Camping at home.....

[wegone]

My wife years ago said....

"Move to where you want to live, first, and everything else will follow."

I took her advice, but it took years to do it, moving away from all I knew, job, etc.

She would have pulled up stakes and moved in a heartbeat.

We landed on an island in the Pacific Northwest, no jobs, no home, no friends.

Glad we were clueless, because everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, told us it was a giant mistake, etc.

No, it wasn't.

Sometimes you must shut one door, before you can open another.

I think this is where faith meets reality, you either believe in what you say you do, or you DON'T.....
You can't be sorta pregnant.

Anyway....we really don't need to travel to escape anymore, we have, the trailer just gives us more icing on our cake.

Took the kayaks out on a small lake within minutes a couple of days ago during our heatwave of 80 degrees, catching bass in the lily pads till our arms hurt.

Yesterday, went out on the saltwater and caught our King Salmon.

Had salmon belly omelet for breakfast, and tonight we'll feast on Puff Pastry Salmon Wellington.... and as soon as these blackberries ripen, maybe a week more, we'll have barbequed salmon with blackberry sauce and some Dungeness crab salad...

Moral to the story gang....listen to your heart, and wife, not the NEWS, and go make your own adventure. If this old fart, who is as stupid as the come, can do it, so can anyone....

[dutchmensport]

So glad you have found the lifestyle that meets your wants and expectations, even more than you ever dreamed! So cool! Congrats.

Yes, I completely agree with you. Those who never take chances, those who never take a risk, will never have anything but what they already have! If anyone wants something better than what their current comfort zone entails, then there is a certain risk factor, a fear of the unknown that is normal, and all the nay-sayers need to be cut off, shut out, and eliminated.

I read one of those self-help inspirational books about making your life better and one statement stood out that I never forgot. And actually, it was the turning point in my "safe and secure" lifestyle. The author said:

If you keep doing what you've always done, you will only get what you've already got. What do you want to do? What do you want to become? OK then, what is stopping you from doing it!

And the rest was all about knocking down the excuses we all use because we are all stuck in our own comfort zone and refuse to even attempt any kind of change. And one by one, those excuses were brought out with the challenge, ... why do you allow this to hinder you?

Yes, if you want something spectacular out of life, there are risks, challenges, unknowns, and sometimes, hard failures. But to give up at the first failure is the cowards way out. I takes real determination, real strength of character, and real risk to try again, and again, and again until success is achieved. Not everyone who is successful fell into it like hot chocolate syrup on ice cream.

Congrats on finally realizing you are living the good life! Enjoy... life truly is great if we just look for that greatness!

[wegone]

Well said Sir!

Without preaching too much, as I too frown upon those who knock at my door uninvited thinking, I am going to just say GREAT, keep talking while my dinner gets cold

Fear froze me in life.

From living, and what sucked most of all, from loving, giving and getting.

Does it involve risk, absolutely, but how many boogiemen really did attack you the first time your parents made you sleep in your own room, in your own bed, with the lights turned off?

NONE

edit: Oh, the one thing I read years and years ago, make that decades, I was a teenager, was this, and it stuck hard, not sure why, but I've returned to it many times in my life when I felt trapped and stuck, mostly to my own doings....

"You lie the loudest, when you lie to yourself"

[gearhead]

To each his own. I ain't going nowhere. Are there better places to live? Yes. Are there prettier places to live? Oh yeah. But this is my home. My kids and grandkids live 10 minutes away. I'm not leaving those I love. My people were among the first Anglos to live in this county. My roots are deep deep.

[wegone]

Ok..... I am glad for you, my post was not a dig on anyone, sorry if it came across that way.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Island Eddie

My wife years ago said....

"Move to where you want to live, first, and everything else will follow."

I took her advice, but it took years to do it, moving away from all I knew, job, etc.

She would have pulled up stakes and moved in a heartbeat.

We landed on an island in the Pacific Northwest, no jobs, no home, no friends.

Glad we were clueless, because everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, told us it was a giant mistake, etc.

No, it wasn't.

Sometimes you must shut one door, before you can open another.

