Everything has changed!

It has been a while since I written my blog … many reasons. But, suffice to say I am back and will be writing far more than I had before. For those of you that have stuck around – a word of thanks and appreciation. For those that left – perhaps you will come back. No way to really know. The reason I write this blog is really more therapeutic than anything else, but I am highly inspired to write by some of my blogger friends like xsyntriknomad 

and Random Bits of Trial and Error. They are both amazing bloggers that offer stories of adventure, imagination, experiences, and total inspiration. I love positivity in my life and both of these great bloggers provide me with a dose of positivity whenever it seems I need it. I have been following Devan’s blog for the last two years and love her writing style. We have develop such an amazing friendship and I feel honored to have someone as special as Devan in my life! She recently left her sticks and bricks life and headed on the road in a van … talk about brave – wow – impressive. She is doing great too!  So proud of you gurl! Look forward to actually meeting you in person one day.

I met Dawn and her husband Mike back in January of this year. Well – actually – Mike sent me a message on Facebook that he and his wife Dawn were long time subscribers to my YouTube Channel The Paddy Wagon back in 2016. In his message, Mike shared he and Dawn was inspired by my RV story (among other YouTubers they watch) and decided they were ready to take their life on the road. This is a brave decision for many people that chose this lifestyle and Mike and Dawn are no different. Fortunately, Mike has a career that is mobile and allows him to work from the road. Dawn recently retired from the Mayo Clinic after 30 years of service.  Wow – these are pretty amazing people.

You see – for me – I thrive on the value of the human experience where people live their lives making great personal choices for freedom, autonomy, and self expression. Devan and Dawn chronicle these human experiences in their respective blogs and their writing inspires me to face fears, be more than I thought I could be, but most importantly, they both give me strength and courage to develop my own resolve to do amazing things in my life. For that – I say thank you ladies – you are changing people’s lives through your writing. Please keep it up! But, I digress from the main point of this blog post …. everything has truly changed for me.

When we last left off, I was taking Myrtle to the RV repair shop and blogging about my house being steps away, but feeling a terrible sense of vulnerability. As I was writing that blog post I made the decision it was time to change!  Myrtle was NOT helping me achieve my travel goals and it was absolutely time to get serious about being more mobile 

Stay tuned for the rest of the story. If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen the rest of the story .. but if not, you will have to wait for part II of everything has changed!  Trust me – it will be exciting to read.

Building Our RV Community – Thanks to The Paddy Wagon

Random Bits of Trial and Error

One of my concerns before getting on the road was wondering about a sense of community.  Living in the same place for 30 years afforded lifelong friendships.  Even though I didn’t have daily conversations with my friends, we would always pick up where we took off the last time we talked.  There was someone nearby in case we needed something and vice versa.  Would we have friendships like that on the road?  Could we form meaningful friendships  in such as short time?  Our first week answered those questions with a resounding yes.

Patrick filming Mike

As I mentioned in a previous post, we had watched Patrick of The Paddy Wagon and many other YouTube channels before embarking on our trip.  Vloggers like Patrick have a way of bringing viewers into their lives and forging a sense of a personal connection.   He was interested in the same dreams we…

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Living in the RV and Repairs

The day seems long sitting in the stark waiting room of my RV service station. I have read all the Reader’s Digest versions on the table and the smell of Glade is fresh on my nose as it fills the small room. 

Waiting provides time to think. My home is in the garage not far away from me and yet … I feel vulnerable. I wonder … how many full time RVers feel like me when they are getting their rig serviced?  In the days before leaving on the road – I was not as concerned about service issues. I could drop off the rig and then go home and wait to be called when the rig was ready. Not the case today. 

But I would not trade this life for anything and this is all part of the adventure and journey. While I feel strangely vulnerable … I know I am not and my home is only steps away from me. I may be bored while I wait but the adventures that await me make it tolerable.

