Saying Goodbye To RV Living After 3 Years || Things I'll Miss! || Family Of 6
You read the title right...and even I'M still processing it! *Cue mixed emotions!* We are officially leaving full time RV living after 3 years, and it is most certainly BITTERSWEET!! I will FOREVER be grateful for this season of life, and for the RV community who welcomed us with open arms.
Today, I'm sharing everything I will miss about RV living, both on the road and during our time of stationary living. If you stick around the blog, you'll be able to read all the things I WON’T miss, as well as the items that made RV living easier for us. Hopefully, these transparent posts will help any other families considering this very unique lifestyle. I hope you enjoy!
What I will miss about RV Living:
1. The family adventures that we had
Our family originally started this tiny living journey as a way to stay together during my husband’s military travels. At the time, we were renting in an area we didn't enjoy, paying skyrocket prices, and hungry on a search for “home.” It allowed us the opportunity to visit so many national parks, and explore beautiful locations that we would otherwise not have been able to. We woke up to countless diverse and stunning settings outside of our doors and windows. This RV has taken us across the country and back, and given our family enough memories to last a lifetime!
2. Seeing my children from every angle
It’s been both a blessing and a timesaver to see our children from every angle of our RV. I realized just how helpful this was with four young children once we visited our families and friend's sticks-and-bricks homes. It was EXHAUSTING keeping tabs on our children, not to mention cleaning up after them. I never ran in a panic trying to find our children in the RV, and I loved that! We’d also like to think that having our children see us from every angle was a blessing for them as well.
3. The bond it created between my children
It's no doubt in my mind that the smaller spaces in our tiny home helped keep our children close together in more than a “physical capacity.” Being raised in a tiny home, with less space for material things, helped draw our children’s attention towards each other. (Prioritizing relationships over material things has been a high priority that we plan to continue long after we leave this lifestyle.) I will miss being close enough to overhear their sweet conversations together, late at night, about their day’s adventures and activities.
4. The money we saved!
I’m so thankful with how RV living helped us financially. With a cheaper lifestyle on the road (although, the diesel prices were terrible at one point), and only paying about $1,000 a month (during our stationary living period), we paid off all our student loan debt and saved money as well!
5. The vacation-lifestyle feel
The truth is, this RV lifestyle is NOT always glamorous, (take for example, emptying the black tank, haha)…BUT it does carry a surreal, vacation-like feel, especially when you first take off! We will miss the adrenaline rush we got from enjoying s’mores and bonfires, hiking trails, incredible views, RV park amenities, spotting wildlife, and meeting new people who are crazy, just like us.
6. The freedom to travel, and always be at “home”
RV living allowed us the freedom to go wherever we wanted, and still have the stability and comfort of home with us wherever we went. This was very convenient for us, especially as a family with young children. Imagine NEVER having to pack your bags when going on a trip!? Imagine ALWAYS getting to sleep in your own bed, after a long day of travel…pure bliss!!
7. Doing life with other RV-ers
Let me be clear...the RV community is the bomb.com! Most of the full time RV-ers we have met on this journey share the same love for both family and adventure! The instant bond made with others we have met on this RV journey connected us in a special way we will not soon forget.
I think we will always be RV-ers at heart, and this season of life will forever be a time we’ll be excited to share with others! I'll have some major FOMO once we leave this lifestyle, that's for sure. Whenever I see an RV pass us on the highway, I'll likely get pretty emotional too. Because to most people, they see a box on wheels, but for us…we'll see freedom, adventure, and home.
I hope you enjoyed reading all the things I will miss about RV living! Stay tuned for upcoming posts of “All the things I WON’T miss about RV living,” as well as “Items that made RV living easier for us.”
