Sunshine and roses

Trent will be your driver for this post.

We do not expect RVing to be all sunshine and roses.  Here is a list of things Trent is not looking forward to:

1. Unexpected bills: Here in a small town with nothing to do, in a home that we rent, and with a fairly new car - rarely do unexpected costs pop up. Here our unexpected costs include things like small-time fundraisers at Sam’s school, quick trips to the only decent coffee shop, or a bill arriving in the mail from a doctors visit that occurred a few month ago. On the road our unexpected costs will include things like needing new tire(s), emergency repairs for the RV, or unexpected usage fees. There are also likely to be things I’m overlooking for this list and I bet those will be super fun.

2. Laundromats: I thought my days of going to laundromats were over. When we moved here we bought a nice green certified high efficiency washer and drier.  I don’t remember that last time I regularly had to go to the laundromat.  I’m not looking forward to it but I can bring back the habit I had in the Army of doing my laundry early Sunday morning and reading the NYT while waiting. We will not have huge piles of clothing, so hopefully laundry will go quickly.

3. Smoke: I’m not looking forward to smelling the cigarettes from our neighbors at an RV park. The other day our house neighbors were smoking outside on their front porch at a distance of maybe 50 yards and I could smell it in our house. Our neighbors at an RV park could be 10 to 20 feet away. I’m also not looking forward to rolling into an RV park only to find smoke everywhere as people burn who-knows-what in their camp fires. I guess unlike this house, if the smoke is too bad, we can just move Clark to a new spot or new park. We might also try to hit western states that have fire bans.

4. Narrow roads in construction zones: Clark is much wider than our car.  I feel fairly comfortable driving him. However, I don’t like driving our car in those cattle chutes in construction zones. It will be even less fun in the RV.

5. Taking Clark into the shop for anything: We will be living in Clark. If we have to take him to the shop we need to find another place to live until he is ready. Hopefully we can use these times as an excuse to stay with family & friends or get a room at a hotel with a pool.

6. More UV exposure: The plan for our travels is to stay in decent weather year-round. This will likely increase our UV exposure as we spend more time in south. I don’t mind the heat as much as I do UV.  I had more than a lifetime supply of UV in middle and high school as I spent all my time at the pool or beach. I don’t really need more. I’ll be breaking out my UV protecting running hat and looking for shade wherever I can find it.

These are some of the downsides but I expect the upsides will far outweigh them. This morning I ran in the local state park campground and I saw people just coming out of their RVs with cups of coffee. I was wishing we were already on the road like them.

How will we afford full-time RVing?

Your driver for this post is Susanne.

Several people have asked us how we can afford to ditch traditional jobs and RV full time, so I thought I'd write a post entirely devoted to that question.

Working from home with the McDowells... 
In other words, Trent tries to work and we bother him...

First, we are not independently wealthy. *Pauses to laugh hysterically* Not even close. We have ongoing financial obligations: school loans, some lingering credit card debt (though we've reduced it considerably over the past few years), a small car loan, and now an RV loan. Our current incomes are sufficient, but they certainly aren't huge. In other words, when it comes to money, our situation is nothing unusual (I mean from a middle class United States point of view... Clearly from a broader perspective, we are very lucky).

This means we will be working from the road as "digital nomads." We spent several months researching and applying for jobs that would allow us to work online from wherever we are. Given our backgrounds in online teaching and editing, we did have a bit of an "in"; that said, you'd be surprised how many opportunities are out there if you know where to look and if you're very persistent (I've included some potentially helpful links at the end of this post).

What Trent will be doing: Trent works for a publisher and contributes to science textbooks and learning materials. His job offers flexibility and competitive pay, but he still works at least 40 hours a week. The job also requires consistent, reliable Internet access, something that takes careful strategizing when you know you're going to be working from a campground. (He'll talk about that in a future post.)

(Sidenote: Trent is basically a modern Renaissance Man. Chemistry, biology, physics, geology, math, computer animation stuff... He can do it all.)

