Posted July 18, 2023 – Narrated by Jim
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Hi, this is Jim with the annual report.
I will be brief and to the point.
Today, we wrap up our 7th year of full-time travel.
Tomorrow we enter our 8th year on the road.
It’s been an amazing 7 years.
We started out on July 18, 2016 with a dream to unburden ourselves of property and simply travel in a 180 square-foot rig named Beauty & the Beast.
The road has been good to us.
Our quest for a radical life-change opened up a treasure trove of pure happiness – more than we ever imagined experiencing in our average American lives.
You, our 8,535 followers, guide us, discover and rediscover with us. So, we want to say thank you for being a part of this journey.
Our Gear
We’re delighted that most of the gear we started out with from Year One is still in great working order. We even have the same hiking poles.
Our well-used kayaks remain seaworthy.
And, we’re proud to continue into Year Eight with Beauty, the same 30′ Airstream we launched with in Year One.
As always, Beauty is escorted by our original 2014 Ram truck, the gallant Beast who makes the magic happen.
Pico de Gallo, Great Explorer of The Universe, our Security Specialist, is still on board.
He turned 15 in May (old enough for a learner’s permit in most states) and when he’s not napping, he’s still raring for adventure.
Damage Control
In seven years, we’ve had a few bumps and scrapes which our technicians recently repaired. Our sincerest thanks to the experts at Vinnie’s Northbay Airstream Repair.
Without Vinnie Lamica and his team, we wouldn’t have made it past our first year.
Everyday, we are grateful to be spared the worst – namely, no collisions with semi’s, pedestrians, wildlife, or domestic animals. ✊🏻🪵
In the interest of economy and ecology: Our 4-3-2 slow-travel philosophy combined with deploying our Dolphin e-bikes for exercise and grocery runs, insures that our mileage is comparable to the average American commuter.
Furthermore – thanks to new tech and our increasing experience – our extremely low carbon footprint is always reducing.
One thing will change.
According to schedule, we arrived to Year 8 seven years older. Now, in our late 60’s, the next chapter of Living in Beauty will be to find a new pace for old bones.
Presumably, we will travel shorter distances and stay longer in fewer locations.
We are exploring several new strategies. With mandatory two-week maximum stays at almost every public campground, it remains to be seen how a moderate deceleration will play out.
It all depends on our experience, creativity and level of energy, but we’re excited about sharing the adventure which Carmen calls our “Less is More Phase.”
The Details
Now, to honor my promise of brevity, I leave the details open to your inspection. Below, you will see a list of graphics showing statistics.
At the top is a color-coded animated map celebrating every step of our first seven (glorious) years of Living in Beauty.
If you like the infographics above, click here for even more! 😊
Again, thank you for your interest, encouragement and prayers over these past seven years.
We hope you continue following Living in Beauty.
From Carmen, Pico and me: stay safe out there and happy travels!
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions!
Our Annual Travel Milestones
Each year on this day, we pause to mark another year of this life on the road.
Saying Goodbye
The Beginning — July 18, 2016
Facts of LIB
Year Two Begins — July 18, 2017
Canadian LIB Moment
Year Three Begins — July 18, 2018
Counting Moments: 3 Years
Year Four Begins — July 18, 2019
Four Years and Counting
Year Five Begins — July 18, 2020
Captain’s Log
Year Six Begins — July 18, 2021
RVer’s Bag o’ Tricks
Year Seven Begins — July 18, 2022
Launching Year 8
Year Eight Begins — July 18, 2023
The Magic of Number 9
Year Nine Begins — July 18, 2024
20 Whoppers About Full-Time RV Travel
Year Ten Begins — July 18, 2025
You can see our exact route on this map.
*photos in this post (unless otherwise noted) were taken and copyrighted by Living In Beauty.
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