2+ months: Interview with the nomads!

We left Indiana on June 1. Now it's August 10, and we've been in Texas for the last six weeks or so. We figured this might be a good time to check in with everyone and see how they're feeling about summer RV living in the Lone Star State.

Q: What are three words you would use to describe Texas?

Susanne: Surprising, worthwhile, beautiful

Trent: Big, hot, awesome

Sam: Hot, burning, desert

Biscuit: Birds, birds, birds!

Q: Thinking about the places we've visited in Texas, what's been your favorite so far?

Susanne: I loved Mission San Jose in San Antonio! That was such a nice surprise (and so much better than The Alamo, which was packed and actually kind of boring). I also really enjoyed our time in Austin, mainly because we got to spend time with friends.

Trent: Austin food and beer, and the state parks.

Sam: The San Angelo Nature Center.

Biscuit: Lake Medina, because I got to stalk deer from the window.

Q: What's been the most challenging thing about living in the RV over the past few weeks?

Susanne: It's hot. The air conditioner is keeping up as best it can, but when it's 104 degrees outside, it's no cooler than about 85 degrees inside. And we can't get much better than that, really.

Trent: Biscuit waking us up all the time. It’s like having a baby again but with no promise she will grow out of it.

Sam: Trying to deal with all the questions you're asking me!

Biscuit: The humans. The humans are very trying.

Q: What's been your favorite meal over the past few weeks?

Susanne: I loved the Florentino and Freakin' Vegan tacos at Tacodeli in Austin! 

Trent: Out of the RV it was the kimchi fries I had in Austin (at Chi'lantro), in the RV it was probably the Buddha Bowl Susanne made.

Sam: Mangoes! 

Biscuit: The bug I caught and devoured yesterday. These Texas bugs are delicious.

Q: What do you miss most about non-nomadic life?

Susanne: Personal space. Sometimes I would love a little more room.

Trent: Nothing at all.

Sam: Not being settled down somewhere.

Biscuit: Private space for doing my business. If you must know.

A Letter from Biscuit: A Day in the Life of an RV Cat

Your driver for this post is (The Illustrious) Biscuit.

Good day, humans of the world, and a happy new week to you! As my previous post was clearly quite popular and well received, I thought I should take a few minutes from my very busy schedule to give you more information about the day in the life of an RV cat. I know you have been waiting with bated breath for me to write again, and I apologize for the delay - but you must understand that I do have other obligations. Patience, please.

My day almost always starts out around 4 AM when, although it is still dark outside and my lazy human family is still sleeping, I begin the watch for birds and deer. This is one of my primary jobs in the RV, and though The Humans do not acknowledge it, it is a critical one.

I generally watch from the window of the back bedroom. The challenge is in shoving aside The Lady, who insists that the pillow is hers and hers alone. (Young felines of the world, I have learned that the key in these situations is persistence: by simply meowing repeatedly, scratching at the window, and sticking your back end in your human's face, you can usually get them to back down and relinquish territory. The Lady, though she doth protest, gives in every time.)

Once I am satisfied that the wildlife has been kept at bay, I request my breakfast. They insist on serving me drivel from a bag but occasionally I manage a nip of whatever they're consuming.

I mean look at this stuff. Would YOU eat it?

This smoothie was quite good, though I'd recommend less mango, more mouse.

Sometimes I have to snuggle with The Lady in order to get some food. Shudder.

After breakfast, I play with my best friend, Sam, and then clock in for my main job as The Nice Man's administrative assistant. 

"Do you have an appointment? I don't think you do."

In between my other obligations, I roam our tiny house and make sure everything is in good working order. Oftentimes the RV is not to my standards.

Like this thing. It keeps leaking water:

I sat in here for a good ten minutes in an effort to alert everyone to the problem. The Humans seem unconcerned. Their cluelessness is rather sad, actually.

In the afternoons, Sam and The Nice Man go swimming, and The Lady does something she calls "yoga." I have been forced to participate.

I protest by sitting in Shavasana the entire time. 

In the evenings, while The Humans are brushing their teeth and getting ready for bed, I blow off some steam.

I mean, they keep me trapped here in this tiny moving box. What do they expect will happen?

Yes, life on the road is difficult for an RV cat, but as you can see, I am mustering my strength and persevering nonetheless. Your messages of encouragement are greatly appreciated. Please keep them coming.

