Are we abnormal?? 6 months FT and we are finally back into a routine, starting to bookmark and earmark recipes to try, etc. Why did it take us so long? Unexpected maintenance, detours to establish domicile, detour to take care of a truck upgrade that resulted in being caught in the flooding in Colorado/evacuations in September, more travel, finallly getting back into the swing of things with art shows, virtual work, etc.
6 months on the road and other than holidays, I'm finally interested in new recipes, cooking, bought the "right size crockpot" etc.
Is this normal? I LOVE to cook, try new recipes, hand Dale things to grill, etc. but it's taking a while to get back in a routine. I feel like a slacker, but given the massive changes in life, taking both jobs on the road,etc. I've been making excuses and justifying a lack luster meal planning / cooking life.
Now, I've got at leat 5 new recipes to try on my "to do" list, grocery lists, etc. It feels like I'm getting back to normal.
Is this "normal"? Does it take a while to get back to an equilibrium of meal planning, cooking,etc after going FT?
Understand, we're NOT retired, which adds LOTS of complications, but I feel like we are slow learners.
2riker2go said
06:31 AM Jan 29, 2014
I definitely think it's normal. I don't know that it has anything to do with going FT though. I think it's more that when things get busy and crazy in life, one of the first things to go is spending energy on meals and cooking. At least that's always been my experience. Then when I realize that I've gotten out of the habit, I have to kind of rethink my priorities and get back to it. (You can probably tell that I've been there more than once.) :)
Dog Folks said
06:38 AM Jan 29, 2014
You are completely normal.
You are coming out of "vacation mode" that most full timers go through in the first year.
You are now adjusting to the full time lifestyle.
Don't fret. It is still the best way to live.
Barbaraok said
07:57 AM Jan 29, 2014
Yup, you've passed the 6 month mark, vacation is over, time to get back to your 'normal' routine - whatever that will become. I think most everyone spends the 6 months shaking out their routine, travels to quickly/to far, spends more money than planned, and feel worn out, so they slow down, start getting into their groove and find that routine that works for them. And as the years go by, you will find you will adjust a little each year as you discover things you like and didn't like about how you've been traveling.
Barb
WestWardHo said
08:45 AM Jan 29, 2014
Hummmm, definitely normal. I found I cooked a lot different in our Trilogy, simpler fish filets and sweet potatoes, crock pot meals (where did you find the perfect size???), grilled sausages and found one pot spaghetti to be really good and easy. Haven't made cookies once! Poor Jesse, aka the Cookie Monster!
Now I gotta learn all over again in the Jamboree with different space, appliances & cookware. 😄
Let's not forget the recipe thread on here and add/share our good finds.
Sherry
NWescapee said
09:05 AM Jan 29, 2014
Sherry - the new crockpot is a 4 quart Rival, bought it at Fry's Marketplace, on sale. In the old house we had a 2 quart, a small snack size and a huge 6.5 quart crockpot, none of those came with us. We kept saying we neeeded to get one and last weekend while shopping for groceries Dale wandered away and found this nice little 4 quart, with the removable crock for easy clean up. My seafood breakfast quiche is cooking as I write this, so excited to be getting back to an old favorite recipe.
Next trick is going to be figuring out where to store it so I guess that means another round of going through the kitchen cupboards, ejecting things I haven't used in 6 months realizing I probably don't need them and wondering why we brought them along. Now that I know is a perfectly normal thing to do
MarkS said
01:15 PM Jan 29, 2014
6 months to transition into a completely new lifestyle? I'd say normal is the word.
In the truck I used a 1 quart crock pot that I picked up at walmart. It used only 120 watts, so my little 300 watt inverter powered it just fine. It took me a while to downsize my portions for one person. Even the one quart was too much usually. I could start something about noon and have it done before I stopped for the night.
Lucky Mike said
01:33 PM Jan 29, 2014
It will all change up again in another 6 months........seems the world changes right outside the door fulltiming and you dont realize it til you step out with the morning coffee!!!
