thanks for following Living In Beauty. Jim
Thank you!
I love your positive energy! What a wonderful life you two are having. We have a flying cloud 25ft. Miss Paisley is perfectly imperfect to me.I don’t mind stepping over two large dogs every time I move. My husband dreams of a 30ft.er! The hubs is still working so we stick to weekends and up to three week trips. Hopefully we can hit the road for long periods once he’s retired. We love New Mexico but reside in Florida. Im hoping we can get Taos next year. We camped in the Santa Fe and Roswell area.
Thanks for the fun blog!
Monique, glad you enjoyed the positive energy. We tried to make that come through the post. Happy to hear we succeeded. We almost bought a 25 footer, but decided we needed the room for our two recliners. For us, it was the right choice. We too love New Mexico… Taos and SantaFe are two of our all time favorites. Thank you for following LIB and stay safe out there. Jim
Congratulations on your 50th anniversary. I’ve enjoyed your travels around the country. We sold ou 2000 Winnie last year are tethered to our stick and bricks home. At times I have had regrets we sold the Winnie, but it was time to settle down. Maybe there’s still time to head out on the road again.
Vince, thank you for your kind words. We have discussed the realitiy that someday we too will have to call it quits. Hopefully, not soon, but one never knows. Health will probbly be our reason. But until then, onward!!!!! Glad you are enjoying Living in Beauty. Not sure how long you have been a follower, but we know you have been commenting for more thn 4 years! Thank you!!!! Jim
As someone who is almost a year into traveling nomadically alone as a woman, I really enjoyed reading this… everything rings true but the most important one was the joy tax since there is something breaking in the camper literally every other day and I’m just getting used to the idea that it’s normal and just part of it and that I can get better at fixing things.. I’ve had the most incredible year and I can’t imagine ever getting bored…. I adore meeting new people and seeing the country and I am so glad that I didn’t wait until I was older to do it.! (I’m 42) ❤️
Anj, congratulations on your travels this last year!. Carmen and I both admire your spirit and tenacity to go it alone and handle all that comes with full-time travel. You will get used to fixing stuff all the time. It soon just becomes second nature. 42!!!! We wish we had started earlier, but at 42 we were in the middle of raising our son. We started traveling full-time when I was 61 and Carmen was 59. Many folks wait too long and then poor health gets in the way. Stay safe out there and happy travels. Jim
I hear you! well, as I never married or had kids there was no reason to wait. 😁 I started at 41, traveling south east Asia for a year and then moving into the camper at 42, now almost 43. Been an amazing journey!! So glad you have had such a wonderful time. Hope you’re right about fixing hahaha. Got a leak in the shower, leak under the sink, solar isn’t working right, I just replaced the AC, replaced the fridge in February, the sprayer faucet is leaking 🤣
I GREATLY enjoyed this piece! Loads of love to you both… from O’ahu! Aloha, Nani
Nani! So wonderful to hear from you. Aloha and grüß gott from Vienna!!!! Jim
How well I remember most of these comments from years ago when we left our ‘land’ home to move and live on a boat! We eventually told folks we were moving into a mobile home. That seemed a bit more “normal”. Enjoy every minute and adventure! Most people don’t have the courage to embark on their dreams.
Helen, when you and George lived on your 40′ sailboat, you inspired us to travel full-time. The funny story is about 30 years ago, we told you both we were planning to sell our houses, and buy a boat to live on and travel… to save money. After George got off the floor from laughing so hard, he said we didn’t have a clue. We love that story. Love you Helen! Carmen sends her love. Jim
Our exact story. We are a month from 5 years on the road in our 25’ Airstream! Currently we are in England returning next week after spending 110 days in Europe! Stored the truck and Airstream and took a 4 month break!!!
We have zero regrets!
Colleen, congratulations on 5 years!!!! And in a 25′ Airstream!! We looked at the 25″ models, but wanted so badly to have room for 2 recliners that we went with a 30′. 110 days? Did you leave the EU for 20 days? We were told we had to leave the EU after 90 days, or we would need to go theough the complication of getting VISAs. So we are leaving on exactly our 90th day. First time since we hit the road in July 2016 that we haven’t slept in our Airstream. It is strange. Hello from Vienna Austria. Jim
Love seeing the sights and reading about your experiences! Great blog.