(Just don't expect me to respond right away. I have a lot going on.)

Until next time,

Biscuit

A Letter from Biscuit

Biscuit (that's me!) will be your driver this post.

Dear Reader,

“Guys! Guys! There are birds outside! Get up. Why are they sleeping when there are birds outside their bedroom window????”

I think this every morning and I do my best to let the humans know. Astonishingly, they don't seem to care. I try to wake them up by scratching around the window and tearing at the blinds. I’ve found this to be very effective. However, the sleepy lady has taken to squirting me with water after I do this. What is her problem? Doesn’t she care about birds?

The nice man often doesn’t even open his eyes. I’m not sure what is wrong with him but I still love him. This morning I licked his head - just for fun.

Anyway, that is how I like to start my days in the RV. I’m getting to see many new birds and sometimes rabbits, squirrels, and other possibilities for dinner. This is a fun part of being in the RV. The other bonus is the humans are around a lot more. The big headed one was always around but now I get to spend more time with Sam and the other one. As you can see, Sam is my favorite McDowell.

The worst part of living in this RV is that it moves. I don’t mean just at night when the wind blows but sometimes during the day when they drive our house down the road. At those times, I hide under the front seat until it’s all over. When I look back onto the RV bench I see that my Sam often times has just passed out from the sheer terror. The poor boy! They have even strapped him down so he can’t escape. If they keep doing this to us, I might need to show my disapproval by leaving a “present” on the bed.

Until next time,

Biscuit

30 Things We've Learned in the First Month of Full-Time RVing

We left Indiana on June 1 and have now been "on the road" (in quotes because much of our time is spent in campgrounds, not on the highway) for almost six weeks. All of this is totally experimental, and we had no way of knowing how well our expectations for the RV lifestyle would match up with reality. Trent and I can both say that we're enjoying it and have no regrets. Sam seems to be enjoying it, too, though some days are easier than others.

But full-time RVing involves a steep learning curve. It isn't always fun, it isn't always easy, and it's often tiring. Sometimes it takes hard work, especially when it comes to logistics and repairs.

Here are 30 things we've learned during our first month in Clark:

1. Washing dishes is practically a full-time job. We don't have that many dishes or that much kitchenware, but nevertheless, all of it seems bound and determined to continuously pile up in the sink. We do the dishes at least three times a day and the sink is never really clear for more than an hour at a time - if we're lucky.

2. We don't need long showers. At this point, we don't even want long showers in the RV. The bathroom is so tiny that we're constantly bumping into things. Moreover, we're always paranoid about overfilling the gray tank (the tank that holds all gray water - water from showering, washing hands, and dish washing). I'm never in there for more than five minutes, and even then, I find myself turning the water off as I soap up.

3. And we don't need hot showers. That will change in the winter, but for now, the Texas heat is such that a nice cool shower is welcome and refreshing. Furthermore, every time we want a hot shower, we have to turn on the propane and the hot water heater. It takes about 15 minutes to get the water hot enough to be worthwhile. 

4. Our kitchen is one of our (okay, MY) greatest sources of stress. That's totally on me, really: when I cook, I like to have space. The RV kitchen is tiny and offers very little in the way of room to roam while preparing a meal. I find myself getting impatient with Trent and Sam when I'm trying to make dinner and they're searching through a cabinet or getting a snack out of the fridge. I'm working on this.

5. We need far fewer clothes than we used to believe. All of us re-wear the same items multiple times before washing them because a) again, storage space is limited and b) going to the laundromat isn't something we want to do every other day. But it's fine. Currently, I own two pairs of shorts, three pairs of jeans (which I barely wear during the summer), several t-shirts, plenty of underwear and socks, a pair of flip flops, a pair of running shoes, and that's about it. And I'm still tempted to keep purging the closet!

6. But we do need the Internet. Big time. Given that Trent works online full time and I work online part time, a good, consistent Internet connection is absolutely crucial. WiFi at campgrounds is spotty and we don't even bother to rely on them. Instead, we have a Verizon JetPack and a recently-acquired unlimited Internet plan. As long as we can get a cellular signal, we can get on the Internet.

7. RV maintenance is expensive. Case in point: last week we spent $200 to get Clark's oil changed and his tires checked out. Whew. The maintenance is crucial, though. If we take good care of Clark, he'll take care of us.