So the next time you find yourself sitting in the waiting room of an RV service center … strike up a conversation with the guy waiting next to you or consider the exciting adventures you are sure to have because you are taking good care of your home.

Life on the Road

Hello all my dear readers!  I have missed you and I am sure you have been wondering where I have been for the last few weeks. Well … I have been living my life on the road! I want to share with you some of the things that have been on my mind over the last few weeks. And – thank you for hanging in there with me.

When I was driving to my current location I spent a great deal of time white knuckling the drive and having a great deal of anxiety. You see, I worry about everything and I guess I was anticipating a break down or something terrible to happen as I began my journey. No new RVer wants to be stranded on the side of the road waiting for help – worse yet, have some mechanical failure while passing through a busy city with limited access to pull over to the side of the highway. Fortunately, I did not experience any of this and the coach did very well traveling over 600 miles.
Now that I am parked, I need to get over this feeling of impending doom when I get back on the road. I have thought of many strategies to relax and just enjoy the ride, but for one reason or another, it is hard to think about anything else when I am driving. As I reflect on my life – I realized I have always purchased new vehicles …. as a single father raising three kids … I needed reliable transportation. I never wanted to risk a breakdown that would prevent me from picking up my children from school, not being able to get to work, or simply not having access to transportation. As the years evolved – so did my idea that a new vehicle is more trust worthy than a used one.

Enter the RV world … and I am beginning to discover a used RV is much better than a new RV because most of the troubles have been worked out and the vehicle should provide many miles of enjoyable tripping.  With my rig (Myrtle) – we have been through many challenges together and I have put a great deal of work into her repairs to be road worthy. Yet, I am still thinking maybe a newer RV is a better idea for me. Will Myrtle ever be able to earn my trust?  Listen – the RV is a machine … and at the end of the day – if taken care of properly – the machine will continue to run for a long time. Why would I ever want to get a new RV and work through the challenges of repairs and warranty issues?
Not interested – so for now … Myrtle and I will continue to move forward on the road together. I have my roadside assistance plan and extended warranty – let the worries leave the enjoyment start.

See – writing is therapeutic for me. It gives me an outlet to work through what is on my mind … so thanks!  Appreciate you listening.

A week on the road

I left my sticks and brick house on February 18, 2016 for my new life on the road. After being on the road a week, I have so many lessons learned and things running through my mind.  The first and probably most prevalent thought is “did I do the right thing?” I figure this is normal for people that totally change their life and do something different. And – to be sure everyone knows … the answer to the question in my mind is “yes, you totally did the right thing.”

Change can be difficult – especially for someone in his early 50’s (that would be me). We get situated in our comfortable life, comfortable routine, and we forget to live. I do not want to be one of those people and dare I say that my actions on February 18th demonstrated my resolve to keeping life interesting and on edge.  My brother calls me courageous. I call myself simply “crazy.” I have never been a person of routine and you know from my previous blog posts – the word stable is a cuss word to me. Moreover … I want to experience life, meet new people, see new places, and do what I have never had the opportunity to do. Being on the road affords me this level of freedom.

Let’s talk about freedom for a minute. The idea of freedom must be defined by the individual. Some consider financial freedom the end all be all. Some want freedom from a particular situation or life event. For me, freedom is defined as having the ability to come and go as I please without having to change my whole life every time I make the decision to leave. Freedom for me is being connected with people that I enjoy being around. I can visit my mom, see my kids, and visit with friends from around the country. That is true freedom for me. How do you define freedom and are you living a life that allows you to be free?

As I reflect on my newly found freedom from the last week, I have discovered a certain resolve within myself that I never knew I had. For one, driving a Class A motorhome is not something I ever imagined I would be doing. The driving part caused me the most stress. Traffic, road construction, figuring out where to stop and rest, finding a place to park over night, and most importantly, the fear of a mechanical breakdown. Fortunately, my coach did very well and I was able to travel to where I wanted to be without any problems. I attribute this to the work that my father and I did on the coach prior to leaving. I will readily admit – I miss pops!