Sam, wonderful to see your name in the comments. Thanks! By the way, your book was delivered today to Carmen’s sister’s granddaughters in Tennessee. One is 13 and one is 6 years old. Always have admired that you have stayed with Jim 🤪🥰😉 for 51 years. Of course I am kidding since we love you both deearly. Send our love to Santa of San Diego. Jim
Clever insights! Your blog inspired us as since we began our “forever camping” in our 27ft International after retiring in the spring of 2024. This summer we are living in our Airstream that is parked along side of our house. Its a nice campsite in the woods! Our son and his fiancee moved into our house last fall as we moved out. It’s “their” house for the next couple years as we do some extended travel in our “Sweet Serenity”.
The things you mention about having your own space, routine and private time separate from your spouse rings true. I guess that these would hold true for all newly retired people whether or not you are living in an Aluminum House or a wooden one.
Don’t know where this will all go, but we are sure enjoying the ride! Always trying to see more of the big picture, learning from each person and experience. What else can we do?
Congratulations on your wedding anniversary!
Doug, Glad you enjoyed the post. Wonderful that it worked out to have your son and his bride live in your house while you travel, even in the yard for awhile. After 50 years of marriage, one does learn a thing or two about how to live together, whether it is in 180 square feet or a huge home, the skills are basically the same. Thanks for following LIB. Thanks for sharing the photo. Jim
If you’re ever near Higgins Lake in MI, our driveway is available and we’d love to host you. We’re in an oak/maple forest; when we went looking for a house, we said “Let’s make it like camping,” and it is. Find me on Facebook Messenger, or FB at Behold Behemoth.
Melody, we have made a note about Higgins Lake and your kind offer. Thank you! Your place sounds beautiful. Jim
It’s a joyous way of life! Coming up on my 8th year! However, post-Covid it has become pricy in all respects, at least Diesel for my 41 ft class A has gone down.
Loved living in Coronado back in the late 70s-mid 80s when my husband was stationed on NAS North Island.
Gretchen, congratulations on coming up to your 8th year!!!!! Yep, things have gotten quite a bit more expensive in the past 5 years. My dad worked at North Island from 1955 to 1975. Carmen’s dad was stationed in North Island from 1970 to 1975, until he was transfered to Meridian Air Base in Mississippi. Sounds like your husband just missed working together with our dads.Thanks for following LIB. Jim
Cheers to 10 years!!!!
Thank you! Jim
Enjoy your travels!!!
Ten years! I bet you’ve seen a lot! This is awesome!
Su, yep…. we ahve seen a lot, but there is still so much more to experience. Thanks for being here! Jim
Congratulations on your 50th Anniversary celebration in Vienna and Europe. For a minute I thought you might have settled into a camp host spot. 😉. San Diego is about the same- increasing taxes, people, traffic and government mismanagement. We’re heading for a month to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, so we’ll look at your past travel. Best wishes for safe and healthy travels.
Kevin, great to here from you and wasn’t that a coincidence seeing each other in Chula Vista about a year or so ago. Thanks for the well wishes. You will love the Grand Tetons. Yellowstone was just too crowded for us. Took more than an hour to get anywhere… so many cars. Hope you have a better experience. Stay safe out there! Jim
We’re in our fourth year of full-timing in our 23′ fb International (Airstream). When asked how long we’re going to be doing this, we reply, “We don’t know, but when we ask ourselves that question, we become very sad, so we stopped asking it.”
