Since we started Moving Out of San Antonio, we have been on an emotional roller coaster. I’m not expecting the roller coaster to end any time soon. Each of us has our recurring themes. I’m bumming because I keep waiting for the big vacation to begin. Linda worries about winter. The dogs want to be in a State or National Park.
Full Timing Is Not A Vacation
I’ve heard this a bunch of times. Not sure I’m on board with it. A Google search for “full timing not vacation” returns:
- FULL-TIME TRAVEL : NOT A VACATION – IT’S A LIFESTYLE – YouTube
- Don’t use the wrong math comparing fulltime to vacation RVing
- Full time RVing is a lifestyle choice, not a vacation
- Three Years Living In An RV Full Time
- …
RVtoFreedom suggests “Vacations have timelines.” This blogger goes on to say they have become laid back planners, only making reservations for holidays when campgrounds are full. Using trip planning (or lack thereof) to differentiate between vacation and full timing resonates with me. We are more Part-Timing than full timing. We prefer to plan our trips with timelines like vacations. We like to have reservations everywhere we stay. We like to know our routes well in advance. Basically, we like to travel with a timeline.
Perhaps I will change over time but right now, I want to be on vacation and instead I’ve been stuck hanging around and waiting for things to happen. We will have been in the San Antonio KOA for nine nights on this stay. The weather, which switches around between wet, dry, hot and cold has turned cold, windy and rainy as another cold front blasted through San Antonio. I’m anxious for our Thanksgiving trip to St. Louis in a few days to start. With this Thanksgiving trip, our 12 month vacation timeline starts. I’m looking forward to spending time with our family. After we return from St. Louis, we will be vacationing in South Texas through December. We have trips planned for January that get us out of our camper. February will be spent in State and National Parks. March will be spent at our house in St. Louis. April will be spent in parks in the Texas Hill Country. May will be split between Texas and St. Louis. In June, we head north to Alaska. I know all this because we already have a timeline and reservations.
Winter
Today in San Antonio is a particularly dreary day. Linda asked me this morning “Do you miss our house yet?” Temperatures had plummeted 15 degrees or more and rain squalls were drifting by as a cold front arrived. Linda wanted to know what I was planning on doing when (not if) the weather was bad for a week or more.
She has asked before if we shouldn’t just stay in St. Louis for the winter. Then other times she has emphatically stated she hates St. Louis winters and won’t spend another winter in St. Louis no matter what.
The truck camper is small inside and being stuck inside the truck camper for a week would be somewhat claustrophobic and physically uncomfortable. The dinette isn’t really large enough for two adults on their computers. Dinette legroom is another issue. There isn’t any legroom.
We have taken steps to improve sitting up in our bed. Last week, we replaced the mattress that came with our Lance 850 Truck Camper with a memory foam mattress from Amazon (Serenia Sleep 6-Inch RV Mattress, Queen). We bought this same mattress 7 years ago to replace the mattress in our motorhome. A year ago, we bought a pair of Diastar Adjustable Backrest Reclining Support Bed Wedge with Pillow Cushions. These can be seen in the above picture against the camper wall behind me. Amazon doesn’t appear to carry these anymore but they kindly provided a reasonable alternative – SUKONG Backrest of Bed,Lumbar Support 5 Stage Angle Adjustment.
While the backrest and memory foam mattress combination works well for an evening of watching TV or a movie, it wouldn’t do for a full day of sitting around.
In addition to avoiding winter altogether, Linda’s solutions to being forced to stay inside are winter in St. Louis, buy a four-season fifth wheel, buy a place in South Texas, rent an apartment in South Texas and buy a winter home in Alpine/Fort Davis/Marfa Texas.
There is no way to completely avoid bad weather. Bad weather comes year round, not just winter. When Linda says winter in St. Louis, she isn’t necessarily talking November through April. She means Thanksgiving through January when the weather can be uncomfortable in South Texas. The problem I have with that is two-fold. First, Linda will be miserable and therefore so will I. Secondly, I really enjoy rotating between Christmas at South Padre Island and Christmas in Davis Mountains State Park. We done enough Christmas travel in Texas to know that the weather is only really bad for a week or so at a time. Then the weather is REALLY nice for a week or so. The nice winter weather makes it all worthwhile.
We have been thinking about adding a fifth wheel primarily for winter use but are waiting until after we go to Alaska to really decide. The ideal fifth wheel will have two La-Z-Boy recliners for long winter days stuck inside.
I might consider buying a home in the Alpine/Fort Davis/Marfa area but am not ready to start looking. Neither of us make good renters so the apartment thing is out.
What to do. We will know what to do after a five month trip to Alaska next summer.
Meanwhile, the dogs are bored. At least they aren’t freaked out anymore by all the packing and moving activities from the last three months. They will perk up at the next State Park we visit at the end of November.
Hope to see you on the road ahead!