So, let me explain the mission…
My wife, Chris, and I are trying to live this life like an adventure, like so many of you. I am 61 years old, I’ve lived a very full life and yet I am looking forward to the most exciting chapter yet. We have thought this through, Lord knows we’ve researched YouTube, websites, books, and brochures and we all ALL IN! We have told our kids, our family, our friends and we are totally committed to this lifestyle change and part of our mission includes bringing you along.
So, today we launch this site, OurBucketListRV.com, along with a YouTube channel, Facebook page and Chris will handle Instagram. And you will see every aspect of our life in terms of the changes we will continue to make in order to make this a reality.
We have made major, structural changes in our careers and life, overall, to make this happen.
Next year, likely toward the end of 2020, we will be purchasing a 45-foot motorhome or coach, and for at least 2 years, we will live and work fulltime on the road. We will continue to downsize our possessions, place whatever is left in storage, and pull up the anchor and explore North America from a 400 square foot living space on wheels…and we couldn’t be more excited!
We’ve already started to research RV’s and buses. We’ve been to dealerships to check out Entegra’s, Newmar, Tiffin, and recently, Prevost conversions. Emerald’s, Marathons and Liberty. We’re going to share our budget, our financing – if necessary, and ultimately our actual costs on the road. We’re going to ask you for help. Your input and perhaps encouragement will be integral to our journey!
It’s estimated that there are over 1,000,000 RVs on the road fulltime. Hard to believe, but the freedom and adventure provide an allure that many before us have acted on. So, what we’re doing isn’t unique, and we appreciate greatly, those who have blazed the trail we will soon join.
Right now, I don’t have any reliable demographics but my best guess is that the majority of these folks are middle age or beyond. I say this only from observation and the assumption that pulling up stakes and living on the road presents a much greater challenge to younger families with children in school. But I know there are a growing number of families, couples and even single marauders that have chosen to live life on wheels rather than a foundation. Regardless, we’re going to be joining them in this mobile life.
Over the next year, our challenges are significant to make this happen. But, we have both enjoyed successes in our lives and made things that seem unsurmountable, a reality. I have built businesses from the ground up to success in remarkably short periods of time. And once again, this is what I need to do.
I have spent over 35 years in the real estate and financial services world and as of the beginning of 2019, I extracted myself completely. I started a digital agency that is completely mobile and transportable. Like many others who are still working while living the nomadic life; have wifi, will travel. So long as I have internet, I can conduct business. I can build it, grow it and even hire employees, contractors and certainly acquire clients and earn a living while parked in a campsite! I know there will be challenges; I’ve heard them on YouTube and I get it. But we understand that when we’re in need of the best connection possible, then we have to be at a location where that exists. But thanks to those who have blazed that trail ahead of us, we know where we need to be.
My wife has done amazing things as well. She has raised 3 wonderful daughters and now helps out with her 2 grandchildren. She has held a highly responsible position as an administrative assistant to a private high school principal and was sorely missed when we left Maui, Hawaii, and moved to the mainland last year. She also obtained a degree in business from the University of Hawaii with her kids still at home and now has started her own direct sales business that she too, can take on the road. She’s amazing and is more than my co-pilot on this journey, she’s my Co-Captain! (Sorry for the flying metaphors. I was a private pilot.)
So, the major pieces of the puzzle are in place. When we moved to Colorado from Maui, we just leased a home for two years. We wanted to make sure that we weren’t strapped to a home that we owned when the time comes. The lease is up in March 2021. Our plan is to purchase our new motorhome in the latter part of 2020, begin to do some short trips to fully acclimate ourselves to the coach and logistics and procedures of arrival and departure from campgrounds. Then, with any luck, we’ll be good to go in the early part of 2021 and the journey begins.
We know it might seem like a long way off in the distance. We know that so much can change in this life over a year and a half. However, we are living in the moment, enjoying every minute of life and work that will get us there. If there is a challenge with health or other circumstances that present an unsurmountable roadblock, then so be it. But, odds are, we’ll make it to the finish line – which will be just the beginning! Living life in fear of failure is not in our nature, so one day at a time, we will do what needs to be done!
The biggest challenge currently is getting our businesses revved up. But, certainly, in my case, that is to be expected. I’m developing content websites to attract visitors that interact with affiliate advertising, thereby generating income for my business. But, we’re already getting traffic through the door and I am truly learning so many aspects of what I’m doing on the fly! However, I totally LOVE IT! And the inspiration, for both of us, knowing that the prize that lies down the road is so significant and worthwhile, is huge!
During the next 12-18 months, during the “build-out,” phase, we will take you along. We will be building our respective businesses and continuing to research coaches to determine what we’re going to buy. This will be our first RV. I have rented a 40-foot coach for a total of 3 weeks, 10 years ago, and experienced life on the road and absolutely loved it!
We will also be researching all the equipment and gear that we will need and share our outcomes as we prepare. We will also continue to shed our possessions that we won’t have the room or more importantly, a necessity! We’ll be talking a lot about minimizing and de-complicating our lives. We’ve already gone from literally THREE households of possessions – I’ll explain this in a later post – and you know what? Life goes on! It’s amazing…
This is all part of this journey as it’s a BIG deal, we know that! But, with your help, the grace of God and a little LUCK, we’ll make this happen and we look forward to having YOU, along for the ride!
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