From Street Chaos to an “Above It All” View I like knowing where I am. I mean, I really like knowing where I am geographically. I’m not so good at “north, south, east, and west,” but in relation to landmarks such as Half Dome in Yosemite, the Shard in London, and the “Twin Estates” sign at the entrance to our new neighborhood, I’m an expert. When we had our cabin in Southern California, I could point out Strawberry Peak from anywhere in the San Bernardino Valley and say, “We

Learning to Live Small A major watchword for full-time RVers is “storage.” In an RV, space is at a premium. Whether it’s a bumper-pull trailer, fifth wheel, or Greyhound Bus-size motorhome, you quickly learn your 2,500-square-foot sticks-n-bricks house just isn't going to fit into your 250-square-foot RV. As Roger and I set out on our first full-time journey, a well-meaning friend gave us cute pictures to brighten our living space. Another friend, just as thoughtful, gifted u

The River Cruise That Almost Wasn't Ever found yourself on the wrong side of the river? With a non-refundable ticket and the clock ticking? We thought we knew what we were doing. We double-checked our confirmation email. We plugged the address into Google Maps straight from the email. And taking into account the bus and train rides, we made sure we would arrive extra early for our afternoon high tea cruise on the River Thames in London, England. So an hour before the cruise w

Biking from Waveland to Bay St. Louis Riding a bike in the rain is mostly nobody’s idea of a good time. But I’m being perfectly honest when I say riding our e-bikes to Bay St. Louis in Mississippi was an absolutely stellar experience, even on a rainy day. And it’s a great example of how a simple perspective shift changes how we think about life’s storms. Yes, we got cold and wet. But also, we knew it wouldn’t be for long. At the end of the ride hot showers and comfy recliners

But Not in My Heart Slam! The boom holding the mainsail swung sharply across the boat from right to left. Unplanned, but not unforeseen. We were about an hour out from Channel Islands Harbor and the storm we’d been watching all day had finally hit. And we were ready. Roger and our guest for the day, Kristen, stood on the cabin steps under the dodger, out of the rain that began pouring down. I braced my feet and held tightly to the wheel as the boat heeled and pulled against t

Systems Gone Wrong I was so careful while packing up our house in Alabama. We were about to go full-time on the road again in our fifth wheel. So with the luxury of time, I labeled boxes, took pictures of the contents, and staged long-term storage boxes separately from boxes that would travel with us. I did everything right, I thought. All to no avail. An Ever-Shifting Plan Our end goal, after RVing as long as we want or can, is to live near family in Oklahoma. So it made sen

Hope Springs Eternal (Even When Slightly Unrealistic) You can’t help but hope you’ll be the one to beat the odds. Whether it’s winning the lottery or finding miraculous healing, most of us dream of being the recipient of a miracle. And some of us even buy a lottery ticket or two. So when Roger and I read the sign, “Over 33,623 found by visitors since becoming a state park in 1972,” we couldn’t help hoping we’d be the ones to score a selfie holding up the 33,624 th diamond fo

...with a Christmas Message from Us “Roger, he’s telling us something is wrong!” “No, no, he just likes my boat,” Roger responded confidently. “No, he’s saying we need to pull over. Take the next exit,” I insisted. And good thing Roger gave in—this time. As we slowed on the off ramp, a wheel from our boat trailer passed us and turned the corner. “Wow, God, look what happened to your boat trailer,” Roger quipped. Our anticipated sailing day was over before it started. Instead

Being hospitable in small spaces is part of the fun in full-time RV life. Sure, we’ve got the whole outdoors to be hospitable in, but when the weather doesn’t cooperate, what can you do to accommodate friends and family comfortably inside a travel trailer? When your friends exclaim, “It’s so cozy!” they usually mean, “It’s smaller than I thought.” Kind of like “bless her heart” doesn’t always mean what it sounds like in the South. More Space than a Cruise Ship Cabin Still, at

How do you make a home when you’re constantly pulling up stakes and moving on, when you have different neighbors, churches, stores, and restaurants every week? What do you do to feel “rooted” and comfortable wherever you are? I remember our first night at a busy campground in Southern California when we set out on our 2022-23 RV journey. I was awake for hours as my mind raced: Are we crazy? Can we really do this?? What did we forget? And most importantly, Are we gonna be able

Decision Fatigue is Real. And Probably Emotional. Maybe you’ve been through it—that deep, wrenching struggle of what to give up and what to keep, what’s worth packing and what you’ll look at later and say, “Why in the world did I keep that? ” And the longer you pack, the higher decision fatigue wall, leading to choices you may regret. Speaking for myself, of course. The Perpetually Unused Glider Some people get sentimental over family heirlooms. Me? Apparently, I get emotiona

Where’d That Island Go? If your husband anchored the sailboat next to an island one night and woke up the next morning wondering,...

When a perfect plan meets an immovable object… We Gave Up: The Campsite We Couldn’t Have After more than an hour of attempts, we sadly...

Roger (helpfully): Hey, do you see those kayakers at one o’clock? Julie (snarling): Yes, I see them! My husband and I love sailing. Our first boat was a little 25’ trailerable MacGregor. Yes, you read that right--we hauled a sailboat on a trailer back and forth from our home to Long Beach, California, more than an hour each way. After selling that boat with its tiny, cramped cabin, we timeshared a more substantial sailboat. The owner was meticulous in his requirements for usi