As to not having a “real mailbox,” the IRS is perfectly happy with our mail service and never fails to find us
Jeffrey, congratulations on 4 years of traveling full-time. Our first 4 years were before COVID. It was a different RVing world back then before everyone started buying RVs. In the past few years, sales of RVs have slowed down and we are just starting to see a bit more availability in campgrounds again. Not like before 2020, but an easing of overcrowding. Your comment about asking ourselves “that” question that makes you sad… we can so relate. I am 10 years older now (70) than when we started and I can tell I cannot hike as far, cycle as hard, kayak as long, nor do water aerobics at the intensity I once could. And that sadens me because I can see someday, hopefully, many many many years from now, we will have to stop this amazing lifestyle. And, yes, the IRS does seem to always find us.🤪💰💵 Stay safe out there! Jim
OMG I love your collage of get rid ofs….. I’m purging now, and your pics give me courage!! Love your blog. Keep on enjoying… Tony and I went to Mexico recently to consider becoming x pats…but getting sink just one more time in Mexico did it for me. So we’re here to stay and paring down crap..we don’t need. Just doing that is freeing. I love your life style, but we just continue to spend our money on travel. Heading to Zion end of Sept for 9 days tent camping in the park. Then on to Peru to Machu Picchu in November. A Douro River cruise in Portugal in December…But, still, nothing beats the freedom you two enjoy in your beautiful camper. And the best part of it is that you two love being together as do Tony and I. Health, Love and Freedom (what’s left of it nowadays..sorry to get political) are the best gifts of all. So here’s to the two of you…Keep on going and Enjoy all the Beauty of Living in Beauty and every healthy moment together! Hugs, Fran. Los Osos, CA Met you two at Bayside Cafe one afternoon…
Fran, we do remember you from Morro Bay. Great to hear from you! Purging your stuff! You go!!! Sorry to hear you got sick eveytime you went to Mexico. That is one of the places on this wonderful planet we are considering when and if we ever stop this amazig lifestyle. All of your travels sounds wonderful. Zion… Peru’s Machu Picchu… Portugal… wow! So uplifting to hear you and Tony are still loving each other’s company. Isn’t it wonderful to live with your best friend! Thank you for your comments here. Stay safe! Jim
Our favorite question we’ve heard: “How do you live without all your STUFF?”
Well, we have all our *stuff, every single thing we need, and a lot of things we just want (my 1000+-volume library for starters–all on one-book-sized tablet). Our *stuff simply doesn’t overwhelm us or surround us with material things that we, or someone else, will have to get rid of someday. And how many rooms can you be in at once?
Fill your life with experiences, not stuff.
Happy 10th year on the road! In our 10 full-time years, we’ve heard all those myths, plus a few more. I’d list the “good” things, but there isn’t enough room: you’ve hit many of them (freedom, learning, meeting new friends, seeing every corner of the US and Canada, being outdoors more, chasing 75 degrees, etc.); the “bad” things are minor inconveniences. It IS just like a “real” house–but with a 7.5 earthquake every time we move. Our 27′ Airstream is calm, cozy, easy to maintain & clean, and, just like our “real” house, we’ve remodeled a few times to make it perfect for us.
Lovely sentiments, and we look forward to reconnecting next time we’re in the same town–San Diego, the Kenai Peninsula, Chula Vista, ??? Happy anniversary!!
Ruth and Ben, as always, it is such a delight to see your names pop up! We wish we would have had a bit more time to spend with you two in Bonita a few months ago. It was a crazy time with our son’s wedding and preparing to leave for Austria. Next time! Thanks for adding a few myths and positive aspects of this lifestyle. It is funny that we pursue “things” most of our lives, only at some point to come to the realization that “experiences” are what memories are made of, not things. When I think back on my life, what I remember and cherish is moments… precious moments. Sometimes those moments are a vacation like cycling through the Loire Valley of France for 3 weeks when Carmen and I were young and basically “poor.” Other times, it is just a snap shot of a moment, like the first time I saw Carmen in 1970 and she took my breath away (she was only 14 and I was only 16). The point is, there are very few, howbeit some, memories that are based on a thing. Things get old and are discarded, but memories of experiences live on. Any way, enough of that, thanks for being here and sharing! Happy travels! Jim
I love this post! Oh, the stories I could tell for most all of those whoppers. But, you forgot: “You’re so lucky!” 🙂
If only I had the time and energy to create a list like this. I have to be honest, though, Mark and I are exhausted. But I think this has more to do with our location of the last three years than the lifestyle.