8. Sometimes things break. Sometimes in the middle of the night. Like last night, when water from our fridge started leaking all over the kitchen, and we had to go outside at 4 in the morning to adjust some hoses.

9. When you're traveling with kids, down days are a must. You can be in the coolest place in the world but if your child is tired and needs to chill out with some Minecraft instead of checking out the local scene, then go with Minecraft. I keep reminding myself that all of this constant change and adjustment is hard on anyone - but especially a child.

10. We still have job stress. Trent works from home, but he's on the job all day for the entire week. I have a small Beachbody business, teach online, and am working towards a Certified Health Coach certification. We're always trying to think of ways to bring in a little more cash (because no, we are definitely not wealthy!) Just like most other people, we spend a lot of time on our computers.

11. Thousand Trails is a good deal (for us). Although some of the TT campgrounds are nicer than others, we love that they all offer full hook-ups, things for kids to do (read: swimming pools) and an RVer-friendly atmosphere. We have a country-wide pass, which means that we can stay in any Thousand Trails park throughout the U.S. for up to two weeks. (The only caveat is that we have to leave the system for one week in between.) We're a member of other organizations that offer camping discounts (including Good Sam's, KOA, and Passport America), but TT is our favorite program so far.

12. State parks are also a good deal. For instance, right now we're staying at a state park in Texas for $100. The price includes partial hookups (water and electricity). Not having a sewer hookup is a bit of a pain, but we can just use the park's bathrooms and showers. It's worth it if you consider that the price is far, far less than what we'd pay at a commercial place like KOA, which often runs for ~$40 to $50 a night during peak season.

13. Speaking of campgrounds, get there on Sunday. Not Friday. Absolutely not Friday. Weekends have been very busy at the campgrounds we've visited, but the majority of visitors clear out on Sunday morning. If we arrive at the check in time on Sunday afternoon, we usually have plenty of spots to choose from and can set ourselves up nicely.

14. You can increase the time between laundromat visits if you're willing to "wash" your clothes in the shower and dry them outside. Note: This method doesn't work so well for running clothes. #stinkysocks

15. Shaving seems less important now. cf: Trent's beard; my legs on most days.

16. Odor-control cat litter is vital. We love Biscuit's Modcat kitty litter box because it fits perfectly in the cab of the RV between the driver's and passenger's seats, but finding cat litter that controls odors has been a bit of a journey. Recently we purchased Exquisicat Fragrance Free Clumping Micro-Crystals, and I think this is the one. It's easy to clean, it clumps so that we can actually remove the soiled litter (not the case with other crystal-type litter), and it doesn't smell weird.

17. Trader Joes is the best grocery store in the world. I've joked that we should select our destinations based on whether there's a TJs in close proximity, and I'm only partly kidding. The prices are low, the produce is fresh, and they have wine. Sold.

18. Best things to get at Trader Joe's for easier RV living: microwaveable rice and quinoa, veggie burgers, frozen fruit for smoothies, giant tubs of hummus, fruit for snacking.

19. Sometimes it's easier not to cook. Instead, we make big salads, smoothies, and sandwiches.

20. But you can save a lot of money by cooking instead of going out to eat. Restaurant dining is not a sustainable option for us.

21. It's vital that you and your spouse are on the same page about hand signals before trying to back into a camping site. Because otherwise, you will probably argue.

22. Being a nomad is tiring. I guess that's obvious to some people, but I was hoping to maintain a high level of productivity even on the road. Some days, though, I just want to hang out in bed, read, and snack. Other people who live in small spaces and/or maintain a peripatetic lifestyle have told me that this is normal. Moving on a regular basis is tiring. Daily cleaning and organizing are tiring. Living in a couple hundred square feet of space with two other people and a cat is tiring. I'm going to assume the periodic exhaustion is normal and just roll with it.

23. I'm way more okay with our shifting roles than I ever thought I would be. I've always been a very driven person, and up until now, I always channeled that drive into my work. My work was my life. Before we left, I was concerned about how I'd feel about Trent working full time and having to cobble together part-time gigs. Honestly? Now that we're here, I feel totally, completely fine with it. Some days I work on marketing my coaching business, some days I blog, some days I do domestic chores, and some days - as noted above - I make a lot of snacks for a hungry nine year old. Much to my surprise, I rarely feel like I'm not contributing or that my work - paid or not - isn't important. My stress levels have decreased substantially.

