So, today it’s officially been 10 days since we started full time RVing it (well, temporarily at least), so I thought I’d pop on my blog and give y’all an update. Honestly, there’s not a whole lot to tell but if you hang out to the end, I’ll give you a tour of our RV!
RV Life: Week One of Who Knows How Long
First and foremost, we still don’t know where we’re moving. For the last few days we thought it was going to be Orlando and Randy even interviewed for it, but ultimately we turned it down. Yes, I know it’s absolutely INSANE to be turning down perfectly good jobs just about 6 weeks from when we’re supposed to be moving but I just couldn’t do it. I researched Orlando thoroughly, talked to dozens of people who have lived there or still do, I looked at the Great Schools and just got this deep down feeling that it was not the right fit for us.
Not to mention, the toll roads, the sinkholes, the commute, the cost of housing, the crocodiles, the traffic, the schools … and did I mention the crocodiles? And that’s where the whole bath salts craze started?
Nope nope nopity-nope.
So we turned Orlando down and I immediately felt relieved, so I’m taking that as I sign we made the right decision.
The Kids
So far, we haven’t been late to school even though we have a 40 minute drive each way to the schools from where we’re camping. Yes, it’s a pain the ass and yes, I’m spending a ton of money on diesel in my truck, and yes I’m spending most of my days either driving or sitting in my truck. The other day I literally parked in the parking lot of Walmart and streamed 7th Heaven on Amazon Prime for a solid four hours and it was glorious.
The Dogs
Well, the dogs are doing about as well as the kids are. Our neighbors let us know that the dogs missed us (by whining and barking when we weren’t home), so now I take the whole pack with me everywhere I go. We found a really awesome new dog park out in Falcon by the high school and we’ve been going while the kids are in school and the dogs love it! I’ve never really been a huge fan of dog parks because Jacob (our German Shepherd) and Lucy (aka Lucifer, our beagle girl) don’t really get along with dogs outside our pack. But this park has two sections and so far it’s been really nice.
Laundry
It’s gotten out of control and earlier this week I spent all day at the laundromat getting it all done. Randy accidentally tipped the turtle’s tank over and then one of the dogs got mad at me and peed on it (Lucy, of course) so I had to go and find a commercial sized washing machine to handle it … and $40 later, I got it washed and it’s back on the bed.
Laundry is the worst, FYI.
Tour of our RV
And as promised, here is a mini tour of our RV! We have a Coleman travel trailer and I absolutely love it! Granted, there are some things I’d like to change about it (like painting the interior white and somehow getting a table in there for all 6 of us to sit together to eat, for starters) but it’s just right for our family right now.
We have 3 bunks, a pull out couch and a large bed so everyone has their own spot to sleep, and the dogs just kind of sleep wherever they want (or with whoever they want, more like).
Have I introduced Sam the Water Turtle to you guys? Not sure if I have. He’s about 35 years old and was plucked from a Florida pond when he was a baby turtle by Randy’s dad, and he’s been with the family ever since. We inherited Sam from Randy’s mom when she passed away in 2011, and he goes with us whenever we travel.
Yes, it really is a zoo around here!
The kids keep their clothes in these two pantries (there are two shelves in each). On the backside of the bathroom door that’s on the left, we have a shoe caddy that hangs on the door to hold all of our shoes; partly because I hate having shoes and clutter every where and partly because Lucy (the beagle) is still a puppy and likes to chew on things still.
And yes, Kodah thinks he’s human and sits at the table to look out the window.
All of the dogs take turns on the couch, haha.
This is our very small but fun kitchen. It’s also constantly with kid fingerprints and nose marks on the stove, microwave and the fridge, which is about as real as it gets.
My favorite spot in the RV: our bed. It’s so comfortable and cozy, and I love it. We have sliding doors for privacy but, let’s be honest – there’s not a whole lot of privacy in a couple hundred square feet of living space with six people and five dogs (and of course, the turtle).
I hope you guys liked this brief tour of our RV! I’ll share more about our storage solutions and what not in another blog, soon! If there’s anything else you’d like me to share, let me know!
