Friday, June 27, 2014

We're Not Leaving the Planet, Not Even the Continent!



In a recent reply to my comment on her blog, Linda Davey said "I'm acting as though we'll never have a chance to buy another thing after we hit the road. Gotta get over that!"

Me too! What's the deal with that thinking? I make lists of staples to "stock up on", and then worry about storage space and weight limits. I look at small appliances and gadgets that I haven't used in a long time with the "but you might need one of those in this new lifestyle..." lense.

I'm not talking about sentimental-heirloom-kid's-kindergarten-hand-print-things. That's a whole other issue.

My self-talk fills the (yet-to-be-purchased) coach from top to bottom. Perhaps we should take multiples of "those" in case one breaks. Keep even more pillows and blankets in case "they" come to visit. Take those dusty craft items for "rainy days".

Unfortunately I'm not the only one. Bill hasn't started purging the garage. Discussions on the subject include statements that start with "We'll need a full set of....." The MH and the Jeep very likely use all standard fittings.....but "it's always handy to have metric". Nothing seems capable of multi-tasking so we must include all the "right" tape, glue, wire, etc. I can't disagree. Even baling wire and duct tape come in different sizes and colors for a reason!

Where the hell do we think we're going? Mars? Moon? Serengeti? Outback?

We're not even going to Mexico!

We are going to see America. It's a fairly civilized place. I haven't seen 80% of it, but I hear there are retail establishments. Postal/UPS service. Internet and cell phone coverage. There seem to be no lack of other humans. In fact most full-timers complain about trying to get away from others, not the inability to find them.

We will have extended warranties and insurance and roadside assistance. 

This is not a backpacking trip that requires special gear, sleeping bags or kerosene stoves. Yes, we will be hiking. We will have campfires. We will spend much more time outdoors. And, we will have a full kitchen and sleep in our own bed.

So where do we get this mind-set that we have to take everything we could possibly need with us? Why am I still combining living and vacation and survival modes to create this ridiculous list?

Even while boondocking we won't be more than a Jeep's drive to a town with groceries, a small hardware/auto parts store, a post office with general delivery, and most likely a coffee shop or McDonalds with WiFi. On our "way to" more remote areas we will travel through towns with larger stores and repair shops and Amazon delivery depots. I will eventually venture inside a Walmart, because they will have what we need at the time :-(.

There is no need for us to anticipate every "thing" that may come up and be prepared with exactly the right "corresponding thing" to fix it or enhance it at exactly the moment it breaks or we decide to do it. Apparently I do know this important fact, I just struggle with remembering it when making decisions about what we need to take with us.

It doesn't mean I think we can pull out of the driveway with an empty rig, and just pick things up the first time we need them.  There's probably already a reality show on television about somebody doing that.....

Obviously some items are expensive to replace, and it's prudent to keep those if there is a more than 50% chance we'll need it. Just because we could easily find another one, doesn't mean we could afford it when we need it. We can always unload it later.

Some things like fuses and cords and hoses and zip lock bags we don't want to "have to go get" when they break or we need extra. We don't want to run out of ant and mosquito repellent. We don't want to need rain gear and have to go out in the weather to purchase it. Batteries of every size will have their own drawer :-).

There will always be safety and first aide items that we keep and hope to never need. Common sense things. Don't need to haul around a set of crutches, but an adjustable cane is smart. Snake bite kit, yes. Oxygen tank, no.

I'm confident we'll need something that we purged and wish we had in the rig. Probably a few things. Still, we are NOT leaving the planet. Between Google and Amazon I bet we can find an adequate replacement for just about everything.

Maybe not the juicer, I really like this one.......and these pillows...... Uggghhh. Linda's so right - I "Gotta get over that!"

 

 

10 comments:

  1. This is hilarious. I loved reading it. So real. SO well written. One of the answers to this dilemma that others have faced is to put all those things you are worried you might need or want into a small storage unit for a year. IF you don't actually need or want them then you will feel much better about tossing them when you circle back around to see old friends. The small yearly cost of the unit is worth the ease of mind. After that, what most of us find is that every year when we go through the cupboards and closets and bins we find things we haven't used in that entire year. Out they go too. Actually, we still have a nice nearly new Marine battery for sale at 1/3 its original cost. Anybody want to take it off our hands? LOL

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    1. Thanks Sherry! We go back and forth on the storage issue and I like the one year plan :-). Wonder if we can schedule "yard sales" at a campground through RVillage to get rid of things we don't use that others might have need of - like a marine battery? I suspect it is an ongoing process when living in a small space.

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  2. Great post, it does take a bit of mindset changing and we've all been there. Dave got a tool box for the tools he wanted to take with him, we have storage unit in IL near my folks. We'll check it in Oct when we're there, we'll see what we do then only cost $130\year but not climate controlled. The campground here is having a yard sale today, haven't put anything out, only thing I have too much of is clothes and since we have the room right now I'm keeping them.

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    1. Good to hear that some CGs do yard sales - I think it's a great idea! Our storage places are expensive here in SoCal but if we get down to a few boxes I'm hoping we can put them under someone's bed for a year :-).

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  3. Definitely put those items you're not sure about throwing away in a shed. They'll still be there if you want to keep them or throw them out down the road.

    Sometimes it's best not to stock up on lots of items until you're actually on the road. Stores are everywhere. You can buy you want or need from one coastline to another.

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    1. Good advice. I'm trying not to buy anything "for the RV" until we get on the road. What sounds perfect now may be a waste of money for the actual lifestyle......but there's so many cool "thingys" out there!

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  4. John brought a ton of tools. Many, he has yet to use and we are about to begin our third year on the road. I gave away my juicer and wish I had one. We gave away our toaster and ended up purchasing another. Our vacuums were too bulky for the coach, so we bought a smaller one. But that is it. No, I have not used my ice cream maker - yet. Yes, I have used my bread maker and crock pot.

    Deciding what is important and what is not is stressful, but you will mostly make good decisions. Good luck.

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    1. I suppose it could be a good thing that he hasn't needed the tools :-). Several things we have put on the "we'll make that decision when we're loading the coach" list and can see where things might fit......

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  5. Just getting caught up on your blog. I can tell you that we repurchased a couple of small things at Bed Bath & Beyond yesterday that we sold in the Estate Sale. Grrrrr. But we also got rid of (donated) some bedding and - PILLOWS! Two king-sized that we just didn't have space for. I mean, who need 8 frickin' pillows???

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    1. I would feel no guilt! Good for you. And yeah, eight might be a bit much :-)

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