What I will be doing: Following in the footsteps of other folks who are jumping out of the ivory tower, I'm leaving my tenure-track academic job. Instead, I'll be working as a part-time (adjunct) environmental science instructor for a non-profit online school. Anyone familiar with the world of academia will understand right off the bat that this is a terrible way to make money, if making money is the only goal. Adjuncts don't get paid much, it's true. They also don't get much respect. I could go on and on about the problem of "adjunctification" of faculty in higher education, but in my case adjuncting is ideal. It will allow me to continue teaching science while also homeschooling my son. Moreover, it will give me a chance to work with non-traditional college students, a demographic that I particularly enjoy because of the life experiences, confidence, and self-motivation they bring to the classroom. 

I also have a Beachbody coaching business that I'm hoping to expand while on the road. Each month, I co-lead online fitness challenge groups in which people of all fitness levels work towards a health-related goal. Coaching is something I would have never envisioned for myself even a couple of years ago, but it's something that I find really meaningful and gratifying. I'd go so far as to say that I am passionate about it. Personal well-being is important, though it's often the first thing to go to the back burner when life gets busy and stressful. 

As exhilarating as it is to embark on this adventure, it's also a little scary. We're trying to plan and prepare as much as we can, but to an extent, we're taking a leap without knowing how strong our safety net is. Then again, no matter what you do in life - no matter how much money you make, how good your health is right now in this moment, how much you plan and prepare - the concept of security is something of an illusion anyway. It's an illusion that makes you think if you just do the right things, show up to work on time, work hard, save your money, have a yearly physical, and eat your veggies, you'll be okay. But that's not always true. So away we go.

In short: Although our lifestyle will change in that we'll be living in a much smaller space and moving around a lot, the financial aspect of things isn't all that different. We won't have rent or a mortgage, but we will have an RV loan. We'll still have to work and we'll still have to pay bills, and I'm guessing our total costs will be at least as much as they are now. 

A couple of resources for finding remote work (let me know if you have other recommendations):

Flexjobs: Kind of like Monster and Careerbuilder, but specifically for folks who are looking for telecommuting gigs in various fields. Trent used it for a while before taking his current position. 

Inside Higher Ed remote job board: As a college instructor, this site was immensely helpful for me. I submitted my CV to several schools via this site and interviewed with two of them. Lots of great opportunities here.

Planning and Preparing, Part 2

Your driver for this post is Susanne.

Little by little, we're making headway on prepping for RV life. Some accomplishments from the past week or so:

1. We snagged one of Thousand Trails 2-Camping-Zones-for-1 deals and purchased TT passes for the southeastern and northwestern zones. Although the rules for TT parks are a little complicated, and although online reviews suggest that some of the parks need a little work, it still seems like a pretty good deal. We selected these two zones because we have family members and friends living in both of them and our travel plans include Texas in the winter, Pacific Northwest in the late summer and fall.

2. We created a Google Doc of stuff we need to offload, posted it, and announced it to some of our local friends. Some of our items are listed as "available now," whereas others will be available at the end of May. We also chose not to price our stuff. Instead, we're asking for donations (if people can afford them) towards homeschooling supplies and RV maintenance.

3. We've selected more of our homeschooling curriculum. I think I mentioned in a previous post that we plan to use Life of Fred for math. This morning I selected The Story of the World for history/geography. The books and workbooks have received excellent reviews, and the samples I read were well-written, age-appropriate, and interesting.

4. We're researching "RV hacks" - stuff we can do to make living in the RV as efficient and organized as possible. Other ideas for efficient organizing? Let us know!

5. We're in the process of getting caught up on dental and doctor's checkups. Our insurance right now is good, so we may as well take advantage of it and get what we can out of it in terms of preventative care.

Planning and Preparing

Susanne is your driver for this post.

