Not too many people comment on our blog anymore. Most of the comments are made on our facebook page because for most people it's a lot easier to comment there.
One of yesterday's comments mentioned how "fortunate" we are to be doing all the traveling that we do. And people in the past have said how "lucky" we are. But we do not consider ourselves either fortunate, or lucky.
I read something a long time ago that has stuck with me.
Your life as it it stands is a direct reflection of the choices that you have made in it.
And we have actually chosen the lifestyle that we have. It did not arrive by chance. It is a direct result of the choices that we made.
Many people (although they say they are envious of our lifestyle) would not be happy doing it because of the sacrifices involved. It means extended periods of time away from family. It also means living out of a suitcase most of the time. Sleeping in many different beds of varying quality. And because we travel frugally, many people would not be happy with our choices of flights and accommodation.
And, we have made financial sacrifices as well. We have a lot less assets than many people our age. (On the other side of the coin, we also have a lot fewer expenses!) We don't own a home, which for many people is their largest asset (and possible their largest expense).
But despite all of that, we are totally happy with our life and the choices we have made. We are never bored. In fact, the exact opposite. We often find that we don't have enough time!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ladies Long Sleeve Pullover Sweaters. Take 70% off at checkout using coupon code R7BTXFSR. Code works on all sizes and colors.
And in Canada...
Good deal on an Acer 14" Laptop
They tell us the same thing ...
ReplyDeleteYep, it is all about making the choice.
DeleteYep. Not easy to travel full time I imagine. I can only handle a couple of weeks at a time. I'm always glad to be home and sleeping in my own bed. I use to travel a lot for work and I'd get tired eating restaurant food. These days I don't eat out much...I'd rather prepare my own food especially steak. I do love reading travel blogs and if I'm incline, I can go there if I want. I'm kind of a picky eater and takes me a while to eat foreign prepared foods. I do love that Ruth cooks rather than going out to eat. Her cooking always looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteYou are right sometimes it isn't easy traveling full-time, we have definitely made sacrifices in our lives in order to make this lifestyle work for us but we love this life and will keep at it for as long as we can. We also get it that not everyone whats to live this kind of life and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. Everyone has to live "their" life and be happy doing it.
DeleteYep, I like cooking and we do it for two reasons, one we think the food is much better for us and two it is normally cheaper for us. We are happy that you enjoying your own cooking as well, as opposed to eating out. :-)
What I like about RVing: sleep in your own bed and eat your own food and still travel. Kind of a happy compromise.
ReplyDeleteThat is also a couple of good reasons why we like RVing as well. Often when we are "backpacking" in other countries we mention how much we miss being able to travel with our own kitchen and bed. I think this is one of the reasons why we want to buy and RV in Europe whenever we make it over there again. We travel totally different when we are in and RV opposed to public transportation.
DeleteGoals, it's all about goals. If you make the right decisions in your life, and have a goal you can achieve anything. Also, it takes guts. Some people like their life being safe and not venture out too much (my parents were like that). Luck? A little has to do with it. You were lucky to be born in a Country where you can make these plans. Fortunate? Maybe in that you have children that didn't need special attention or have long term disabilities. I think alot of life is a little of everything. Luck, fortune and goals...
ReplyDeleteLove this comment. Very true.
DeleteYes you are right, you do often need a goal and work your way to that goal and yes, it takes guts but I think that is more or less what Kevin is getting at. People have that choice, if they don't have the guts to do it then they haven't made that choice. And, yes not everyone wants or desires this lifestyle and so long as they are happy then they made the right choice for themselves. Choices in life don't have to be big choices, they can be a lot of little choices. The point is, if you aren't happy with your life for any reason you need to start making different choices in order to change the way your life is going and only you can make those choices, you can't rely on other people to make those choices.
DeletePerfectly happy to armchair travel along with you! Janis
ReplyDeleteThank you Janis, we are happy that you are enjoying our adventures. :-)
DeleteAt one time I thought I could be a nomad but not anymore. I actually like staying home and nesting. I do enjoy travel and one day hope to do it for longer periods of time, maybe a month or two away per year. As the primary person who helps my senior Mom and also a dog Mom that is a few years down the road. You are right, you've made choices that have permitted your lifestyle (on any budget I might add)
ReplyDeleteIt is a good thing that not everyone wants to live this lifestyle or things would get pretty crowded out there, lol! We are glad that you have made the right choice for yourself. We also realize that at some point we may have to make a choice, at least for a little while to stay put in one place depending on my dad's health, we always have our family's interests in mind when it comes to travel and realize that we may have to change our plans depending on the circumstances. It was the same when we had our dog, we made the choice to travel in the RV so that she was able to travel with us. Life is all about choices big or small and making the right choice that works best for you. :-)
DeleteWe read your Blog everyday and if it doesn’t arrive by 9 am we re- read the day before to remind ourselves of your whereabouts. We also use your travel to review our bucket list. We are waiting on your trip to Ecuador as it is on our bucket list
ReplyDeleteThank you Tommy, I am glad that we act as an inspiration for you. We are looking forward to our trip to Ecuador as well, although it is not sounding quite so serene there at the moment.
DeleteVery true.
ReplyDeleteWe like to think so. :-)
DeleteI found this post fascinating...probably because we are just starting out to do the same thing. Our house sale closed two weeks ago, and we've been living in a 32-foot fifth wheel for the past few months. (Easier to show the house and keep it clean, when you're not there all the time.) Storage is an issue, because I write books and lecture. But we keep a space for books and critical stuff in Mom's garage...and try to minimize elsewhere. So far, it's working. But right now, when the fifth-wheel is in the shop for repairs and we're staying with friends, I have this strange sense of not being "home." Sleeping in that same bed does make a difference, I guess.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, on becoming full-timers. We hope that you will enjoy this lifestyle.
