RVing--It's Not the Life of Riley or a Vacation?

I have friends tell me all the time how lucky I am to be living the Life of Riley, or they say, "Enjoy your vacation."

People who are living full-time in an RV know that life on the open road is the ultimate freedom, but it's not a vacation, and it's not the right life for everyone.

If you're thinking about living this lifestyle, all of the YouTube videos you've watched and articles you've read about RV living may have convinced you that RV living is the perfect way to live.

There are so many options on how to live the RVing lifestyle. There's no one right way to live full-time in an RV.

Unlike many RVers who travel all the time, I like to stay in one place for a few months at a time.

I've Been Everywhere

For 20+ years before I started living full time in an RV, I traveled every week, putting on five seminars a week in five different cities. Like the country song Johnny Cash made famous, I've Been Everywhere.

I've visited almost every town in the US that's large enough to have a newspaper (so I could advertise my seminars). I've visited most of the towns every year, and sometimes more than once a year.

Now I enjoy staying put for months at a time. I like hiking in the mountains, walking on the beach, and experiencing the food and culture of foreign countries. And I enjoy the views from my motorhome when I'm eating at home.

When people tell me that I'm lucky to be able to live four months in Costa Rica, four months in the NC mountains, and four months on the beach in Florida or Texas, I think it's not luck. It's a choice, and it's a low-cost choice.

Even though I've been everywhere, I haven't visited all of the National Parks, and I haven't seen or experienced all that most places have to offer, so from time to time, I take a side trip, do some boondocking, and live like a local in some interesting places. That's part of the freedom you have when you live full-time in an RV.

Living full-time in an RV is not a matter of luck. It's a choice that almost everybody can make. It's way less expensive than living in a house or apartment (unless you travel all the time and spend a lot on gas and pay the high price of staying in campgrounds for one or two nights at a time instead of taking advantage of their monthly rates).

Bottom line: A lot of people don't live the RV lifestyle because they're afraid to take a risk. It may not be the right lifestyle for you, but make sure if you don't take the leap, it's because you've seriously considered your options and decided it's not a lifestyle you would enjoy. Make sure it's not because you're afraid to risk making a change.