I come to visit here and I guess my goal is to throw out all the stuff that is currently spinning around in the noggin. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am on a journey and I have a 3 phase plan. I am currently in phase 2. (Phase 1- sold the house, my possessions, and bought my 'new home' which I am currently living in)....Now, I am gathering information, taking classes that fit in with 'workamper' positions (and beyond), hired someone to teach me all I need to know about driving, manuevring, and maintaining my 35' Camper (TT), consulting with financial advisors (which I think may not necessarily be the wisest thing).I will be attending a WORKAMPER seminar in October..and I am paving my path to ultimately leaving my job of 25 years and jumping on the Workamper wagon...and traveling around until I don't want to anymore....While I am still young enough to do it on my own as a single female.
I am 58 1/2 years old and I had the tentative plan to work (Oncology Nurse) until the spring or summer and then try my luck out there. Out of the blue the campground I am living in offered me a job in registration. All expenses paid, though I don't know if there is any stipend as I will be speaking to the manager tomorrow.
I am not wealthy, but not poor either. I have bought all the 'toys' I need to hit the road except for a generator, but that is on my list. I have no debt at all and only have one credit card for emergency's only.....which I haven't used in 10 years or more. I work with cancer patients and have done so for many years and I believe I am suffering from burn out.
I don't KNOW how much money one needs to jump ship. My biggest concern is health insurance.
Now mind you I am just clearing my head, but sometimes that can generate conversations and discussions and we all garner some wisdom...
Feel free to jump in with your thoughts, questions, suggestions, admonitions, wisecracks, encouragements and what the heck....throw in some 'shock and awe' while you are at it!!
Looking forward to hearing your stories!!!
Carol
cejones4210 said
04:03 AM Jul 10, 2013
Carol, you are well advanced in your planning and preparation. We attended the Workamping seminar last fall and it was definitely worth the time. We are not going to fulltime but part-time full time. :).
As soon as our house sells, (soon please, it's been on the market since mid-May), we are relocating to be closer to our children. Then we plan to travel 6-8 months of the year and workamp as we go. Taking the seminar convinced my husband that we could do this as he was not sold on the idea at all.
Your profession could offer you lots of opportunities. So keep planning and prepping and thinking positive thoughts. Way to go!!!!!
Hope to meet you on the road. Candy
Workinrvers said
04:28 AM Jul 10, 2013
I guess my first thought is "why not be a traveling nurse? work 12 weeks and then move on." Then I re-read your post and do understand the burn out factor and the urge to do something different.
I have been there myself, first as a Paramedic/Deputy Sheriff and again as an insurance appraiser.
Work Camping offers us the opportunity to do a "fun job" and we love it! We are being tested some this year though with some medical issues that have us in dire straits financially but we are still working hard on the dream. We did have our own private medical insurance but it was a catastrophic, high deductible plan. Frankly, it was the best plan we could afford and we did have almost 1/2 of the deductible covered by our HSA. Unfortunately our savings took a huge hit paying the remaining med bills, but things are looking up and we are working hard to get back to where we can be a little more "comfortable".
Last year we worked in a campground where one of us was paid and the other traded their hours for our site. We only worked part time hours and we really liked that.
This year we decided to look for something with "all hours paid", and found it here in the Black Hills. We are working full time hours so that really hurts our exploring time but we both agreed we needed to buckle down for awhile.
I would shudder to think of the mess we would be in had it not been for our medical insurance. We would have to park the rig and put our dream on hold I imagine. Depending on what kind of medical coverage you select I would suggest you have either an HSA or a separate account to cover your out of pocket expenses should a medical problem arise.
Still livin the dream,
Phil and Rudee
WestWardHo said
03:37 AM Jul 11, 2013
Such great ideas and thoughts on here. Can totally understand your oncology burn out, our extraordinary dog walker in AZ was a retired oncology nurse, she loved being outdoors and all the neighborhood dogs were totally in love with her. I called her the Dog Whisperer. My point is not that you dog walk but that you can move on and be happy.
No matter what direction you go you will find lightening the things that own you rather than ....
You're already doing so many things right, you're headed in the right direction...you will find your answers and it WILL all work out. Health insurance is important and HSA's seem to be a viable solution for many young'uns! (Isn't it nice to be called that?)
Sending warm wishes and happy dreams your way.
Sherry
Soulsearcher said
04:46 AM Jul 11, 2013
Many thanks to Candy,Phil, Rudee, and Sherry for your replies,
I am such a tossed around swirling, big ole bag of feeling torn, nervous, adventuresome, practical, spontaneous, free spirited, sensible, prepared and unprepared all at once and, quite honestly and humbly I am not that large of a person to have that much of a shopping cart of emotions swimming around in the old bod at once. YIKES OH MIGHTY!
I have spoken to my nay sayer friends and my 'yippee skippee 'go for it' friends on purpose.......always good to explore and enjoy (objectively) the benefits of diverse opinions, right?