Managing a budget on the road can also be a challenge. As a new RVer I had to remember that I was not on vacation, rather, this is my new life. Aside from gas money, managing where the money must go and sticking to the budget is paramountt to surviving out here on the road. So far I have done well with this concept. Managing the budget also plays an important role in how much or how little you travel. With the price of gas at an all time low, most RVer have the financial freedom to travel farther than in the past. I spent an average of $1.71 a gallon on gas during my travels. This is an amazing cost savings from what I originally planned.  But, that savings can quickly evaporate if you do not have a travel  plan.

Travel plans change and that is ok. This is one of the perks of freedom. If I want to make a decision (at the spur of the moment if necessary) to stay or go – I can do that! On my travels I came across this lovely RV Park in Alabama. My original travel plan was to head to Lafayette, Louisiana to visit with my mom for a few weeks. But I was so drawn to this location and the RV park that I decided I would stay!  There are many reasons why I decided to stay, but one of the most important reasons is,  I can!  With my work responsibilities beginning (online of course), I decided to stay for one month in an effort to acclimate more to my new life. The extra time at the RV park will allow me the opportunity to adjust to my new life and my new online work responsibilities. I can save a few dollars and meet some really great people.

As I reflect on my first week, I am pleased with my decision to change my life. I miss my family terribly, but I am in contact with them almost daily. This is very nice and I have met some wonderful new friends here at the RV park. This lifestyle suits me well. As I grow more comfortable driving my Class A … that will make the experience even more pleasurable for sure!

The road ahead is filled with so much life and the freedom to experience this life on my terms.

 

Transition – A New Life

There are so many transitions that people make in life. Transition to a new job, transition relationships, transition to a new house, and even transition gender identity. I am not talking about any of these, rather, my transition is about the closure of the way I use to live while preparing

for a new life path! The transition between the two can be scary, filled with anticipation, excitement, and fear. There have been times during this transition where I have thought “what the hell am I doing?”  And times when I have thought “this is going to be amazing.” The place where I live right now is in the middle – jubilant about the prospect of change and fearful that I will fall flat on my face and receive the ridicule of everyone I know.

But you see –  I am more fearful of my own regret than I am of being told by people “told you not to risk everything.” Quite frankly – these are the same people that help me feel inferior to them because I was nomadic and enjoyed variety in my life. These are the same people that never stretched their own imagination to consider the beauty of uniqueness and difference.

But, I digress … what we are really talking about is my own regret. I cannot imagine laying on my death bed with my kids in the room and the last words out of my mouth saying “I wish I had gotten on the road with the RV – I wish I had been free.”

 

Most normal people do not make the kind of life changes I am making because they do not possess the courage! Wait … did I just write normal??  Yes, I guess I did. Perhaps I have fallen into the social trap that defines normal as everybody doing the same thing. Hell with that!  I am not, nor have I ever been your definition of normal. Never have been … never will be …. and could care less what that all means. I am finally marching to my own beat – should have done it years ago, but I did not have the courage. The courage to be me, to do what I was called to do and to be free.  Wow – this is cathartic.  Maybe I should write like this more often.

We are talking about transition – right?  Yes – that is exactly what we are talking about. You see transition does not just involve the physical aspects of moving all of your stuff into an RV and getting on the road. Transitions really speaks to the changes you undergo as a person when you make the decision to change your life!  The RV is just the vehicle that allows one to go from place to place. True freedom comes when you finally put away the requirements of society and begin to understand your own truth, to be authentic to who you are and what your purpose is on this earth.

