I can't believe it... We've survived ONE MONTH of full time Airstreaming life! Time has really flown by.
We've come to a point now where we feel comfortable in the routine of this new lifestyle. We still have hiccups now and then with setting up camp and breaking it down, but for the most part, the process has become our new normal. The dogs seem to have adjusted to being outdoors more than they've ever been in their lives, and Bach and I have figured out a rhythm of how to move around each other in our tiny space. Despite having downsized our living space, I haven't felt at all like we're lacking in anything, and there hasn't been a moment of regret. Life is fuller, more exciting and so much more freeing.
Thankfully, during our one month on the road, we haven't had any major issues with the trailer, the truck or our health, and I'm hoping it stays that way. The only issue has been that the propane water heating switch stopped working, so we've been using the electric switch. It's been fine for now, but we'll definitely need to get that propane water heating switch fixed before we can boondock. Otherwise... Cold showers! I'm not down with not washing...
In some ways, I feel like we live in more luxury now than we did in our condo in San Diego. Although everything is much, much smaller, and we have less, everything is also top of the line. When Bach and I talked about doing this, we agreed that we wouldn't skimp on anything when it comes to the trailer, the truck, and essential gear. Our reasoning was that since we will be living and traveling full time with this home on wheels, it'd be better to buy high quality equipment that's reliable, rather than taking the risk of things breaking down and causing a lot of headache down the line. One month in, things have been working out great! I'll write another blog post with a list of the equipment and gear we've been using.
I've also discovered that I am not a fan of staying at RV parks or resorts... While it IS really convenient to have full hookups at your site, you're packed in like sardines. So if you're not planning on staying in one spot for more than a week or two at a time, I personally prefer staying at state park campgrounds where there's more space and nature. So far, all of the campgrounds we've stayed at have been campgrounds built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE): Bear Creek Campground in Ft. Worth, Texas, St. Bernard State Park in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Sawnee Campground in Cumming, Georgia. They've all been well maintained, safe, and really reasonably priced. The max stay time is 14 consecutive days and they've all had an evening curfew time when they lock the gates so you have exiting access, but not entering with your car access after a certain time.
Right now we're staying at an RV resort in Nashville, Tennessee, and I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic... The grounds are nice however, with a laundry room, pool, hot tub, and playground. I imagine this is a good place for people who are full time RVers who stay in one location for months at a time. The other downfall to staying at a RV park/resort though is that it gets pretty pricey... We're staying here for a week for the sake of being conveniently located to Bach's sister's place, as we're here for her graduation. Next week though, we've booked a stay at another COE campground across the lake. From there, I'm hoping we can boondock on free BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land.
After Nashville, we haven't made any other plans, but all I know is we HAVE to go to Harry Potter World in Orlando, Florida! We're going to make our way there eventually, probably with a couple stops beforehand.