Last weekend at "home"......

[truxpin]

Well, this is pretty much it! On Tuesday we close on the selling of our land based home and officially move into the AS. It is a step we've been planning on for almost a year and honestly it's a dream we didn't think would happen, given the real estate market. But a buyer appeared and wanted possession in 3 weeks, so you can imagine the "rush" we've been through. We are having our two boys over for dinner Sunday night to say "goodbye" to the home we built from the ground up and to toast to a new & adventurous future.
I spent the day yesterday setting up the AS at a local RV park here in Wichita, as we're both still working for a living and unfortunately are "stuck" here for at least a year until our youngest figures out his course of action following college.



Our eventual goal involves relocating down to the Tucson, AZ. area to be closer to Dad and to live in a drier and warmer climate. We both have at least 10 more years of "labor" before we can really think about truly hittin' the road, but shedding the expensive and time consuming "land based" home is a big step for us and will hopefully be a move we'll not regret. (slightly "apprehensive" )
I don't really have a point to this thread, I'm typing my thoughts here for a few reasons...

1. Most we know, think we're crazy. Selling all we have & moving into a "trailer"? They, of course, just don't get it. So talking to them about all of this is a mute point & usually falls on deaf & uninterested ears.

2. I KNOW there is someone in this group who understands what were going through. Is interested, supportive, will listen, offer advice and maybe even teach us a thing or two ( of that you can be sure! )

We will never forget the good times we've had in the house, but it's just a house. WE made the good times, not the house!





We are excited for change. The kind of change that comes from not being tied to a mortgage and the maintenance of homeownership. Excited to have the ability to be more mobile, to travel more, to see more, to do more.
I will step down from my "soapbox" now, but I won't be far away. Thanks for reading my thoughts this morning......

[SteveSueMac]

You are living my dream! :-)


I don't think you're crazy at all. I'm starting to think I'm crazy for living in a home I can't take anywhere :-)

Good luck!

[Alumitater]

I admire you for being able to shed "stuff". How do you mentally wrap your mind around doing that? I am looking around and all the "stuff" I would have to shed and even the stuff brings memories???

[andreasduess]

Once you start living mobile, and small, the thought of going back to a non-movable house does become slightly weird.

I love the simplicity that comes with small space living. I love the fact that everything has a purpose. I love that nothing accumulates and that possessions become less and less important.

I don't think you're crazy at all. I think you've just set yourself free. Happy trails.

[247stream]

Congratulations! How wonderful for you both

I too am starting to feel chained to a home and never in a million years did I ever think I would feel that way. Times they are a changin' and there's nothing wrong with that.

[AWCHIEF]

Major step in cutting that land cord. Many happy miles and new experiences await you.

[ROBERT CROSS]

A little ditty to get you in the mood....

Have fun...

Bob

[masseyfarm]

ARE YOU CRAZY?????????????????????????

That looks like a beautiful home, lots of room, privacy, TWO BAY GARAGE (to hold all those tools and spare parts for the AIRSTREAM). How are you ever going to survive without it??????????????????????????

Dave

[carl2591]

congrats on your new life.. the house you sold is a nice one for sure but that AS looks nice as well.

so as someone looking to the same in several years are you self employed, or is your job after the one year timeframe you mentioned able to move you down to tucson area.

also on the 10yr of labor comment.. not sure i understand that part.. if you don't mind could you give a bit more details on that side.

thanks

[Lily&Me]

Congratulations!

May you have many happy miles.


Maggie

[Aage]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Have fun...

Bob

LOVE that song! ThanKEW, Robert! I also listened to her do "The Trailer Song" at her performance at the Opry and got a good laugh out of that one. That's one smart lady!

[truxpin]

Originally Posted by carl2591

so as someone looking to the same in several years are you self employed, or is your job after the one year timeframe you mentioned able to move you down to tucson area.

also on the 10yr of labor comment.. not sure i understand that part.. if you don't mind could you give a bit more details on that side.

thanks

Carl, both my wife & I work for big corporations ( Kroger & Coca-Cola ) As luck would have it Tucson, is in the same district as Wichita for her w/Kroger. The promotion she just accepted came with a requirement of a min. 1 year here in Wichita. Really works out well as they have expanding stores in Tucson planned for 1-2 years. For me the Coke bottler in Tucson is the same as here also, so I'd just need to put in for a transfer and of course wait for an opening. Having spent the last 20 years in distribution, warehouse & service, I should have ample opportunities.
Hence, the 10 more years of "labor". I've already decided that after 30 years I will be done with full time work! After that if I need to work, I'll do what I want to do and maybe enjoy my work for a change.

My wife & I started our lives together young & worked hard to provide for our boys. Now in our early 40's and the boys out of the house, we're ready for the next phase. Enjoying our lives, on our terms & doing what we WANT to.
Maybe spend the next 10 years in the workforce, but actually being able to afford to go on vacation.(something we regrettably were not able to do while raising the kids) Or putting away a small fortune in the bank, because I dont have that outrageous mortgage pymnt.
Many say living in such a small space is too cramped, too claustrophobic and too "dark". I will say this, we don't plan on being "holed-up" inside every waking minute. Our commitment is to lead a more active life. To get out & do the things we feel like doing.

Believe me, this all wasn't just a fly by night idea we conjured up. We've spent years talking & planning and making sure we were both "kosher" with what we were doing. Spent time debating the ups & downs of all aspects of a mobile lifestyle and suddenly the opporutunity presented itself, so we're jumping in with both feet.
All in all, with it just being the two of us AND being that we're both still in the prime of our careers, even if we run into issues w/our current equipment, we should have the resources to solve the problem.
I wish I could say we were on the verge of hitting the road & not looking back. We're not there....YET! But when we get there, we'll be seasoned pro's!

