My first season in my RV is almost done with Xmas approaching. How’s living in an RV been so far? It’s a question I get asked a fair bit. What I don’t get asked is has living in an RV changed you at all so far? I’ll muse on both of these this post, interspersing the verbiage with some of my favorite photos I’ve taken so far.
How’s it been living in an RV so far you ask? Well, I can answer that many ways. Different. Wonderful. Challenging. Wet. Cold. Dirty. Quiet. All are true at times but each is only for one facet of the RV life. There is still a lot for me to learn – some things which worry me a bit in the future, like what is it going to be like to find camping in the middle of the summer when everyone and their literal dog will be out here. I hope I’ll be good enough at finding out of the way boondocking spots by then to not have to park it Walmart style because I couldn’t find a camping spot.
In the meanwhile, I’m exploring some of the best campgrounds on the ocean and lakes of Vancouver Island as there is almost no one out here. I’m a little limited right now by all the rain – I’m definitely keeping to stuff on easier roads not likely to be cut off by mud/rock slides, and not too far from civilization. Also, the cold means I’m staying low – don’t want to be in the snow anymore than I have to.
I’m learning all the time. Some of it is even about me, like I’m tougher than I think in some areas and not so tough in others. I “wimped out” and bought a generator the other day. The cold here is not so cold, but the humidity makes it feel a lot colder. I knew that already, but what I didn’t know is that living in it for days at a time wears on you. I can take pretty cold for a night or two, but then I’m done. The coast is pretty consistent in being wet and cold this time of year – not much sun to warm you up, especially with the unusually wet conditions so far this fall.
How am I tougher than I thought? I toughed out a week in mostly rain, with mouse issues, dripping roof and walls from the damp and cold, and barely a connection to civilization to monitor the rain emergency this part of BC is under right now. Didn’t even think of going back early, there’s gas rationing here you know, shouldn’t be driving anymore than necessary.
But despite that, I found a couple of afternoons of sun while taking hikes to awesome water falls, and wonderful fishing lakes. I had time to think. I solved my mouse problem in a more unconventional fashion thanks to my thinking. More on that in a future blog. But wiping down the wet roof and walls convinced me I need more heat in this RV – I can’t be out for a week and run my furnace on just battery power – solar is useless when there is this little sun.
Has living in my RV changed me? Well, being less distracted at a campsite has made me more creative about solutions with limited resources, as I mentioned above. Perhaps, just perhaps, I’m a little tougher than I was before. Getting out and hiking much more often helps on that front.
Do I crave company more or less now that I have far less? Hard to say. I do find myself making small talk at the store or with random people more often now – I have some need for social interaction. Yes, there are phone calls and zoom video chats – but they are not the same as one on one interaction. So, I’d say I do still have a need for human interaction, just in different ways now to satisfy that.
One thing I know for sure – I still look at maps, wondering what is over here or there, should I go visit? Before, it was only a thought – now I can plan to go there, just not right away. The winter and the rain will limit me for a bit with some of those dots on a map. When I’m done with this map, I’ll drive over to the next map and see what those little dots are over there. We’ll see how much I change as I see those dots.
Still hate the snow.
This post is dedicated to the insider Patreon group of CRVL and Carolyn’s RV Life. I’ve learned many pearls of wisdom and had many laughs thanks to Carolyn and her kind bunch. May you all have a wonderful holiday season and a great new year.