The word transition implies changing directions, making a new plan, doing something different. For me – this has been a personal journey of rediscovery of who I am as a human being … not just as a father, friend, nurse, brother, but as a bonafide human being with thoughts and feelings. Too much of my life has been spent giving away myself to others that neither appreciated me or really truly cared about me as a human being. A sad reality as I reflect, but oh so truthful!  Am I being selfish?  Really???  Or can we call this individually focused on what I need today?  Probably means the same thing. In any case – it means doing what is right for me and making a transition to a life where I can finally feel and experience joy and happiness.  A place where who I am is valued and welcomed.

Dear Tom

Dear Tom,

I wanted to write this letter to let you know I purchased your coach. I am sure you are asking, why write a letter to me?  Because I wanted to share the story of how I acquired your coach, but more importantly, I wanted to share with you the connection I feel toward you and your wife through your notes, writings, and other small signs of your previous ownership. If you will be kind enough to indulge me, I would appreciate it.

I am sure you will never see this blog post, but if by some incredible stretch in faith – the universe brings this message to you, know that your coach is now in good hands. However, this was not the case previously. I know you loved this coach from the moment you purchased it new. Your hand written notes on the owner’s manual and throughout the information spoke volumes to me. It is for this reason I feel compelled to share my story with you and to let you know – all is well today.

Having always been a free spirit and nomad – the idea of traveling the country in an RV has been something I have thought about for years. However, family and work commitments kept me close to one location – leaving my mind to wonder about being nomadic one day. After a while I forgot about my dream to travel and became wrapped up in life, work, family, and all the things that “normal” people do in their lives. As my children grew into adults and began to live their own lives and with no romantic partner in my life, I began to wonder what my future held. I will readily admit that as a single father, I did have empty nest feelings (even though I denied this to anyone who would dare say it).

I found myself fulfilling a regular routine of working and then coming home to nothing. Pretty soon depression set in and at 51 years old, I wondered what the rest of life would be? I had little passion, little interest in most anything, and really was kind of hopeless. It was at this lowest moment where I began to discover I had the ability to change my life – redefine it if you will, and do something exciting, engaging, and wonderful. It was at this moment when I began to rekindle my interest in traveling. Years before I was unable to follow this passion – but I thought perhaps this was the time that I could finally get on the road and live a nomadic life.

Of course – people are confused when you share this news … they ask questions like “how will you earn money.” “What will you do with all of your personal belongings, or why would you want to live in an RV?”  These were the questions that my family and friends asked me when I told them of these ideas. Of course – for the most part, I kept it to myself for fear of rejection. The one person in my life (and someone very important to me) is my brother. One day on the phone, the topic of traveling came up and I shared my idea with him of getting on the road. I was shocked with his level of support. He said “Manny – this may be your next big thing!  Go for it.” While I never needed his approval, I have always looked to him for his opinion and his wisdom. No one else in my life is as honest with me as he is!

“My next big thing” I thought to myself – “yes, he is right – this can be my next big thing.” I have the tools I need to earn income on the road, I have no major obligations, and I want to do this. All of the sudden the passion and excitement that was missing from  my life and from my spirit returned. And – it returned ten fold. I was actually excited about doing this – I was embracing life again with the anticipation of something new, different and engaging. I was, once again, alive!

You see Tom – people get so wrapped up in their lives – they forget to live. People become so entrenched with the expectations of society – they forget to embrace the uniqueness of life – one that provides us with the opportunity to live authentically and to be true to our own nature. Some people go through life never remembering the passion they had when they were young. I refused to be one of those people.

Being reengaged in my own life, I began my quest to find an RV that would suit my needs. I did not have a lot of money and I had absolutely no experience buying an RV.

Courtesy: thesundayroutine.wordpress.com

I turned to YouTube and began watching videos of people who also embraced my new found love of life on the road. I was shocked and surprised at the numbers of people living this life. Traveling the country in an RV was no longer something strictly held for the retired couples living out their dreams after years of hard work and saving. Younger, working age people were actually do this and their numbers were increasing. I found channel after channel of amazing people like the Mobile Hobos, Rob and Lisa with Life in Serenity,  Chico from Rufus and Dufus, Jon from YarrVee and bloggers like Xsyntriknomad that helped me to understand this lifestyle is actually a cultural phenomena.