This past week has consisted of trying to meet our current obligations (work, hanging out with Sam, trying to stop the cat from going into meow meltdown mode in the middle of the night) while simultaneously preparing for our future RV lifestyle. Here's what we've been working on:

1. Setting up our mail forwarding service: We'll be using Escapees Mail Service in Livingston, TX. We're planning to become residents of Texas and want to have our mail service set up before then. The process should be relatively straightforward, but our post office lost our first application so we had to prepare a second one (a task that involved collecting numerous documents and meeting with a notary).

2. Learning how to properly clean our RV: I can't take any credit for this. Trent has been watching how-to videos produced by the RV Geeks to get the lowdown on RV DIY. He recently purchased a whole bunch of cleaning products for the exterior and interior and has been busy making Clark look his best. He also discovered an inexpensive desiccant (DampRid) that we placed in the RV to keep it dry during what is a very rainy season in southern Indiana.

3. Nailing down digital nomad jobs: Trent and I have both found flexible jobs that we can do remotely. I'll be working part time for an online college, and Trent will be working full time for a publisher. Given that both jobs are remote, we've spent the last few days wading through onboarding paperwork, obtaining more notarizations, and making even more trips to the post office.

4. Putting together a home school curriculum: My sister-in-law's kids are long-time homeschoolers, so I've been talking to her to develop ideas for how we want to organize Sam's 4th grade curriculum. For math, I've settled on Life of Fred: it looks fun, interesting, and relatable. I'm still trying to decide on grammar and social studies resources, so if you have any suggestions, let us know. Of course, much of the "curriculum" will consist of simply going out and experiencing life: visiting museums, listening to music, reading books, having adventures with other kids, problem-solving in the RV.

5. Figuring out how I'm going to exercise in the RV: I work out almost every day, and I love that part of my schedule. Because I'm kind of introverted, I prefer to work out at home rather than in a gym or outside around town. I've been using Beachbody at-home fitness programs since last summer; I like them so much, I became a Beachbody health and wellness coach. Now I'm trying to take note of how much space each workout requires and whether it will be RV-friendly or not. It looks like I'll be able to make it work, though I'll need to modify some of the routines.

6. Researching museum memberships: Related to item #4 above, I've been researching museum memberships that offer a reciprocal program. For science museums (which Sam loves), we think we'll participate in the ASTC Travel Passport Program. Another organization, the North American Reciprocal Museum Association, seems to have member art and history museums all across the U.S., so we may take part in that as well. We're open to suggestions!

Trent's Top 10 List

Trent is your driver for this post.

Susanne asked me to list the top ten places I would like visit during our RV adventure.  For the purposes of this list, I’m not worrying about having access to the internet or being able to work.  I’m also not listing places we have family because I know we will go to those places.

In no real order after number 1.

1. Glacier National Park. We’ve been here many times but the park is huge and there is much more to see. Specifically, I want to spend more time in the eastern side of the park.

2. Austin, TX.  I’ve lived in Texas for a few months in 1990/1991 and got to travel to San Antonio. I loved that town. I’ve also spend some time in Galveston, TX a few years later. However, I never made it to Austin. We can likely make it to Austin this June on the way west and out of Texas.

3. Yellowstone. I’ve been to Yellowstone before and got to see a lot of the park. However, that was over 15 years ago and it’s a place I really want Sam to see.

4. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I’ve been to the South Rim many times. I’d go back there too but I’ve never been to the North Rim.

5. The Florida Keys - I think it would be a good place to winter one year. Watching the Netflix series Bloodline renewed my interest in going here.

6. Portland.  I don’t think I’ve been to Portland. I want to go. It’s a place I’ve thought about living one day as the climate and politics seem a good fit for me.

7. Mount Rushmore National Memorial.  I’ve always wanted to go here and I’ve been close but never found the time. I think it would be a good place to take Sam for homeschool as he could learn about each of the presidents. It’s not just the presidents. I really like the landscape in this part of the country.