Thanks for mentioning our blog. That was a surprise stumbling across! 🙂
Enjoy Vienna – it’s all about a balance!
Liesbet, one day, when we come across each other on the road, we will have to sit around a fire, open a bottle of fine wine, and exchange stories. Stories of traveling full-time and what that means to the human spirit. The Ups (and there are many) and the downs (there are a few). You brought up a “whopper” we failed to mention. People say we are “lucky” to be able to do what we are doing. But, as you know, it has nothing to do with luck. We planned this, for decades. We saved for this, for decades. We resisted spending all of income on ‘things’ and saved for a day when we could just… leave… go… and experience the wonders of this world. And we did it in 2016. And we, like you, have never regretted it. Carmen and I admire you two and totally understand your exhaustion. In the past 9 years, we have been there several times. Luckily, with focus, it too shall pass. So far, in the 5 days we have been here, we LOVE Vienna. Give Maya a hug for us! Jim
Loved every bit of that. A gem.
Alan, glad you enjoyed the post. Jim
So happy you decided to full-time it! You have seen such Beauty in this country. Continue!! ❤️
Cynthia, we too are happy we made the decision. Yes, there is so much beauty in this country. It was so wonderful to see you last September at the high school 50th reunion. Hope we see you again soon! Jim
Same here!!!
That’s an incredible amount of days on the road! It’s great to see America! Can’t wait to see where y’all go next!
Sukie, it is hard to believe we have been on the road more than 3000 days. Seems like it wasn’t that long ago we hit the road. Kinda scary sometimes how fast time goes by. We too can’t wait to see where we go next 😉. Jim
Congratulations on your 50th!!!! 🥂 Enjoy Vienna!!!!!
Felicia, thank you! We are enjoying Vienna. Only been here 5 days, but loving it! Jim
Wow, 10 years! And following you for most of it. Really enjoyed reading this and have it bookmarked to check out more to read. Congratulations!
Dianne, thanks for following us. Glad you found some value in the post. Jim
Sure glad we met you two! Your camping spot is still here…….😎
Marcia, we still look back at the time we spent in your yard as one of our most pleasant backyard experiences. You two were great hosts! Thanks for the invitation again to return. One never knows?!?!?!? Jim
Read the post!! Great writing– as the saying goes, “I would rather own less and see more, than own more and see less” Wealth is expressed in memories, experiences and good times. Plus you can’t cash that check when you’re dead 😟. Good article guys!!
Gene, thank you for your comment. It means a lot to us. Yep, gotta experience life while you can… agreed. Send our love to Rena. Jim
Congratulations, what an amazing amount of perseverance.
Rob, well yes kinda. this lifestyle is so amazing. We still love it. Thanks for following LIB. Jim
Congratulations 🎉🎈🎊
Diane, thank you! ❤️ Jim
Of all your posts, I enjoyed this one the most! Having lived full time on the road for 5 years, I wish I’d known all of this before hand. Great tips! Great pictures! Great prose! If there was a Pulitzer for blogs, you would win it for sure! We left the road 10 years ago and settled in West Asheville to be near VA healthcare and family. We only met you once in Florida, and that was enough to stay in touch through you blog. Keep up the great work! Thank you!
Fred, wow! thanks for the kind words!! We love Ashville. We were so sorry to see the devastation caused by the flooding last year. Hope our paths cross again next time we are in your neck of the woods. We have close friends who live in Asheville, Debbie and Frank DiBona, so we will be back. Jim
I love your easy chair-laptop setup. Custom made? Would so love have something similar for our Flying Cloud.
Laurie, here is a link to the manufacturer of our recliners. https://livinginbeauty.net/lambright-recliners/
I have so much admiration and respect for the two of you. Enjoy another year!
Linda, thank you for your kind words. Jim
I found your current post particularly entertaining! My husband and I, in our 70’s, are now three years on the road living full time in a modest fifth wheel. Some of our friends still think we’re crazy for intentionally being “homeless”. I’m quick to correct them….houseless, not homeless, is liberating when you have money in the bank and are prepared to quit when our bodies finally betray us. We’ve camped in 34 states from coast to coast, prefer to have hookups or mooch dock, yet still average $36 per night. It’s a liberating lifestyle that we, also, do not regret. Happy Anniversary! Enjoy!