Over the next few months, I watched and learned. I read blogs, searched websites to help me understand the ins and outs of RV life – what to look for when purchasing an RV and the pitfalls of life on the road. I saw drama on YouTube within the RV community that easily could have dissuaded me from continuing forward. But through all of this, I knew, in the deepest regions of my heart that I was committed to living this life and nothing would change that in my mind or in my soul.

I know Tom – you are asking yourself, why tell me all of this?  It is important for you to understand my story as it relates to purchasing your RV. I want you to understand by the time I came across your RV at a dealership here in my area in Florida, I had already investigated 20 or more coaches. I had originally gone to this dealership (which was some distance from my house) to see another listed coach – a Class C. The coach was in terrible shape and the salesman was a wheeler and dealer – nothing was important to him other than closing the deal and making a few bucks!

I learned over the time I was searching for an RV that salesmen in this industry did not care about you or your needs. They only wanted to make the sale. Buying an RV is not easy – there are multiple systems you need to be knowledgeable of and salesmen know this … from leaks in the roof, to appliances that don’t work, to the engine and brakes of a rig. Many, many things to learn. In my search for an RV is did discover one guy that was honest – his name was Paul. He is a full-timer and understands the needs of those living full-time in an RV.  He and I have become great friends and I am thankful for his honesty and guidance as I learned my way to become a full-timer myself.

Back at the dealership, the shyster salesman trying to sell me a badly cared for Class C realized he was about to lose out on a sale and quickly gathered himself and told me about a Class A Winnebago he had for sale. I told him I was only interested in a Class C as a Winnebago would simply be too big for my needs. As salesmen often do, he convinced me to take a look at the coach.

The moment I stepped into the rig – I felt this connection to her. I cannot explain why – but I knew this was the one for me. She was dirty, needed work, but for some reason I knew she would be perfect for me. Even after a rough test drive, I knew, somehow that her and I would have a lasting relationship. I purchased your coach Tom!  Me, an inexperienced guy with a dream, purchased your Winnebago Sightseer from a shyster salesman wanting to make a deal.  Don’t ask me why or how, or anything else. Just know, this coach and I developed a relationship from that moment.

Full-timers say you need to get to know your rig … once you know your rig – you are in tuned with the noises, feelings, and operational changes. I was looking forward to getting to know this new rig and asked the salesman for the manuals and other information that was supposed to come with the rig. Of course- his response was – “I know nothing more about this rig other than what I told you.” “There are no owners manuals or maintenance records.” I should have walked away at that point, but I did not. Instead, I drove my new rig 75 miles home.

As I walked around the rig and began to look into every nook and cranny of the coach, I discovered a gold mind Tom. I discovered your owner information. I found your notes, maintenance records, after market upgrades and repair records. I saw that you purchased the rig new in 2003 and you painstakingly kept amazing notes about everything. I found receipts for repairs, oil changes and dates when you upgraded the toilet and put in the fantastic fan. I saw records where you installed after market air shocks and new tires all around – everything meticulously recorded with love. I know you loved this rig because I felt it.

I believe my connection to your rig is truly an extension of the love you had for the coach. Some people are not sensitive to this level of interconnectedness – I am. Unfortunately, after you sold the rig, she was poorly cared for and I believe lived in by people that used her resource and never gave her anything in return. And – when they were done with her – they simply discarded her in a RV yard hoping to get a buck from what was left of her.

I want you to know Tom, since my purchase of your coach, I have restored her to a better place. It has cost me … in many ways, and there were times when I wondered why I was doing this. But, for some reason, I kept moving forward – repair after repair, and challenge after challenge. I believe your love of this rig now lives on in me. I believe in this rig and while I know she is a machine, I do believe your passion for life on the road is now going to live on through me. I know you are at an advanced age today and perhaps this is the reason you sold her, but please know she is in good hands and I will take good care of her for you, and for me. If by some strange hand of destiny you see this blog – I invite you to see her today on my YouTube Channel entitled The Paddy Wagon.