24. Your RV will never be as organized as you want it to be, and periods of peak organization will last for all of five minutes before entropy takes over again. Especially if you have kids.

25. It's easy for more stuff to find its way into the RV because it's tempting to make purchases that seem like a good idea in the moment. Examples: t-shirts, small toys, notepads, pens and pencils.

26. That's why frequent purging is a must. Luckily, many campgrounds have shelves or boxes where you can donate anything you don't need anymore, as long as it's in good enough condition for others to use it.

27. Under-seat storage is a pain in the butt. (No pun intended.) Remove the seat cushion, pick up lid, scrabble around in the storage area, fail to locate needed item, yell in pain as lid closes down on head and/or fingers.

28. Leveling blocks are also a pain in the butt. Sometimes they work well; sometimes we live at an angle for days on end. I've become quite envious of RVers who have rigs equipped with automatic leveling devices.

29. We're fine with not knowing exactly where we'll be in three months, but we like to know where we'll be in a few weeks. At this point, we're making plans and reservations about 3-4 weeks out. Many RVers prefer to live more spontaneously, and perhaps we'll get to that point someday. For now, though, I find comfort in having a short-term action plan.

30. Time flies when you're having fun (and even sometimes when you're not). We can't believe it's been six weeks already, and we can't wait to see what the rest of the summer will bring. My prediction: more adventure, more things breaking, more cool places to see, more bickering, more fun.

On the Road, Day 2

We ended up leaving yesterday after all. Good thing, as most of our stuff was cleaned up, stocked away, and ready to go. We were eager to get on the road.

 

Our first stop on this journey (to nowhere in particular) is a four-day visit to the Mammoth Caves area of central Kentucky. We're at a lovely campground with full hookups (water, sewer, electricity), a swimming pool, laundry, etc. We've already met some of our neighbors, stocked up at the local IGA, run on the roads and trails surrounding the camp, and made some meals in our handy InstantPot (although my first attempt ended with me forgetting about it and leaving it outside in the pouring rain - it was fine, and the meal was delicious!)

 

We're using the next few weeks to learn more about Clark and his quirks - one being that his shower does not work properly - and decompress. I don't know about Trent, but for me, transitioning to this kind of lifestyle is going to take some adjustment. I typically like to have lists full of tasks that I can check off and feel proud of accomplishing. This way of life will also involve many tasks - lots of cleaning, lots of repairing and maintaining, lots of cooking, lots of working with my son - but without a traditional job, I know that I'll likely be a bit lost for a while.

I hope I can give myself the space to make that transition without judging myself. To help myself do that, I plan to do a lot of working out (running and Piyo), journaling, cooking, blogging, Instagramming, and seeing the sights. These are all things I love and that feel familiar and happy to me. 

 

On a totally different note: for the Biscuit fans out there, she seems to be doing really well. She loves all the vertical opportunities in the RV and enjoys climbing from the couch to the bunk and then down to the table and then back to the bed... She was a little freaked out when we first arrived, but now she's in full I Am The Queen Of My Domain mode.

 

"Put the phone down, human. You're embarrassing yourself once again." -Biscuit McDowell in a judgmental moment

We're leaving TOMORROW! Maybe! Or maybe not.

Our plan is to leave tomorrow, but we're waiting for a critical Internet-related package, so we may or may not head out then. We've already pushed back one of our campground reservations in Tennessee just in case. We figure we might want to take our time getting there anyway. 

Today was an interesting combination of busyness, fun, and relaxation.

We woke up in the RV, which is currently parked in the driveway. Here's Sam demonstrating how the over-cab bunk is supposed to work:

He loves that space. It's entirely his own and he's excited about organizing it as he sees fit.

We made huge progress in cleaning out our house. Two rooms are entirely empty, a third contains only the items we plan to drop off and store at my parents' house, the kitchen is less of a disaster than it was yesterday, and the family room now houses only the stuff that we haven't moved to the RV yet.

Biscuit freaked out at all the emptiness and spent hours hiding behind the toilet; to make her more comfortable (and bathroom use a little more private), we created a cat fort out of a folding chair and towels:

We finished cleaning out my office and turned in my keys:

And then we had some time for making a delicious dinner and playing Try-To-Spray-Me-With-The-Water-Hose-Good-Luck-I-Have-A-Moldy-Umbrella:

We're in a little bit of hurry-up-and-wait mode, but it's fine. At this point, what's the rush?