I think this is where faith meets reality, you either believe in what you say you do, or you DON'T.....
You can't be sorta pregnant.

Anyway....we really don't need to travel to escape anymore, we have, the trailer just gives us more icing on our cake.

Took the kayaks out on a small lake within minutes a couple of days ago during our heatwave of 80 degrees, catching bass in the lily pads till our arms hurt.

Yesterday, went out on the saltwater and caught our King Salmon.

Had salmon belly omelet for breakfast, and tonight we'll feast on Puff Pastry Salmon Wellington.... and as soon as these blackberries ripen, maybe a week more, we'll have barbequed salmon with blackberry sauce and some Dungeness crab salad...

Moral to the story gang....listen to your heart, and wife, not the NEWS, and go make your own adventure. If this old fart, who is as stupid as the come, can do it, so can anyone....

We know what you're talking about!
We retired sold house, gave kids all they wanted & sold or gave away everything we didn't need to go fulltime. Most of our family & friends thought we were nuts but we traveled this great country coast to coast border to border for 10+ years & the only thing we'd do differently is started sooner, no regrets.
We saw kids/grandkids more often with this lifestyle than if we'd of stayed in our sticks & bricks with lawn care & the upkeep, this way we could go stay, in our own bed, as long as we/they could stand each other.
Saw some beautiful country, met lots of great folks & were very fortunate to find great doctors with good medical facilities as needed & even churches, some were every interesting, everywhere we were.
If we were rich & could hire someone to do the driving to wherever we'd want to go & do the hitching/unhitching we'd be off tomorrow, but it got to be a lot of work so we settled in a 55+ rv resort so still living the lifestyle without the traveling.
Enjoy yourself & safe travels!

[sourdough]

Eddie I'm going to let, no make, DW read your post in the hopes I can move. We live in a place that is, well, it's just flat desolate and inhospitable IMO; dirt, wind and heat. She will not leave no matter where I offer to go or the house I would get for her (or the trees, water, fish etc. for me)...no. I told her to not worry about a funeral for me or her, just throw me over on a corner of the property and in 2-3 days I'll be buried under a foot of blowing sand anyway...
I'm glad you've found a great place that makes you happy!

[wegone]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

We know what you're talking about!
We retired sold house, gave kids all they wanted & sold or gave away everything we didn't need to go fulltime. Most of our family & friends thought we were nuts but we traveled this great country coast to coast border to border for 10+ years & the only thing we'd do differently is started sooner, no regrets.
We saw kids/grandkids more often with this lifestyle than if we'd of stayed in our sticks & bricks with lawn care & the upkeep, this way we could go stay, in our own bed, as long as we/they could stand each other.
Saw some beautiful country, met lots of great folks & were very fortunate to find great doctors with good medical facilities as needed & even churches, some were every interesting, everywhere we were.
If we were rich & could hire someone to do the driving to wherever we'd want to go & do the hitching/unhitching we'd be off tomorrow, but it got to be a lot of work so we settled in a 55+ rv resort so still living the lifestyle without the traveling.
Enjoy yourself & safe travels!

GREAT testimony Danny.....

One world comes to mind reading your wonderful story.....FREEDOM

[wegone]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Eddie I'm going to let, no make, DW read your post in the hopes I can move. We live in a place that is, well, it's just flat desolate and inhospitable IMO; dirt, wind and heat. She will not leave no matter where I offer to go or the house I would get for her (or the trees, water, fish etc. for me)...no. I told her to not worry about a funeral for me or her, just throw me over on a corner of the property and in 2-3 days I'll be buried under a foot of blowing sand anyway...
I'm glad you've found a great place that makes you happy!

Danny, I WAS your wife

Better yet let my wife talk to her

Where I live presently a lot of folks have the means to live anywhere they want....
I have been in many of their homes on a professional level, occupation, and I love picking their brains.

Most will tell you all that they have is NOT the goal of the game, and the regrets they do have is not doing what they really wanted because of the obligations they felt saddled with....could we call that guilt?