Janice, so happy to hear you liked this post. We took years to accumulate these “whoppers.” Congratulations on your three years on the road. Yep, some of our family and friends still think we are crazy. Thank you for your kind words. Stay safe out there and happy travels. Jim
I am sure the truck and trailer appreciate the short spa day at the shop!!
Congrats. Enjoy your guys trip
Courtney, glad to hear Beauty and the Beast are doing well away from their parents. lol. We know you, Vinnie and the team will take good care of them. Carmen and I are having a blast in Vienna, Austria, but after sleeping in Beauty for 9 years, every night but one, it is strange to sleep somewhere else and be away from her. We miss the convienence of the way Airstreams have everything you need right where it should be, handy and well designed. Thanks and see you in October. Jim
Happy anniversary!
Kim, thank you! Jim
This is an awesome post!!!
Amy, thank you. Glad you enjoyed reading this post. It is hard to believe the last time we saw you and John was at the Albuquerque Balloon Fest in October 2021. Hope oour paths cross again sooner than every 4 years. Stay safe out there. Jim
Great post. Y’all are inspirational. Have loved following you from the start. Can’t wait to hear about your European adventures. Hugs and love dear friends.
Judy, we had a lot of fun with this one. Yep, you and Mike are one of our original followers from way back in January 2016. Thank you! Sure hope our paths cross again soon! Jim
Thank you for your input and articulation. Very good information not only for full timing but also 1/2 yearing.
Jon, happy to hear you found value in this post. Thanks! Jim
I can’t believe people even thought these things, much less said them!!! We also have an Airstream and travel about 2 months out of the year. We also love our house, but we built it ourselves (I mean did 90% of the work ourselves, only contracting out when special permits were needed). And because we built it ourselves, it cost considerably less than paying for someone else to do all of the work. For us, we love leaving for a trip and we love coming back home. We have traveled from Maryland to Florida, California, Alaska, Newfoundland, and a lot of places in between. There’s no place like home – whether it’s the house or the Airstream. Home is home.
“Home is home.” Love it! We have so many homes we can’t keep up with them all. Several times a year, in several different places, we say “It’s good to be home.” The Pacific is home. The Gulf is home. For me (Carmen) home is the Bay of Pozzuoli in southern Italy, and my mother’s ancestral swamp in Conehatta, MS, and my sister’s cabin in the Smoky Mtns, TN. San Diego is our home too and anywhere our son may be. And, we find ourselves feeling at home in the most obscure places – a mystery. Home is like the Olympic flame, moving, leading, challenging, balanced. As we age in places, all of the home fires seem to burn more brightly.
Your house sounds like a wonderful creation with love crafted into every niche. Newfoundland! We hope to make that journey someday. Thank you for dropping by and inspiring us!
Carmen@LIB
Love your updates! Miss working alongside of you at County meetings!
Darlene, so great to hear from you and glad that you still enjoy our updates, even after more than 9 years traveling full-time in our Airstream. I do miss the County meetings and the involvement with other stakeholders trying to make San Diego a better and healthier place for folks to live. Greeting froms Vienna! Jim
This has got to be one of my favorite posts. Though I must admit, I’m way behind in reading previous journeys and miss it. So I’ll go back from where I left off and read on like a good book that I can’t put down and wish would never end.
The detailed stats you kept on your travels are amazing and impressive. Hope you make it to Hawaii just to say you hit all 50 states (which is my goal).
Hope to see you both again soon. Congratulations on 50 years. What a blessed adventure you two have lived to date!!
Barbara, thank you for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed this post. It was a fun one to put toegther. We’ve thought about getting the Airstream over to Hawaii, but it cost more than $10,000 each way to ship it over there, so we are not sure that it will ever happen. Luckily Carmen and I have been to Hawaii many times in the past 50 years. Love it there!! Thank you for following Living in Beauty. SUHI LIVES!!!! Jim