DeleteWe totally get that sense of not being home, we are really starting to feel it now because we have been away from Sherman for so long and we are so looking forward to getting back to him. :-)
It has nothing to do with luck. It has everything to do with opportunity and choice. Not everyone has the opportunity to do what you are doing (for any number of reasons). What I find sad is that people who do have the opportunity aren't willing to take the risk and choose to have the adventure. And you are right, not everyone is cut out for your type of travel. Like us. We tried it and we are going to do a hybrid version. Travel for 7 months and stay put for 5 months. Maybe that will change when we stop working. But I sure love hearing your stories. And you have been a terrific inspiration for us. We never would have gotten started if you hadn't come to visit....Cheers, Judi
ReplyDeleteI think that if there are people out there that want to do this, they can do it but maybe it isn't something that they can do right away, they have to make choices in their lives that will lead them to this lifestyle. If you want something bad enough you find a way to make it work. You are right though, that some people just can't make that leap of faith, to go out there and try. When we did it we figured that if things didn't work out then we would just find a job, get an apartment and go back to a "normal" life but we didn't know if we could do it or not without at least trying. We have definitely had some tough times but we found jobs working in the summer, and saved like crazy in order to travel in the winter. We did this for 7 years plus the one winter that we didn't travel. Again we also realize that this life isn't for everyone but everyone has a choice big or small to change things in theirs lives for the better, it is just making that decision that stops some people.
Deletewrites daily entries on my blog: Life with Lynnie.com. But, I don't discuss the traveling I've done. Yes, I enjoy traveling and I try to arrange traveling as cheap as possible, even though I travel alone. I'm truly happy for you both! Enjoy! Blessings...
ReplyDeleteThank you! And we are happy that you are enjoying the life that you have chosen. :-)
DeleteGreat post, and I couldn't agree more. Barring health issues, we make our own "luck", and our choices have led us to some amazing spots that some can only dream about. Yes, we are fortunate to have sufficient financial assets to do so, but there are plenty of ways to travel on a budget! In our case, not having children (not by choice but by nature's plan) enabled us to make lemonade out of lemons, retire early, and hit the road and airways! Although we are getting to the point in our lives (my husband will be 66 in December, and I'm 58) where we want to settle down to a "base" and travel part-time only, we have enjoyed our full-time nomadic lifestyle very much! Life is what you make it. :)
ReplyDeleteWe realize that there are some things that life throws at you that make life difficult including health issues but you can still make choices in your life that are positive choices even then. You may not be able to travel but choices don't have to be just about about travel, it is about being happy and doing things you enjoy.
DeleteAnd yes you are right, you don't have to have "money" to travel, we are case in point, we have managed to spend less money traveling than we did when we owned a house on a per month basis. We have made choices that keep our costs down, such as couchsurfing and using shared Airbnb's or hostels, we use public transportation as much as possible, rarely eat out, buy or flights on the cheap, there are definitely ways travel can be done, even on a low budget. And yes, many times we have had to made lemonade out of lemons, lol!
We are glad that you have been able to travel and we totally understand that need to settle down and just travel part-time, it is all about making the right choice for you, so that you are happy with your life. :-)
FYI: There have been riots in Quito, Ecuador for several days over fuel subsidies being reduced. The Federal government has relocated to the coastal city of Guayaquil do to the situation. It is most likely areas to avoid in Quito and other areas just fine. BBCNews.com has coverage on this.
ReplyDeleteYes, we have been keeping a close eye on the situation there. We have been in contact with several people that live there and so far we are still going to go ahead with our plan of visiting. Much of the problem is downtown around the parliament building area so we would just avoid that area altogether. Our concern at the moment is getting out of the airport and to our Airbnb. Unless Canada puts out an "aviod all travel" advisory there, then it is a go for us.
DeleteYes, completely agree with you. We travel fulltime in our 37" 5th wheel, with no home base. The freedom we have is the biggest draw for us, rarely do we stay more than 6 days in one location. As I have commented a couple time, I am envious of some of the places you have visited, so I look for your blog daily. But it is our choice to stay in the USA and enjoy the beauty we have here. Hope you are able to travel as long as you wish to. Becki
ReplyDeleteThank you John! We are glad that you are enjoying life on the road and seeing your beautiful country and as you said it is your choice to not travel to other locations but as long as you are happy with your decision then that is all that matters. We are more than happy to bring all of the other places around the world to you viritually. :-)
DeleteI think people who attribute the success of others to luck or fortune do so in some part because it relieves them of responsibility for their own situation. Thank you both for making choices that have enabled your lifestyle, and for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteWe tend to agree with you on that point. People need to realize that only they can make choices in their lives to order to make changes, they can't wait for other people to make those choices.
DeleteYou are welcome, I hope that we can keep those adventures coming to you for a very long time. :-)
Each to their own but..I agree that luck is not the deciding factor. Good choices, hard work and a great life partner along with the ability to take a leap of faith when presented with lifestyle changes out of your comfort zone make life better. We've RV'd to Mazatlan for 10 years with a motorcycle in a toyhauler and have now bought a winter home in north Mazatlan. We would have been voted as the least likely couple out of our friends to do any of this...but..surprise we did! Good for you that you are living your life the way you want to.
ReplyDeleteWe totally agree with you. Sometimes I thing it is taking that leap of faith that holds people back from making certain choices in their lives. Change is a hard thing for some people, and it has nothing to do with travel it has to do with anything that involves a change in their lives. Without making the choice to make a change then their life just won't change.
DeleteWe are happy that you made that choice, and I bet you have no regrets. :-)