8. Canada. This might be cheating a bit by not listing one place in Canada but I’ve only seen a little bit of Canada. I want to go to Vancouver again, and then maybe to every city that has an NHL team and catch a game. Plus, I’ll sneak in the Waterton Lakes National Park here. It’s the northern extension of Glacial National Park.

9. Denali, Alaska. The only trick here might be getting me to leave.

10. Acadia National Park and the rest of Maine. I’ve been to all 50 states but I think Maine is the one I’ve spent the least amount of time in. This seems wrong as the cool weather and mountains make it my kind of place.

You probably think I am missing some major places here. I am. It’s partly because I didn’t look up any lists of places to visit and I might be forgetting something major. However, a lot of is it I have seen many of the places you are thinking of. I’ve been to the Grand Tetons, the Four Corner regions, the Parks of southern Utah and Northern Arizona, the Mountains of New Mexico, Lake Tahoe, San Fransisco, San Diego, and New Orleans.  I’ve been to these areas and want to go back to all of them.

Bonus: Savannah,Georgia.  Susanne and I once made plans to visit Savannah but they got canceled at the least second for some reason I don’t remember. I generally like southern coast towns and Savannah seems like the definition of a coastal town.

The Top 10 List that turned into a Top 15 List

Susanne is your driver for this post.

So far we've spent far more time thinking about the RV itself than where, specifically, we'd like to go - although a plan is starting to materialize.

Today I spent some time brainstorming the places I really, really want to see. Here they are in no particular order of preference:

1. Yellowstone National Park - I'm a geologist who studies volcanoes and I've never been here! Talk about absurd. I think September would be a fantastic time to visit - after the glut of summer tourists leave but before it gets cold.

2. Austin, TX - A few years ago I spent a couple of days here for a conference, but I didn't get to see much of the city. I've heard so many good things about this town... And bonus, several of my friends live here! I anticipate good food, good music, and good company.

3. Glacier National Park - This is one of the McDowell family's favorite spots and one we've visited several times. It never gets old. It's just incredibly beautiful. Last summer we trekked up to Avalanche Lake on one day; on another day, we took a half-day hike that seemed easy enough until a storm rushed in and hit us with sleet and lightening. I was terrified; my son thought it was the best adventure ever.

Avalanche Lake

A view from the Hidden Lake trail near Logan Pass

4. Crater Lake National Park: I've been wanting to visit Crater Lake for years. First, it has a violent volcanic past - exactly the sort of thing that captures my attention. Second, the caldera lake looks gorgeous. 

5. Nashville. Because that's where we lived for several years, and even though it's grown at an alarming rate, even though a lot of the historical neighborhoods are being replaced by shiny-looking towers and fancy houses, and even though the traffic is atrocious, it hasn't lost its Nashville feel. Family, friends, amazing food - yeah. 

6. Seattle! My brother and his family live here and we've visited a few times - but we never seem to have quite enough time there. Also... Mount Rainier. And Mt. St. Helens. I just want all the volcanoes.

7. Vancouver Island: One of my long-time online friends (hi Naomi!) is an artist who lives here and owns a guest house. I've always wanted to visit her, see her artwork in person, and walk around her beautiful garden.

8. Washington, D.C.: Another place I've visited but haven't spent enough time exploring. I feel like this would be a fantastic place to spend several weeks in the fall. We could museum hop: I want to see the Smithsonian, the Air and Space Museum, and several others. We have family who live in the area, and DC would be a good place to meet up.

9. The Florida Keys and pretty much any Florida beach: I am a sucker for sand and fruity drinks with an extra shot of rum. Save me a campsite in the area during the months of December and January.

10. Wine country in California: Wine. Need I explain more? Also, it's kind of a dream of mine to eat at The French Laundry. 

11. (Oops. I'm getting a little carried away.) The Grand Tetons: Because it looks gorgeous.

12. Anywhere in Arizona. I love Arizona. I love the desert, I love the saguaros, I love the food, I love the red rocks, I even love Phoenix when it isn't too smoggy. I spent a lot of time in AZ for my dissertation research, so I'm pretty attached to it.