Thank you Tom for the connection – I will cherish your 2003 Winnebago as I enter my new life on the road and will ask the universe to watch over me and you through my travels and so we might retain the connection that has brought us together whether in spirit or in mind. But more importantly, I want to say thank you Tom for doing such a great job and taking such good care of our rig.

Sincerely,

Patrick (aka Paddy)

 

Day 8 Countdown!

Happiness

Happiness – for many people, it can be an illusive word. Sad really, because happiness is what drives the human spirit. Of course – I may have this wrong, perhaps the human spirit is driven by the pursuit of happiness. In any case – you get my point (I hope). When I blog, I can only relate what I write to my own emotional or experiential state … I would never imply this is the way you or others feel – rather, these and other writings reflect my own experiences and my own emotions. Shall we continue?

I have found in my life that my emotional state impacts my life on many different levels. For some – their emotional state may not be something visible – rather, they may be very quiet about how they feel and there would be no outward notice of unhappiness, sadness, or other emotional longing. This is not the case with me because I wear my emotional state on my body as weight. Yes – that is correct – weight as in body fat, adipose tissue, and there are many other adjectives to describe it. Suffice to say – the fatter I am – the more unhappy or sad I am.

In 2012 – I was living in Florida – had moved down to Florida from Asheville, North Carolina in an effort to help my brother. I was in Florida for a full year and really disliked being there. In the course of that year, I packed on the pounds.

Courtesy: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

I knew I was gaining weight because I could feel it – my clothes were tighter, I had no energy, and was generally miserable. After a year of living there, I made the decision to move back to Asheville. I missed my friends, family, and life there.

At the same time I made this decision, I also discovered the low carbohydrate movement and lifestyle. Coincidence or not, I found myself in an incredibly happy place in my life with the decision to move back to Asheville and started to drop weight. For me, I knew the change in diet plan was big, but within 9 months, I dropped a total of 86 pounds. People called me the shrinking man. The change was shocking for those that had not seen me in a while. But what was more shocking to me was the fact that I was living in a happy place in my mind. I seldom woke up depressed, sad, or with anxiety. I was actually excited to get up and greet the day. I never really considered the role of happiness on my weight loss as I attributed the change in body composition to my new low carbohydrate lifestyle. And, While I will stand strong on this lifestyle as a major factor for the weight loss, today I fully believe that happiness also played a significant role in helping me drop the unwanted pounds.

Case and point – after living in Asheville for two years, I was involved in what I thought to be a life-long relationship. My happiness meter was at the highest point it could reach and my weight was continuing to drop – life was good. My partner wanted to move to Florida as he had grown up in the mountains and found the allure of the beaches and weather quite exciting. I am a pleaser … it is just who I am … so off to Florida we go. Interesting that as soon as the decision was made to move to Florida, my weight loss stopped. I thought perhaps my body was at a stop point – after all, I had lost a lot of weight and maybe this is the weight I should be at … I mean come on – 86 pounds – what more could I expect.

Fast forward … living back in Florida – the relationship is going south and quickly, heart break, stress, sadness, anxiety, and hurt. These are not emotions associated with happiness – in fact, quite the opposite. No weight loss now for months. Diet and compliance to the diet the same – no changes. Walking 11-12 miles a week – as before – no changes. What did change however was my emotional state. As I said when I opened this blog – the sadder I am the fatter I am.

The relationship ends – I am living in Florida, no relationship and asking myself what the hell I am doing back here. Feeling trapped in my life, making poor choices about everything, job, housing, and money. My life, mind, and future were in dismal shape. To top it all off, I had an Achilles heel injury from a 5k I did. Doctor says no walking for 6-7 months until it is healed. By the time I received the injury, I had already gained 25 pounds … despite following (faithfully) my low carb plan and walking 4-5 times a week.