The nay sayers (ns) are saying ...."you should work until you are 65 and then you will have your well deserved medicare $$$$$$"......(I.e. all the practical and sensible things).
The yippee skippee folks are telling me ......go for it!.....you can always get work later if you need to! Funny how both bits of advice are .......depending on your current state of mind...equally groovy. Do I eat a well balanced diet and then treat myself to dessert, or to heck with the norms and have a chocolate peanut butter sundae for my dinner? (That makes sense in my mind)
Plan: talk to current employer about going part time 'enough' to get insurance.and then be able to work part time at my campground). call my financial advisor (who I suspect would prefer I work until the ripe old age of 90) and ask when I can collect on my annuity, and, lastly, decide when IS the RIGHT time to jump into PHASE 3 (retire and work camp) of my 3 part dream.
Again, I am just processing the swirling little winged creatures flying around in my gut, and looking forward to hearing from those of you that can say....."been there done that". It is so fascinating that even for me ....the dreamer of my dreams..... The reality of DOING it varies remarkably from the reality of planning it!!!!
Wowsy!
Jack Mayer said
12:13 AM Jul 12, 2013
Without knowing the details of your financial position it would be hard to give accurate advice. But you have a decent plan. If you feel you have enough money to live on for awhile and have a cushion you might "go for it" now. In your profession it would be a simple matter to go back to work on the road, if necessary.
I come to visit here and I guess my goal is to throw out all the stuff that is currently spinning around in the noggin. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am on a journey and I have a 3 phase plan. I am currently in phase 2. (Phase 1- sold the house, my possessions, and bought my 'new home' which I am currently living in)....Now, I am gathering information, taking classes that fit in with 'workamper' positions (and beyond), hired someone to teach me all I need to know about driving, manuevring, and maintaining my 35' Camper (TT), consulting with financial advisors (which I think may not necessarily be the wisest thing).I will be attending a WORKAMPER seminar in October..and I am paving my path to ultimately leaving my job of 25 years and jumping on the Workamper wagon...and traveling around until I don't want to anymore....While I am still young enough to do it on my own as a single female.
I am 58 1/2 years old and I had the tentative plan to work (Oncology Nurse) until the spring or summer and then try my luck out there. Out of the blue the campground I am living in offered me a job in registration. All expenses paid, though I don't know if there is any stipend as I will be speaking to the manager tomorrow.
I am not wealthy, but not poor either. I have bought all the 'toys' I need to hit the road except for a generator, but that is on my list. I have no debt at all and only have one credit card for emergency's only.....which I haven't used in 10 years or more. I work with cancer patients and have done so for many years and I believe I am suffering from burn out.
I don't KNOW how much money one needs to jump ship. My biggest concern is health insurance.
Now mind you I am just clearing my head, but sometimes that can generate conversations and discussions and we all garner some wisdom...
Feel free to jump in with your thoughts, questions, suggestions, admonitions, wisecracks, encouragements and what the heck....throw in some 'shock and awe' while you are at it!!
Looking forward to hearing your stories!!!
Carol
As soon as our house sells, (soon please, it's been on the market since mid-May), we are relocating to be closer to our children. Then we plan to travel 6-8 months of the year and workamp as we go. Taking the seminar convinced my husband that we could do this as he was not sold on the idea at all.
Your profession could offer you lots of opportunities. So keep planning and prepping and thinking positive thoughts. Way to go!!!!!
Hope to meet you on the road. Candy
I have been there myself, first as a Paramedic/Deputy Sheriff and again as an insurance appraiser.
Work Camping offers us the opportunity to do a "fun job" and we love it! We are being tested some this year though with some medical issues that have us in dire straits financially but we are still working hard on the dream. We did have our own private medical insurance but it was a catastrophic, high deductible plan. Frankly, it was the best plan we could afford and we did have almost 1/2 of the deductible covered by our HSA. Unfortunately our savings took a huge hit paying the remaining med bills, but things are looking up and we are working hard to get back to where we can be a little more "comfortable".
Last year we worked in a campground where one of us was paid and the other traded their hours for our site. We only worked part time hours and we really liked that.
This year we decided to look for something with "all hours paid", and found it here in the Black Hills. We are working full time hours so that really hurts our exploring time but we both agreed we needed to buckle down for awhile.
I would shudder to think of the mess we would be in had it not been for our medical insurance. We would have to park the rig and put our dream on hold I imagine. Depending on what kind of medical coverage you select I would suggest you have either an HSA or a separate account to cover your out of pocket expenses should a medical problem arise.
Still livin the dream,
Phil and Rudee
No matter what direction you go you will find lightening the things that own you rather than ....
You're already doing so many things right, you're headed in the right direction...you will find your answers and it WILL all work out. Health insurance is important and HSA's seem to be a viable solution for many young'uns! (Isn't it nice to be called that?)
Sending warm wishes and happy dreams your way.
Sherry