Near Bullhead City, AZ

I'M ON A ROLL! I CAN'T STOP!

13. Monument Valley: On the list because Trent and I drove through here when he was working on his Master's degree project, and I have memories of driving past red rocks at sunset. 

14. Big Bend, Texas: I've spent very little time in Texas, so I didn't know much about Big Bend until my friend Lauren raved about it. It looks beautiful - and geologically fascinating. You've made the short list, Big Bend! Congratulations!

15. Hot Springs, NC and the southern Appalachian mountains: We've had weekend trips to the Appalachians and I always leave feeling as though I've only scraped the surface of what there is to see and do. I'd love to stay here for several weeks (maybe in the late spring), hike, and hang out in Hot Springs, one of our favorite little towns.

I'm going to ask Trent to make a Top Whatever list before he reads this so that we can compare notes. And then we'll ask Sam what he wants to do, but I'm pretty sure it's going to involve the beach and Legoland. Or Hawaii, but that's a bit problematic in an RV.

P.S. Also Yosemite. And Bandelier National Monument, Chaco Culture National Monument, Craters of the Moon, and Portland.

I'm done now.

Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Trent is your driver for this post.

On Saturday, we signed all of the necessary documentation and officially took ownership of Clark the RV! Here we are at the dealership; miraculously, even the smallest McDowell agreed to be photographed for the occasion:

Then we drove Clark home and managed to get him down our narrow, potholed road. He is currently sitting in our rainy driveway just waiting to be let loose into the world (he seems to want to go somewhere sunny and warm). 

But before he can go anywhere, we have more decisions to make.

Obviously, the first major decision we made was what kind of RV to get, and after several months of research we settled on the Class C style. Now we are faced with decisions regarding gear (e.g., water filters, hoses, voltage regulators, waxes and cleaners, etc.) It is both exciting and dizzying: there is gear we absolutely have to get, gear we could get that would help, and gear we might just want but don’t really need. Each option on the list brings questions. Do we get an entry level product that will get us out there but might need to be replaced sooner or do we get an intermediate or high-end product that will likely last longer and work better? We can’t afford to purchase a high-end product every time, but we are willing to do so when it seems right, especially when the higher end product is going to give us a much better shot at making full-time our long-term lifestyle.

Then there are decisions that have nothing to do with gear:

Domicile: What state are we moving to? We've already made this decision. We are moving to Texas. Texas will offer us a good base for winter and serve as a convenient launch location for travel east or west with the spring. We have several friends in Texas who can give us good advice about places to visit, things to do, and services.

How will we get our mail: We be using Escapees (https://www.escapees.com), an established mail forwarding service that can scan or forward our mail to us wherever we happen to be.

Route: We'll have to head to Texas right away to establish residency, get our drivers licenses, and obtain new plates for the car and RV.  But where do we head after that? We'd like to head somewhere cooler than Texas. Exactly where will depend a bit on our jobs, but we are thinking of heading for the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado as we make our way north and up elevation as needed to stay cool.  

Camping clubs: There are a number of camping clubs (Good Sam, Passport America, etc.) The basic idea is you join and get membership discounts at campgrounds and RV parks. Most of the discounts are only off the daily rates. We will mostly be spending at least a week at most places - so these clubs may not help us that much. There are a few clubs (e.g., Thousand Trails) that offer cheap stays or “free” stays, but those come with larger upfront costs. It’s hard to know what to do here. I assume the choices will be easier to make once we have stayed at a free RV places and learned what we like and don’t like in a campground.  

RV upgrades: We are considering making a few upgrades to Clark. For instance, we'd like to get a hard-wired voltage protection (high and low) installed as well as a sewage tank flush system. We need both of these but could get by with systems that are cheaper and not installed on/in Clark.

For those who are RV veterans, what advice do you have regarding these decisions?