Holding pattern

We leave in 2.5 weeks! [insert googly-eyed emoji here]

Until then, we're in a bit of a holding pattern. Our focus right now is on cleaning up the house and figuring out what we want to save and what we still need to recycle or throw out. Currently, though, the house is a bit of a disaster area. This photo makes the situation look better than it actually is.

Although we're in disbelief that our departure date is so close, we're definitely excited. I interviewed Trent, Sam, Biscuit, and myself (can you interview yourself? I say yes) to get their thoughts on the impending move into the RV:

Q: What are three words you would use to describe our impending travels?

Sam: Do we have to do this right now? [I think he meant the interview.]

Trent: Unknown. Different. Exciting.

Me: Adventure. Nature. Problem solving.

Biscuit: My. Moving. Palace.

Q: What are you most excited about?

Sam: Everything, except the parts where we get really mad at each other.

Trent: A change in lifestyle, and the fact that it'll be easier to move when you get bored. [Me: And by "you," you mean... Trent: I mean you. Susanne.]

Me: Experiencing new places and being closer to nature.

Biscuit: Looking at hot guy cats out the window. Meow.

Q: What are you most worried about?

Sam: The water not functioning and you getting really mad. [Me: And by "you," you mean... Sam: You. Mom.]

Trent: Money.

Me: First of all, I don't know what you mean by "really mad." Second, I worry about RV issues, like the roof leaking and damaging everything and then we have to live full time with Biscuit in a tent because that's all we have left.

Biscuit: I am not living in a tent. Sorry.

Q: What's our biggest hurdle before we leave?

Sam: Please stop asking me questions. I'm trying to relax.

Trent: What Internet setup is right. Also, how are we going to get rid of our broken treadmill?

Me: What do we do with our gross old mattresses?

Biscuit: Catching all the bugs you've let into the house over the last few days.

Q: What is one thing you can't part with - something you have to take with you even if it isn't practical?

Sam: Biscuit. [Me: I meant other than members of the family. Sam: Biscuit. That's my final answer.]

Trent: My frisbees. I don't want to get rid of any of them, but I have six of them.

Me: Real glassware and my two favorite coffee mugs.

Biscuit: My eight bajillion cat toys. Even though nobody ever plays with me and I'm the most neglected, misunderstood cat ever.

Biscuit's first RV adventure

This Friday and Saturday, we took Biscuit the cat on her first RVing adventure at our local state park.

Getting her into the RV was pretty easy: we tossed her favorite toy into her cat carrier, she ran in, and Sam closed the gate. Trent drove the RV (Biscuit's litter box was safely stowed and latched in the shower for the trip) while Sam, Biscuit, and I followed in the car. After arriving at the park and setting up camp, we released Biscuit into her new abode.

This was the first safe spot she found: in the bedroom right below the "closet." She seemed happy enough.

It eventually dawned on her that something unusual was going on in her life, so she hotfooted it up to the cab and squashed herself under the driver's side seat. For hours. We were relieved when she made an appearance to use her Modkat kitty litter system, which we placed in the cab in order to keep it out of the way yet still accessible for her.

We pretended we didn't notice, but silently, all three of us were cheering. Biscuit is unpredictable when she's uncomfortable or unhappy. A couple of weeks ago, she peed on our bed (while we were in it!) for reasons that are still unclear and that, according to the vet, were entirely unrelated to her physical health. We hope that was a one-time occurrence but with her? Who knows. So the RV Modkat use so early on in the trip was a victory for everyone.

The situation went a bit downhill when, at bedtime, Biscuit hopped up on the bed, made a horrible yakking sound, and proceeded to throw up all over the duvet. A few minutes later she knocked over her water dish and created a mini-tsunami that rolled through the slightly-tilted rig. We dug out a few rolls of paper towels and all was well again. 

Sam was wondering whether Biscuit - who's not the most coordinated feline you've ever met - would dare to hop up into his bunk space. She waited until everyone was settled down, gave her best leap, and made the jump from the table to the loft. Then she gazed down upon us as if to say, "I will allow you to stay. For now."

I'd call that a success. It might sound silly to be so worried about a cat, but she's a part of the family and our happiness is somewhat dependent on her happiness. If she can't get on board with our new lifestyle, that's going to be a problem.

So far, though, all signs point to a cat that will be ruling the road the same way she rules the house.

Welcome to the adventure, Biscuit!