Reflections from Newbie Fulltimers

We've been on the road for just over a month. Or, so the calendar says. In a way, it's flown by and feels like a long holiday. But, much more, it feels like Bend, Oregon was three months ago.

One thing's for sure. We're still newbies at this fulltiming gig. But, some 30 nights freshly under our belts, we thought we'd pause for a moment and reflect on our first month on the road.

We've had the great pleasure to have many wonderful conversations with many wonderful people across the Pacific Northwest over the last month. So, we'll capture our reflections by sharing some of our most frequently asked questions.

Q: How do you like fulltiming?
A: Simple. WE LOVE IT!

Q: What has been your biggest surprise?
A: Some people have heard us answer this question in stereo. So, it's unanimous. Our biggest surprise is how busy we are! When we were cookin' up this plan, we thought we would have finished several books, pedaled hundreds of miles on the bikes and constructed a quilt by now. Not so! Instead, like we said, we've had the pleasure of meeting up with lots of great people. We'd rather have it that way!

Q: What's your favorite moment so far?
A: Oh, that's a tough one. We've seen so many wonderful places and people already. But this first month, we'd have to say our favorite moment was pulling away from Oakland and passing through the Caldecott Tunnel for the last time (in a long time, at least). How often do you get to relish in those moments where you truly realize a dream? After all the planning and preparation, that moment was something very special.

Q: What's your favorite thing about fulltiming?
A: That's easy. Meeting people.

Q: What's your least favorite thing about fulltiming?
A: That's easy. Lack of wifi. (Don't get me started!) Honestly, in the year we were weekenders, we had dependable wifi just about everywhere we went. As fulltimers, dependable wifi has been rare. Very rare.

Q: How's Bullwinkle doing?
A: Better than we expected! Our motorhome is performing perfectly (knock on wood) and is surprisingly spacious. At 32-feet, we thought we might be feeling a bit cramped by now. But, quite the contrary. We have plenty of room!

Q: How about Rocky?
A: OK. We know our vehicles don't really have a personality. But, if our Jeep could talk we think he'd be pretty happy. We've taken him out of the city and into the country. He's where he was built to be! He's rolls so happily behind the moose that we hardly know he's there. He's gotten dirty and grungy and clean again. And, we just love exploring the places we park in our squirrel. We have the perfect toad!

Q: How are the cats doing?
A: We couldn't be happier. They are doing great. The moose is their new home. They're very comfortable here. And, they love that scenery changes every so often. In fact, our girl kitty is the most adaptable of us all. We could learn a lot from her! We're so glad they're with us and doing so well.

Q: What's your biggest learning in your first month on the road?
A: How quickly you can feel at home in a new place...thanks to technology, helpful people and your own intuition.

Q: Any other insights you'd like to share?
A: America is one beautiful country!

Q: What advice would you give people considering fulltiming?
A: It's never too early to start purging. Other than that, ask somebody who's been doing this longer than we have. We're still newbies!