Before we retired one of the things I thought I would really enjoy was traveling around the United States in an RV. Living full-time in an RV really appealed to me in a daydream-like way. I followed the YouTube channels of several families and couples who do that and loved to follow their adventures. I vicariously traveled with them as they explained where they were, what they were doing, and filmed all the magnificent places they were able to learn about, visit, and enjoy. I envisioned how incredible it would be when Randy and I were able to do that.
At the end of 2019 we bought a 29-foot travel trailer we affectionately called Tilly. Randy and I had long talks about living full-time on the road in an RV. He was adamantly opposed to it, insisting we needed a home base. We paid just under $30,000 for Tilly, and then had to find a larger truck than the one we currently owned to pull her. We were lucky enough to acquire a 2008 Chevy Silverado HD2500, crew cab, long-bed diesel pickup for just under $25,000. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, we spent more than twice what we paid for our first house on what basically amounted to toys.
Our first long trip was from the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri to northern Wisconsin where we were invited to “group camp” with my brother and his entourage of friends. Lynn and Dave, seasoned campers with a trailer of their own, went with us. We had some minor truck problems but enjoyed the trip. Our next adventure, in July 2020, took us out to the mountains of Colorado where some friends from California met us for a high country camping adventure. We had a couple of more major problems with the truck but were able to get it fixed on the road without too much disruption to our plans.
Those ended up being the only two big trips we took with those expensive toys. We had a camping trip to the Florida Panhandle planned for the fall of 2020, but a hurricane destroyed the campground where we were supposed to stay at Fort Pickens, near Pensacola. Instead, we rented a condo on the beach. I discovered I enjoyed that condo a lot more than I actually enjoyed camping.
The following February (2021) we stayed in a friend’s vacation home in the Florida Keys for two weeks. We also took that Florida trip without the camper. We visited my sister in Naples for a week on the way home, staying in an “extra” condo they owned. I LOVED that vacation, and I really loved Florida. Within a couple of months I knew I’d rather live in Florida than spend time traveling the country in an RV. About a month later Randy gifted me with his agreement that we could actually move to Florida. In May we put the house up for sale, sold the RV, and made plans to spend the rest of our lives in what I consider paradise on earth.
We’d never been on a cruise before we moved to Florida but since we’ve been here, we’ve taken 2 (one 4 days to Bermuda and one 12 days to the Panama Canal). We also travel by auto once or twice a year to visit family in Missouri, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and up to New England and back. All were enjoyable trips.
But something interesting has been happening the last few months. Randy and I have talked about our next adventure, considering another cruise perhaps, or one of those all-inclusive resorts in the tropics. However, every time I sit down at my computer to plan, I just can’t seem to generate enough enthusiasm for traveling to any of those places to actually make reservations. For me, it all seems to just be so much trouble, and so expensive, for what I get from the experience.
This weekend, as I was putting a puzzle together on the lanai, I watched one of those YouTube channels I love so much. I hadn’t seen a video from this particular couple (Gone With the Wynns) for nearly a year. Jason and Nikki Wynn started out as full-time RVers but traded their rolling home for a floating home. They bought a catamaran 5 or 6 years ago and now live full-time on their boat, sailing all over the world and documenting every adventure they experience. They’re very likeable, very photogenic, and very skilled at putting together what basically amounts to professional home videos of places all over the world they’ve visited. Two years ago, they commissioned a new boat to be built for them so for the last year, they’ve been homeless nomads. Their videos during that time have documented the construction of the boat, which is being built in China, and all of their related adventures.
Just before they took delivery of the new catamaran, they did some traveling to the interior of China, knowing they’d never have a better opportunity. The videos they produce of their travel all over the world are interesting, informative, and quite honestly, stunning. Off the beaten American tourist track in China turned out to be not at all what they, or I, expected. Their skill at creating visually spectacular adventures that make the viewer feel like they’re right there with them is astonishing. That is why I watch their channel so compulsively.
While vicariously traveling with Jason and Nikki through China, I realized how much I really enjoy chair-based adventure and world exploration. Technology eliminates the need to spend thousands of dollars just to make a list of the places we can say we visited. More than actually experiencing these places in person, I enjoy learning about them and seeing their grandeur through the eyes of those who are much more physically suited and excited to be there. Actually setting foot in those places is not as important to me as learning about them and seeing them through the eyes of others.
I have just a tiny pang of disappointment to find out that I prefer to travel vicariously. Certainly our culture would consider that kind of strange, but it’s true. This last year, over several “vacations” I discovered I much prefer “being” rather than “doing” vacation. Vicarious travel fits that bill perfectly.
P.S. Having said all that, we haven’t given up on our 50th anniversary year grand tour. Because when we do travel, by car to visit people who are important to us is still our favorite way to go. The tour is still in the planning stages.
P.P.S. Happy New Year!
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