Andy Morgan Photography

As we approach three years of being full-time RVers, (September 30th is our Nomadiversary) we’ve been reflecting on some of the little things we’ve learned since embarking on this unconventional life.  These are things we’ve learned for ourselves, how we wish to live.  I am not suggesting that you should apply these lessons to your own journey.  However, during our first three years, there are many things we thought were important or necessary that have come to matter very little, or not at all. On the other hand, there have been many things that never crossed our radar.  Feel free to agree or disagree as you wish.

1. The saying “If you motor more than you home, get a motor home“, rings very true.  We started out in a small Class A motorhome.  Our first workamping/volunteer job had us stationary for about 7 months.  We learned very quickly that we had no interest in maintaining 2 engines including one that sat for up to 6-7 months each year.  In the first year, we switched to a travel trailer and have been very satisfied.
2. Solar panel set-up is not needed (for us).  During the first 3 year’s we’ve never boondocked for more than a night or two at a time.  Most of our boondocking have been an overnight stop at a Cracker Barrel or Wal Mart.  Before we hit the road we did a lot of research on solar set-ups.  What we learned has never been applied to our RV life.
3. Downsizing doesn’t end with the stick & bricks.  Now we are normally stationary for several months at a time.  We’ve discovered that each time we prepare to move-down-the-road, we purge a little more stuff.
4. Discount Grocery Stores help keep food costs down.  We discovered these during a couple month stay in South Carolina.  Discount grocery stores or grocery liquidation stores offer groceries at amazingly low costs.  Foods close to, or beyond their best by date, discontinued items, dented cans, even goods salvaged from tractor trailer accidents find a home on these shelves.  Be aware of what you’re buying.  I’ve seen items within a week of their best by date and some over a year beyond.  Besides food, we stocked up on name brand shampoo, deodorant, and my favorite – packages of organic broccoli bites and kale chips.  Regular price on Amazon $7-$9 a package…we paid $0.25/package. Made for some excellent road-food snacks on our trip west.
5. Drinking Water – sanitizing our water system was something we read about and watched numerous youtube videos about.  However, since embarking on this road less traveled, we have not drunk a single drop from out water hook-ups.  In addition, we’ve discovered that many of the full-timers we’ve met also prefer to get drinking water elsewhere.  We fill our gallon jugs 5-6 at a time from water sources other than our water hook-up.  Luckily, most places we’ve workamped or volunteered either have filtered water.  One workamping employer actually brought in 5-gallon jugs of spring water for all the workers. Sanitizing has been more seldom than we had aticipated.
6. RV Clubs – Thousand Trails, Passport America, etc….another topic we read about before beginning our journey.  In our planning, we decided not to buy any memberships until we were on the road for awhile.  Once again, this is something that has become unnecessary for us…so far.
7. Closest Hospital – being younger full-timers (both in our early 40’s), we didn’t give it much thought about nearby medical care.  We’re both relatively healthy, and hadn’t given location much thought. That was until the unexpected happened and one of us was bitten by a venomous snake one evening in the middle of The Everglades. (I’ll tell this story another time).  Luckily we had some fantastic people around us who knew the lay of the land. Including trained Naturalists, Park Rangers and people who have lived in the area for several years.  Being 50+ miles, in either direction, from the closest medical facility is a little scary at a time like that; everything worked out fine with zero lasting effects.  What we learned was that each time we arrive at our ‘new home’, we locate the closest emergency room.
8. The variety of jobs we get to do as workampers was never expected.  In the three years we’ve been on the road we have; removed deer jaws from harvested deer, worked on a Christmas Tree lot, been ride attendants at an amusement park, sold fine art in an art gallery, rehung the art at the same gallery, learned how to frame art, been a server during a catered luncheon, assisted in social media management, worked the information desk at a Revolutionary War Battlefield, manned the front desk at a desert nature center and recently made handmade hiking sticks.  After 15 boring years of working a desk job, I finally found what I want to do when I grow up.
9. We didn’t have any idea what adventures were awaiting. During our planning to go mobile, we knew we were setting out to see the country, but we didn’t know what adventures were just around the corner.  Many we didn’t even know were “things” to do.  During these first 3 years we have: Hiked a portion of the Florida Trail, been on multiple swamp-walks in the Florida Everglades, hiked in the Smoky Mountains, taken on a plane ride over the 10,000 islands of Florida (by one of our workamping boss’ who happened to be a pilot), hiked into a canyon in the Chihuahuan Desert, watched a rocket launch at Cape Canaveral, kayaked in the Florida Everglades, kayaked in a cold stream in Maine, watched the Red Sox in spring training, went on a New Years Day swamp-walk with legendary photographer Clyde Butcher, watched the milky way dance over-head with our naked eyes in the dark skies of west Texas, work at Dollywood, sell my own photography in Florida & Texas, and the list continues to expand.
10. Friends. We knew we would meet several new friends on our travels, and we have. However, we meet so many friendly people in this life that it seems no one is a stranger anymore. Practically everyone we meet is kind, generous and has their own incredible stories to tell.

After 3 years in, we are still loving this life and don’t have any plans of returning to a stick & bricks. Here’s to year 4!  Follow our journey on facebook at Andy Morgan Photography.  Feel free to leave comments…we love to hear from all of you!