No one is guaranteed tomorrow, none of us.
It goes against the wisdom of prudence, saving for tomorrow....
But like the seasons in nature, none of them last a years' time, yielding to change, the season come and go, a balance of created nature in perfect harmony....

I believe that is a message to all of us, change is good, healthy, and wise....

[Outbackman57]

Saw a sign years ago in a little mom & pop coffee shop. It said: “Leap And The Net Will Appear” Great story!

[jasin1]

i agree with the idea of taking chances within reason..balanced on the responsibility i have for my family.

I moved all over and back and forth between parents when i was a kid …attended many different schools and settled in my neighborhood in high school…my wife lived several houses away from me…most of my neighbors are second or third generation….several of the houses sold recently are second homes for people who want to live in a waterfront community.

moving just for the sake of change is not always best…you have to be happy where you are in life at any moment in time…you can’t run away from yourself…..sure you may want better but the grass isn’t always greener….you can have a house on the beach in hawaii but have terrible neighbors..

my wife and i have been a lot of places and my kids work and travel all over the world but they have a home base they can count on that will always be here…you can’t put a price on stability and tradition especially in these crazy times…

my family discussed us all buying a vacation house somewhere warmer for the winter but will keep our home

Eddie if you were born in the neighborhood you live in now ….would you still want to move somewhere else?

i’d encourage everyone to be GRATEFUL…if your on this forum you have or have had a rv to explore the country…that in itself is adventurous and worthy of sleeping good at night content with the knowledge that your probably doing ok

this isn’t shooting down Eddie’s post…it was inspiring but sometimes you realize your ship is already in the right port

[flybouy]

IMO some good points have been made. Life is a compromise and those that can't compromise, especially in a relationship, to some degree are egocentric at a min. Constantly moving living the "vagabond" life is fine, as long as you're not running FROM SOMETHING. To say not roaming the country is wrong because you fear change is just incorrect. It can also be the most cowardly act there is, ask any fugitive, dead beat dad, or people that owe a lot of money.

Steadfastly staying put in one place may or may not be a problem. If it's out of a fear of change then yes I'd consider it an issue. But lots of folks want that stability. They may be completely satisfied with their surroundings and seek no other. I don't see a problem with that unless someone is frightful and anxious over change.

My point is, you can't paint people's actions and desires with a broad brush. What works for may not work for me and that's OK as long as we aren't hurting someone else. Speaking of hurting others, just taking your mate's had and saying we're hitting the road, or refusing to discuss moving or not moving is problematic. The key IMHO is communication. Ask why in a open conversation, i.e. not one where you say "what's wrong with you? Why won't you ...?"

The biggest relationship error ( not just marriage but buissness partnerships, employee/employer") IMO is the "they are perfect for EXCEPT x,y, or z" and thinking that you can change them to meet your ideals. In my opinion behavioral issues need professional help. There's a terrible stigma in this country regarding mental health and some of it warranted but like employing a roofer, or a surgeon to replace your knee, due diligence is warranted. I'm not a big proponent of phsyco babble but often folks feel more comfortable talking with a "disinterested, non-judgmental " individual. Sometimes one's actions can be greatly influenced by trauma. I'm not a professional but would urge anyone to employ a professional when things are beyond your understanding.

[wegone]

Originally Posted by jasin1

i agree with the idea of taking chances within reason..balanced on the responsibility i have for my family.

I moved all over and back and forth between parents when i was a kid …attended many different schools and settled in my neighborhood in high school…my wife lived several houses away from me. my kids and in-laws have houses across from me…most of my neighbors are second or third generation….several of the houses sold recently are second homes for people who want to live in a waterfront community.

moving just for the sake of change is not always best…you have to be happy where you are in life at any moment in time…you can’t run away from yourself…..sure you may want better but the grass isn’t always greener….you can have a house on the beach in hawaii but have terrible neighbors..

my wife and i have been a lot of places and my kids work and travel all over the world but they have a home base they can count on that will always be here…you can’t put a price on stability and tradition especially in these crazy times…

my family discussed us all buying a vacation house somewhere warmer for the winter but will keep our home

Eddie if you were born in the neighborhood you live in now ….would you still want to move somewhere else?

i’d encourage everyone to be GRATEFUL…if your on this forum you have or have had a rv to explore the country…that in itself is adventurous and worthy of sleeping good at night content with the knowledge that your probably doing ok

this isn’t shooting down Eddie’s post…it was inspiring but sometimes you realize your ship is already in the right port

No, great point.....

