Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The First 5 Days (Golden, CO)

Wow, I think we're really doing this!!

We have officially been full-timers for 5 days! And what a stressful time it has been. I thought we were through the hard part before the house sold, but that roller coaster of emotions is still going strong.

We'll start with day 1. We picked up the rig on Friday and it never really dawned on us that Fridays would be their busy day. We could have easily postponed until Monday if we had known. But anyway, it took us about 5 hours from start to finish to get out of the dealer, with probably half that time waiting in the customer lounge. The closer we got to completion, the more anxious we were getting. I "let" Tracy have the inaugural drive and she handled it like a pro. We made it the 2 miles to the campground with ease. Our reserved spot required parellel parking. We knew this when we made the reservation and expressed concern, making it very clear that we are newbies, but were assured that there would be help. So we tried it (with help), but couldn't quite get it in straight. Of course there were trailers on either side of us. So the fairgrounds staff member offered us a 50 amp site that was a back in. We jumped on it. We got hooked up just before the snow started falling.

The weekend was pretty busy with getting moved in. I really thought we had done a good job purging, but as we started bringing boxes and bins in, it quickly became apparent that not everything was going to fit. Here we go again. What can we live without? It is quite disheartening that we worked so hard to get rid of so much already and then realize that we have to do it again. So the weekend was primarily spent back and forth to storage, exchanging stuff. And for every box we opened, there was at least one or two things that didn't have a place (yet) and ended up in the middle of the floor in the way. I hate living in a disarray and that's what the last several days have been.

Monday afternoon rolls around and we are informed that we have to move back to our original spot. There's a high school rodeo coming in over the weekend and all the spots are resevered. What?? Why did they offer to move us in the first place? If we'd known we were going to have to move, we would have tried harder in the first place. There's no way that we're prepared to move this rig anywhere. With stuff spread everywhere, the slides can't be pulled in. We were just a bit irritated, to say the least. But ultimately, there's nothing we could do about it so we arranged for the fairgrounds staff to help us move it on Tuesday afternoon. In the meantime, we worked tirelessly getting everything into a place, a lot of which was on top of furniture or back in the truck.

So that brings us to today, Tuesday, day #5. I got up early and did some more prepping and then had some appointments to attend. When I returned in early afternoon, I noticed the power was not working in the coach. Hmmm, I know it was working when I left. So we tried some basic stuff, no luck. So we checked to see if the other RVs had power. Yep, no problems there. So I called the dealer and worked with the tech over the phone for probably an hour and a half. Still no luck, so he finally dispatched a tech to come out since we're just down the road. I was very happy about that because they typically don't make house calls and I was afraid they were going to tell us that we needed to bring it in. So the tech finally showed up and quickly determined that the coverter was burned out. He has no idea why it happened but he's certain that a new converter will do the trick. The only problem is that they didn't have one in stock. Figures. The parts guy will hopefully be delivering one in the morning. It's still unclear whether they will make a 2nd house call to install it. The tech said it would be up to the service manager to make that decision. I sure hope so, but I guess ultimately it won't make too much of a difference because we have to move tomorrow anyway. Due to our technical difficulties, we got a reprieve today, but we absolutely have to be out tomorrow.

I know these types of problems happen and this is the exact reason that we chose to stay close by, but I swear someone is testing us. This entire transition has been far more stressful that I even imagined. Selling a house is stressful enough. But it's not just a typical move. And then you add the financial stress. It's not like we didn't know we would be ending our income stream, but when it actually happens, it's a bit of a slap in the face. And then add the anxiety of towing something that you're not quite comfortable with yet. And if that wasn't enough, we've also been dealing with family health issues. I have no doubt that at some point we'll look back on this and say it was all worth it, but right now there are moments when I wonder why we've made the choice to put ourselves through so much. When does it get easier? Please tell me it does...

7 comments:

  1. I just recently started reading your journal. I love it, I have enjoyed the process, although I know its been hard you both, of making this transition to full timing. At some point my husband and I want to do some extensive travel, just not ready to think about a full time move.

    I have been on pins and needles because you had written that you would take delivery on or about the 26th. I just kept checking back to see what your status was. So glad you got it, your new home, congratulations! These things you are going through are bound to be a process that you will get through and be the stronger for. Just think of it this way, the next time you are in a travel shop and see something you just have to have, you are going to remember the "purge" and you will be strong enough to say, I don't need this, my memories are enough for this spot, you know they say, what doesn't kill you will make you stronger.

    I have a suggestion, get yourself a nice digital picture frame and take or load lots of pictures of your home you sold, your rooms that you loved and family that you won't be seeing for a while. You can add photo's of places that you have seen and slowly those new places will become just as important as your old places.

    I know we don't know each other but I couldn't wish you more luck and happiness on the road if I had known you for 50 years. I admire your sense of adventure and hope you both truly find a beautiful life on the road. Keep up the good work on this journal and please post pictures of your new home. I am happy for you both!

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  2. Oh boy Connie. :( Hang in there. Frustrating times for sure. Hopefully, your comfort level and the initial anxiety of all of this will wear off before long. The converter issue will be a thing of the past very soon and hopefully, you and Tracy can begin enjoying the best part of fulltiming.

    My thoughts are with you.

    Connie

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  3. Connie and Tracy,
    We too have started our full time life as of yesterday, we close on the house today at 2pm. I remember when we bought our first new trailer back in the early 90's and on our first trip the same thing happened to us, lost power due to a bad converter. After it was replaced we didn't have any more problems with it. As you say things happen for a reason and soon this will all be behind you. Time will have you backing the 5'ver into just about any spot. Bridget and I look forward to meeting up with y'all down the road. Our travels begin May 1.

    Stay Safe

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  4. Hang in there... it too shall pass... with better times on the horizon...

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  5. It does get easier, but hate to tell you it never goes away. Just remember, one day at a time....enjoy, savor and celebrate your new freedom!

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  6. Froggi is right. Many things get easier (because you won't be newbies forever) but some things never go away. It is all part of the lifestyle. We had problems when we lived in our s/b home and we still have problems in the MH. They are either slightly different or very different problems. Hey..sometimes all of life is a problem! But we got through it and YOU WILL TOO! Things will smooth out and you will be able to enjoy your new traveling lifestyle with less anxiety.

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  7. Change is NEVER easy or fun, but the greatest growth comes when we face our fears!

    One day at a time, you are both doing great, hang in there, this too shall pass.

    I have no doubt things will smooth out for you both. If you can manage it take one complete day for R&R and refresh yourselves.

    We are all in your corner!
    Susan

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