Thanks to all for your kind & encouraging words! We really are making our dreams happen, one step at a time. Airstream folks are the BEST!

[PhilipKS]

I've lived in smaller spaces than my Airstream. That's why my 34 feels like a palace. You'll enjoy it, as well as the ability to change your address whenever you feel like it. But don't fool yourself. 'Stuff' will still accumulate and you'll be overloaded before you know it . But then, stepping down from a house, you already know how to de-clutter!

Best of luck!

Philip

[streamahead]

Well said Andy.

I would add that a house is the perfect tool to allow your life to be on an indefinite cruise control. Years just tick by in a house. Most of your memories from the years in the house will be when you took the AS out. Traveling, no matter how you do it = experiences.. experiences are what I think most of us live for.. and what we will remember and cherish more than "things". We are taught early on as part of the American dream, that having a house and all the sh*t to fill it is success, rewarding and will make us happy. Once we achieve it, it is hard to let go of.. as thats what we think we have been working for all our lives. So, big ups to you two, you are on a plan that many of us desire but dont have the initiative or discipline to pull off.. Im working on it tho.
Embrace your new life.

[Rollster]

I think you've made a great decision! I am empathetic and do not think you're crazy at all: in the mid-eighties I quit a good job, loaded my few belongings into a storage unit, and set off for a year and a half of cruising aboard my sister and brother-in-laws' 30-foot sailboat and eventually my own 24-foot sloop. It was very liberating! I didn't miss all the trappings and expenses of a "traditional" life, but I simply ran out of money!

[carl2591]

Originally Posted by truxpin

Carl, both my wife & I work for big corporations ( Kroger & Coca-Cola ) As luck would have it Tucson, is in the same district as Wichita for her w/Kroger. The promotion she just accepted came with a requirement of a min. 1 year here in Wichita. Really works out well as they have expanding stores in Tucson planned for 1-2 years. For me the Coke bottler in Tucson is the same as here also, so I'd just need to put in for a transfer and of course wait for an opening. Having spent the last 20 years in distribution, warehouse & service, I should have ample opportunities.
Hence, the 10 more years of "labor". I've already decided that after 30 years I will be done with full time work! After that if I need to work, I'll do what I want to do and maybe enjoy my work for a change.

My wife & I started our lives together young & worked hard to provide for our boys. Now in our early 40's and the boys out of the house, we're ready for the next phase. Enjoying our lives, on our terms & doing what we WANT to.
Maybe spend the next 10 years in the workforce, but actually being able to afford to go on vacation.(something we regrettably were not able to do while raising the kids) Or putting away a small fortune in the bank, because I dont have that outrageous mortgage pymnt.
Many say living in such a small space is too cramped, too claustrophobic and too "dark". I will say this, we don't plan on being "holed-up" inside every waking minute. Our commitment is to lead a more active life. To get out & do the things we feel like doing.

Believe me, this all wasn't just a fly by night idea we conjured up. We've

Thanks to all for your kind & encouraging words! We really are making our dreams happen, one step at a time. Airstream folks are the BEST!

WOW talk about the planets in alignment for you guys.. sometime when plan and put energy into the plan the universe has a way to help make the plan come to pass and working for a large multi location companies help with the plan as well..

we are not a far along with our plan.. still have a daughter at home in HS and one in college both raising sophomores so we have a couple years left at home.

when our kids were younger we tried the tent camping thing a couple times but all the stuff you have to drag with you get old.. I was very knowledgeable about timeshare and bought my first unit in 1999.. I have bought and sold a couple units and now down to one but during that time we vacationed some 2-3 weeks a year staying in some real nice places from orlando to Manchester NH and in Sept going to Hawaii (big island) staying in a time share there as well.

The picture of you AS i was suprized that was a older unit.. it look like new..

again congrats and let the force be with you both..

where is the icon for envy ...

[AirKar]

Congratulations on your first big step towards the freedom I'm hoping to feel and achieve soon. If you're "crazy", I would say you are in good company around here :-)

My husband and I are staring the 10-month plan square in the face. Hoping to get news today about our AS purchase and then begin our decluttering of that which we call our house and lives. I started in the garage on Monday with the boxes I've moved more times than I have fingers, only to discover I didn't really need all those, fill-in-the-blank, items after all. Chuck it, sell it, give it away. That's the next step for us.

I would say we still have a good 10 years of good work/labor in us - but we've decided, for us, that we will try to parlay our talents while on the road. Not quite sure what that will look like - but with no kids at home and no one to support but ourselves - I know that our needs will be drastically cut...and I sure don't want to be a slave to "things" any more! We decided we want to enjoy our traveling years while we are still active, in good health and have our spontaneous wits about us!! (We'll keep you posted ;-) ).

Good luck on executing your plan - sounds like you're off to a great start!

Karis

[BAB]

Very exciting transition that you've made....and I think you have put all the right things in place to make this successful. Many of us (I think) dream about cutting the cords to our "stuff" and get in touch with what's really important. You folks have done it and I wish you all the best in this new part of your lives.

[Dwellstream]

We are right behind you. Our sticks and bricks sold Tuesday! We close the 23rd. As luck would have it we are in the Smokies with the grandsons, and will have to go back to handle loose ends.
We have been living in our AS since January, but until the house sells it just does not feel official.
Best of luck on your new life and we hope to see you when we get to Arizona in our wanderings.
Stan & Ann