What was the difference? Why such amazing success in Asheville an such dismal failure in Florida? I began to understand – a lack of happiness causes your body to release stress hormones that increase inflammation, decrease energy, and slow metabolism. There is science here people – and my body was responding (as it has done SO many times before) to a life moment of true and desperate unhappiness. Fast forward – 6 months ago …

6 months ago I finally made a decision to seek happiness, once again. It is an amazing thing when you decide that happiness is worth the effort. Positive things happen in your life. For me, I knew I was ready for a major life change. Something so big, that the mere thought of it would excite me and motivate me to learn, seek, and grow. 6 months ago, I decided to follow my passion to travel and live full time in a recreational vehicle. The quest for my new life was immediately met with an overwhelming sense of dread and ideas that I was too old, too unhealthy, too fat, etc, etc. You see, when you seek happiness – these thoughts try to keep you down, keep you in a place of no change. However, my desire for happiness is and was stronger than those old emotions. Regardless of how fat I am, how old I may be or the state of my health (which is only challenged because I am overweight) – I will push forward in search of happiness.

Today, I am back in the driver seat of my life – making decisions that best reflect my heart and passion. Today, I decide! Amazing things happen when you seek happiness … over the last two months, I have lost 22 pounds and will lose the remaining 35 pounds that I gained. More importantly, I will never allow happiness to leave my life for any extended period of time. You see, my happiness is like the sun warming my skin. Happiness is like seeing an old friend after a very long time. Happiness is like being kissed so passionately that you are oblivious to anything around you.

Courtesy: http://www.chicagonow.com

A good friend once told me about joy. She said joy and happiness ride together. Protect them because without them, life can be pretty drab and desolate. She said “never let anyone or anything rob a single minute of joy from your life because life is too short to be without joy even for a moment.” Today – I remember those words and will never forget them. My quest to travel and be free is how I have recaptured joy in my life and much to my surprise – happiness rides a long with joy and I could not be more pleased.

RV Living … A New View

As a I reflect on the decision to move full time into an RV, I remembered years ago I wanted to do this when the kids were little. As a nurse, the idea of working 13 week contracts and traveling the country was an appealing idea. However, as a single father with three kids – the logistics were near impossible. The idea goes to the back burner to eventually be forgotten.

Fast forward to 2015 … a nomadic spirit never stops thinking and I remembered my original idea of traveling the country and working on the road … the difference?  Kids are all adults, I am free and can do whatever I want and still young enough to enjoy the chance.

Courtesy: rv-roadtrips.thefuntimesguide.com

Also – I spent years completing my education. First starting out as a RN and then eventually my graduate degree and in 2013 – my doctorate. I thought … put this education to good use and start teaching online and enjoy an occasional shift as a staff nurse along the way. I love working with patients. And this is a perfect way to earn an income, travel and wake up each day with a new view. I thought to myself …

“OMG … am I really going to do this … can this be something that can be my reality?  Do I have the mental fortitude to change my whole life and leave what is comfortable and familiar for something totally outside of my comfort zone? Do I really want this?” 

The last question really makes me pause … do I want this?  It is a very real question … we can get wrapped up in the excitement of changing and being free to travel, but is this something I really want to do?  After all, I can do anything I want – why this?

Because I am a free spirit – perhaps a gypsy at heart (thanks Mom).  Of course I want this – I am not crazy, I am just a wandering man … am I looking for something in particular?  Hell yes! My freedom … freedom from the routine, freedom from the mundane, freedom from dull and boring, but most importantly – being able to live my true – authentic life (thanks Oprah!).

A new view, a new lease on life, and the best part, freedom to explore, meet new people, and live life opportunities that would not be afforded to me sitting on the coach in my sticks and bricks house watching another rerun of the Shark Tank.  A new view – yup!