Monday, June 20, 2011

Where did all this stuff come from?

Four and a half years ago we moved for the "last time," or so I thought. We moved out of our house, a three bedroom one bath stick house with garage AND detached shop on a half acre. We purged, packed, gave things away and moved into our RV. After that we went to Arcata, CA so that I could go to school at Humboldt State University. We stayed at a few parks, our church a few times, camp hosted one summer and visited family while on breaks.  No packing, no "moving" just unplugged and went. It was nice.
 (Mr. Fixit-aka Ian helping to service the Cruizer)

Now we are packing up and moving on. This time into the Nomadic lifestyle. We are not taking the "Moby Duck," our RV for the last four-plus years, we will be getting something else when we get there. Wherever "there" is. So much for not moving again. Giving away things, selling things, and packing. I don't get it, we have been in the same location for the last year and a half and have acquired more crap.

(The wonderful Gross family who gave us the boat. 
We are not calling them "Gross," that is there name.)
Not sure how exactly, but we acquired a boat too. A boat! A beautiful little hand made dingy that is being restored (by me), but I don't need this now. It seems that when we were at parked a location that didn't allow us to get "stuff" we didn't get "stuff."  Does that make sense? The wonderful place that we have been renting, for the past year and a half, has a building, that we call the "playroom," that became a vacuum to "stuff." It just started to pile up. I am not sure what it all is. Bike parts, clothes, books, toys, tools......Ugh!  The boat is going to my parents to store until I can get back to it. The motorcycle is going with us until I can sell it because I don't want it anymore but need to clean it up to get the best price. Or am I just making excuses to not sell them?

We are eliminating all non essentials (right...!!!). No, really. Some of you already know, but last summer we drove across the US in our new (to us) Suburban. Literally bought the Sub on our trip and parked our van at G-pa's and and left on our Grand Adventure. We traveled with one duffel bag each for our clothes, two laptops, a Nintendo DS, an ice chest, two cameras and tripod, bedding, tent, some cooking gear and eating utensils, a few other small items and a Pug. Oh yeah, don't forget the SCUBA gear, just in case. We had enough room for the three of us to sleep in the Sub, travel comfortably and had a blast. We actually took more than we needed. We could have gone with less and not noticed it. Three months, fifteen states and ten thousand miles, later we returned to Humboldt. It was a great trip and was the catalyst to get us going.

(Headed out on the first Official Nomadic journey 2010)

I sit here looking at clothes that I don't wear any more and ask why am I having a hard time giving them away. Clothes seem to me to be the Bane to the nomadic life. We went on a three month trip without boxes of shirts and survived, so why do I still have all these damn space wasting items? I think it goes back to the illusion that the more "stuff" you have the more of a success you are. If you have a big house, five cars, seven motorcycles and two boats you are doing well. Well I had all of those and was always broke. I was NOT doing well as perceived from the curb. It's been said: "He who dies with the most toys wins," well he is still dead and you can't take it with you.

From this point forward our focus will be on the simple joys of life; not those things that others perceive as important or having value.  I have tried to live in the box that others encouraged me to only to continue being unhappy. If I keep putting off my dreams when will I ever pursue them? ~ Rich


"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover." 
Samuel L. Clemens

Friday, June 17, 2011

Starting Again...

Again you say?  Well, it rather feels that way... Although we have been living in our RV for over four years we've spent the majority of the time in one place.  I guess I should recap:  November, 2006, Hubby (Rich) was accepted to Humboldt State University (HSU) in Arcata, CA.  Thus we purged the "house and stuff" and packed up the motorhome and in January, 2007, headed to the beautiful North Coast of California.


Over the years the majority of our RV travel has been to visit Hubby's parents in the Sierra Foothills of California.  Until 2010, when we took a three month, ten thousand-plus mile jaunt through 15 states.  We decided to travel light and made the journey in our Suburban, lovingly named the "Nautilus."  It was truly a grand adventure!  We met some wonderful people, saw some awesome sights, learned many new things -- took some breathtaking pictures --  and it left us wanting more.

Hubby returned to HSU for one more semester, and we realized that as much as we have enjoyed living in Humboldt and have made some lifelong friends, it became clear it's time to move on.  While looking at the map, of our 2010 trip, it became readily apparent that we had traveled a 'thin line' through our magnificent country, and in reality what we had experienced was minuscule in comparison to what the world has to offer us. 

So... Starting again...