You don't leave biting fish to find....biting fish

My post was more about those who wish of change but don't take the leap of faith, and yes, being grateful is a major part of our life, if we don't have it now, we'll never find it anywhere....

[wegone]

Originally Posted by flybouy

IMO some good points have been made. Life is a compromise and those that can't compromise, especially in a relationship, to some degree are egocentric at a min. Constantly moving living the "vagabond" life is fine, as long as you're not running FROM SOMETHING. To say not roaming the country is wrong because you fear change is just incorrect. It can also be the most cowardly act there is, ask any fugitive, dead beat dad, or people that owe a lot of money.

Steadfastly staying put in one place may or may not be a problem. If it's out of a fear of change then yes I'd consider it an issue. But lots of folks want that stability. They may be completely satisfied with their surroundings and seek no other. I don't see a problem with that unless someone is frightful and anxious over change.

My point is, you can't paint people's actions and desires with a broad brush. What works for may not work for me and that's OK as long as we aren't hurting someone else. Speaking of hurting others, just taking your mate's had and saying we're hitting the road, or refusing to discuss moving or not moving is problematic. The key IMHO is communication. Ask why in a open conversation, i.e. not one where you say "what's wrong with you? Why won't you ...?"

The biggest relationship error ( not just marriage but buissness partnerships, employee/employer") IMO is the "they are perfect for EXCEPT x,y, or z" and thinking that you can change them to meet your ideals. In my opinion behavioral issues need professional help. There's a terrible stigma in this country regarding mental health and some of it warranted but like employing a roofer, or a surgeon to replace your knee, due diligence is warranted. I'm not a big proponent of phsyco babble but often folks feel more comfortable talking with a "disinterested, non-judgmental " individual. Sometimes one's actions can be greatly influenced by trauma. I'm not a professional but would urge anyone to employ a professional when things are beyond your understanding.

Bravo, bravo....

[Cascadia]

Originally Posted by Island Eddie

My wife years ago said....

"Move to where you want to live, first, and everything else will follow."

I took her advice, but it took years to do it, moving away from all I knew, job, etc.

She would have pulled up stakes and moved in a heartbeat.

We landed on an island in the Pacific Northwest, no jobs, no home, no friends.

Glad we were clueless, because everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, told us it was a giant mistake, etc.

No, it wasn't.

Sometimes you must shut one door, before you can open another.

I think this is where faith meets reality, you either believe in what you say you do, or you DON'T.....
You can't be sorta pregnant.

Anyway....we really don't need to travel to escape anymore, we have, the trailer just gives us more icing on our cake.

Took the kayaks out on a small lake within minutes a couple of days ago during our heatwave of 80 degrees, catching bass in the lily pads till our arms hurt.

Yesterday, went out on the saltwater and caught our King Salmon.

Had salmon belly omelet for breakfast, and tonight we'll feast on Puff Pastry Salmon Wellington.... and as soon as these blackberries ripen, maybe a week more, we'll have barbequed salmon with blackberry sauce and some Dungeness crab salad...

Moral to the story gang....listen to your heart, and wife, not the NEWS, and go make your own adventure. If this old fart, who is as stupid as the come, can do it, so can anyone....

You and your wife got it exactly right! I've lived at Tahoe, the redwood coast, Colorado, Jackson Hole...my kids hated moving until we got to the next new heaven on earth...now settled on a lake in the woods on the Oregon coast with the best fella in the world! Kids are raised and following their own dreams. Just got back from camping on the Jedadiah Smith Rivers in the redwoods. Life is good. Here's to making dreams come true! And how about this fabulous Pacific Northwest Cheers!

[wegone]

Love your area too Cascadia....