The first part of our adventures will be living the RV life - hauling our 5th wheel up to Maine and down to Florida, stopping at every state in between. We’ll then stay in Florida for about a month, doing all the things: Disney, Universal, Legoland, Kennedy Space Center, Florida Keys, Everglades…
But before we actually hit the road, we are making ourselves comfortable in our trailer. In early July, we moved out of our house and into our trailer, staying at Wright-Patterson AFB Fam Camp. We sold the house, our home for the past 5 years, and all of our household goods have been packed up and put into temporary storage until we head out to Idaho later this year to receive said goods.
So far, I’d say we’re adapting pretty well. I’m still working, so I’ve got a commute and I’m away all day. Ruby had some summer camps at her preschool that she’s attended, but Michael hasn’t had a ton to do. With no garage to putter around in and few errands to run, he’s getting a little antsy to get on the road. Just one week + a few days to go!
The worst part about trailer life so far is definitely laundry. Our 5th wheel does not have a washer or dryer, so we have to use the machines here. I AM grateful that the campground has a small laundry facility - coin operated, of course - so don’t think I’m complaining. I’m not. I knew this would be the case going in. It’s just as I expected, I have to carry the laundry to the building, have a bunch of quarters on hand, and stay on top of it so I don’t hold someone else up by leaving my laundry in a machine for too long. It’s not at all hateful, it’s just not nearly as nice as having your own washer/dryer at home, which you can use any time it’s convenient for you and not worry about being in anyone else’s way. And you don’t need lots of quarters!
The best part is walks/runs/bike rides. Our house was on 2 acres and not in a suburban neighborhood - no sidewalks. The street was two lanes, not much of a shoulder, not a safe place to walk or run or ride a bike. Here at Fam Camp, we can not only walk around the campground, but along the base roads that go by here. Beyond the Fam Camp lies the remote back wilderness of Wright-Patt. There’s hardly any traffic early in the morning - GREAT for runs. Lots of deer, plus a few groundhogs and bunnies. We’re getting Ruby out on her bike, and have even taken the training wheels off to try to get her balancing on her own (we have not yet been successful, but we are getting there). We also go for family walks in the evening. In addition to just being a pleasant activity, we’ve informed Ruby that this is Disney training. We might end up walking many miles per day while at Disney World, and we do NOT want a whiny 5-year old at any point. Will we completely stave off whining about tired legs and feet by going for more/longer walks? Probably not. But we should be building up at least some endurance/stamina by doing a couple/few miles of walking each day, and hence reduce the whine factor.
Aurora has also adapted well to life on parked wheels. We bought a “pet tent” for her - a mesh screen she can hang out in. Aurora is an indoor/outdoor cat - she like being outside when it’s warm out, wants to stay in the house when it’s cold. She has found a few spots in the trailer to claim - at the foot of our bed on my side, on top of the couch at the back window, and on top of the portable refrigerator/freezer which is also near a window. She perches or lays down in these spots and observes the world outside. When hanging out in her tent, she sits or lays down and stares at the goings on around her. As I type this, sitting in my rocking chair, she is sitting in her tent staring at a squirrel.
We’ve got just over a week left living here. Then we’ll load up and head out, and start our adventures!