When in college, I worked a couple of summers in Yellowstone National Park. My job was usually in the kitchen, where my friends and I could be found chopping vegetables, flipping burgers, or (if we were lucky) scooping ice cream for tourists. As you might imagine, the work paid peanuts. We invested many long, hot, thankless hours in the belly of the Park’s food service beast. We did so for the promise of living in one of the world’s most beautiful places. Off days were cherished. Whenever possible, we maximized our free time by going camping.
In those days, primarily because we were financially strapped students, camping was a simple proposition. Someone would have a tent, usually a modest 2-4 person affair. We’d bring along our sleeping bags, a couple of canteens, some snacks – and that was pretty much it. “Camping” really just meant a few good friends sharing basic shelter under the stars. And yet, the experiences were spectacular.
It’s tempting to position RV ownership as a simple, elemental lifestyle. After all, camping is camping, right? But is it really so simple?
Sure, life is simple enough — once you have your propane tanks filled, your tire pressures checked, your assorted water tanks emptied and/or filled, an inverter generator, properly sorted weight-distributing hitch, your storage compartments locked, the stabilizer jacks set in place, and a plethora of camping equipment.
Alas, our tastes have grown more sophisticated. In the old days, a moldy sleeping bag was enough; now we sleep on 600-thread-count sheets. Once we were satisfied with a sack of snacks; now we tote around a refrigerator.
Then there’s the electronics. In our case, we can’t leave home without our smart phones, laptops, DVD players, HDTV, gaming console, digital cameras, HD video cameras, audio equipment, MP3 players, noise-canceling headphones, and enough assorted paraphernalia to open a branch outlet of Best Buy. The wires and cables alone would stretch from Earth to the Moon, three times.
So, the RV lifestyle may not be simple per se. It’s far too complex to be labeled simple. But it does strip away a host of mental and physical clutter. Although we haul along a plethora of creature comforts, when camping we still shed much of our suburban largess.
RV camping facilitates simple pleasures. This is an active lifestyle. One not only spends more time outdoors, but also with family. RV ownership brings people closer together – literally and figuratively.
Even when camping in our fancy travel trailer, I’m certain that we use much less electricity and water then at home. As Kristy blithely remarked, “You get used to being a little dirty.”
We acquire fewer material possessions because there’s no place to store them. When shopping, the first question that comes to mind is, “Where are we going to put it?”
In the end, I suppose we haven’t traveled so far from my college days. We go through it ALL just so we can enjoy certain basic, simple fundamentals. Whether you’re camping in a $40 tent or a $400,000 motor home, there’s still no substitute for the companionship of good friends and family, enjoyed alongside a campfire.
As I sit down in front of my computer each morning, after moving “the Family” (aka myself and my 4 “Kids” – dogs to many!) from the bedroom to the living room – which is basically the extent of OUR travel during the day, with the occasional foray out the front door for “potty trips” – I wonder what the day is going to hold!
I STILL marvel that I find such amazing things in the most simplistic ways!
I stumbled upon your website when I was searching for a “Pack It Out” which is a containment system for “Doggie Waste”. I was shocked to see that this was actually a very large “search” that had very little to do with what I was looking for!
I first went to an Airstream forum just to see what some had to say about this concept, read a thread, clicked on an interesting post’s ID name which then brought up their blog who inturn linked to YOUR blog!
And boy…considering I am sitting here in my livingroom in my tiny apartment in an even tinier town in southeast Texas…I have seen some remarkable places through your eyes!!
Just wanted to let you know that you touching more lives than those who are “Airstreaming across our Great Lands”! Living with severe chronic pain and fatigue doesn’t allow for much activity…but the INTERNET allows for me to see things I would otherwise never see!
And who says (and I would be remiss if I said I sometimes do!) that tehcnology is a BAD THING??
Keep doing what you are doing…being a beautiful couple out there roaming our vast expanse, seeking out the natural places that feed the soul. At least that is what I see!
You feed the soul for many…and not all out there following in your footsteps!
Will be watching now…
For some reason this video isnt working for me? Any ideas Sean?
Branda, thanks much for your post. You’ve offered an important reminder of why it’s important to “seize the day” — we never know what lies ahead for us, healthwise. We’ve got to make the most of our opportunities, whatever they may be.
And on that note, you also make a great point about the power of this new technology. When we started our blog over a year ago, the original idea was just to keep friends and family “in the loop.” But it’s really amazing what has transpired, as we’ve virtually “met” thousands of people around the world. I too am sometimes stunned by the power we now have at our fingertips with words, photos, and video. And THANK YOU, Brenda, for your words of support and encouragement! Your comments have been among my all-time favorites that we have received. 😀
Laura, I think the problem is with our server at Vimeo. In other words, it’s VIMEO that’s having problems…a lot of videos are down right now. In the future, we may just start serving our own videos here, because Vimeo has been unreliable as of late. Sorry about that!
No problem, ill keep checking back to see when it is back up!
It’s working now! Sorry about the technical issues, everyone… 🙄
I was so excited. I came home from an Internet Marketing Trade Show called the Affiliate Summit. I have a blog about my world. Norbert and Jaye Nell Schlegel are my parents and I grew up at this campground. I just live about 1/2 a mile from them, and I help them with the campground at times. I was so excited to see the wonderful quality of video that you did and wonderful portrayal of my parents. Thank you for blogging about them. Now maybe they will understand the power of a blog. I have started a few blogs, and I have tried to explain how a blog can even help a business. Thank you, my parents are the great role models of my life. They raised us with love and respect and taught us to stand up for what is right above all else, and that family is the most important thing in life.
Thanks soooooo much !!
Teresa Caldwell
http://www.4UrWorld.com
http://www.4UrLoveLife.com
Teresa, we really enjoyed the opportunity to meet and visit with your parents. To borrow a line from your father, they are “top quality people” and it was our pleasure to spend time with them. Even though we only stayed a short while, we left feeling like we had made some new friends! We look forward to visiting them again in the future.
By the way, I’m glad you like our video. Thanks much for your post! It made my day.
Well Thank you guys, My Mom is an angel, and my Dad can be stubborn, but he is a good man. They are loved by many of their return visitors. I was gone to Boston for 5 days and I could not wait to get back and give my Mom a hug. It was hard to leave her. I just know I am the lucky one of their children, because I am the only one who lives in the same town, and I get to see them almost everyday where my Brother and Sister don’t get to see them near as much. I am lucky because I get the gift of time with them, that is something you can never get back, is time. I love your site, and it looks like you guys are doing what I am trying to learn to do, marketing online. You do a good job with your blog. Maybe I will get to meet you guys when you come back through.
Thanks,
Teresa Caldwell
http://www.4UrWorld.com
Teresa, I agree… nothing beats quality time with family. You will cherish the memories of the time you’ve been able to spend with your parents. We were very impressed with your family roots there in Shamrock — over 100 years on the same land! Also, we saw some of the photos of your (great great great?) grandparents from the early 1800s. Your family history is fascinating and well documented.
Thanks for your comments about our blog. It is a work in progress. We could do a better job of marketing, but we try to make the website a little better every day.