I also have a 4qt with the locking top.....it rides nice in the sink during travel time for a hot meal when its time to pull over..... you will also find 12vlt food warmers in most truckstops that are great for heating food on the road , they are not much bigger than a lunchbox but are great to pack a hot meal to pull over for!!
of course Im always looking for a reason to pull over!!........then there is always Nikki who see's a Rest area sign and thinks its Disney World!!!!
jrzygrl64 said
03:14 PM Jan 29, 2014
I am not on the road yet, hope to be soon, but I am expecting it to take longer than 6 months to get out of vacation mode and more into "lifestyle" mode. I have been doing a lot of reading on how different people "live" on the road, and I am sure we will find our way, as you have.
I can't hardly wait for the "new normal", whatever that ends up looking like!
Kelly
Technomadia said
04:40 PM Jan 29, 2014
I find that life on the road is always presenting plenty of invitations to escape routines. That's part of the appeal of the lifestyle, things are always changing - locations, paces of life, work life balance, etc.
Some days, we have time to plan and prepare meals and enjoy 'dining'. And somedays, we've just got too much going on to be creative in that area and just eat.
For me, life on the road is not just about mobility - but embracing variety of what a day looks like.
- Cherie
manycats said
08:08 PM Jan 29, 2014
Since I'm not much of a cook, our meals mostly come out of a can, a package or the freezer. When we full-timed my DH and I figured that many times it was just as cheap to eat at mom&pop, or even at chain restaurants, than to eat at home. It was hard at that time to buy just for two and we were wasting too much. The RGV in Texas was paradise, lots of little cafes and diners, Mexican and otherwise. We traveled all over the country and that was part of research - where do the locals eat?
Now that we're only "weekending", burgers, hot dogs, and sometimes pre-cooked at the S&B and microwavable. If we sit in one place for a while, out come the pots and pans but always pretty simple meals. When we full-time again it will be the same. We're easy to please.
bjoyce said
08:38 PM Jan 29, 2014
Many think we are still in vacation mode since we don't settle down for long, except for winter.
What is fun is finding interesting ingredients and products on the road. There are still some regional differences. An example is I can only find Zatarain's Dirty Rice with Cheese in the Southeast, which tastes different than the normal mix and has no MSG. I make a casserole with it, green beans and some kind of spicy sausage (Andouille is the best). In much of the country they sell farmed raised Atlantic Salmon, vastly inferior to the more varied wild salmon available in Washington State. We have changed dinner plans after getting fresh caught Albacore Tuna on the Oregon Coast, it is best seared (fried rare) the same day. The real fun is to go into Canada and find stuff we don't have in the U.S., or go into a Mexican or Oriental supermarket. But some only go to Super Wal-Mart and look for the same old, same old.
Barbaraok said
08:56 PM Jan 29, 2014
bjoyce wrote:
In much of the country they sell farmed raised Atlantic Salmon, vastly inferior to the more varied wild salmon available in Washington State.
Add Dungeness Crab to that list of specialty seafood from the NW. And the best berries in the world.
Barb
jrzygrl64 said
06:21 AM Jan 30, 2014
All of you who have traveled so much already should post about the different regional food that us "newbies" should look for and not miss! Bill and I love to try new things and plan go reference "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" when we travel. It would be nice to know of all your experiences also, I would never have known to look for berries (one of my favs) in the NW.
Yes, there is definitely be a NEW normal waiting for us!
The Raspberry Festival in Lynden WA, close to the Canadian border, is a biggie in July. The area around Lynden is a major berry producer for the country.
That reminds me, watch for festivals and fairs for fun and interesting food. We have had some great times at these, including the Hyder Fall Fair, close to Thunder Bay ON on Labour Day Weekend, and the Kelseyville Pear Festival, in Kelseyville CA in September.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Thursday 30th of January 2014 10:27:47 AM
NWescapee said
11:30 AM Jan 30, 2014
Love finding the local fruit, late Sept or early Oct we discovered persimmons while in California, couldn't get enough of those yummy fruits. Now in AZ we're having fun with prickly pear juice.
Missing the super fresh seafood from the Northwest but will be back there in June right about time the Copper River Salmon starts coming in, yum, taste buds are already starting to water.
Looking forward to continuing to try new, local specialties, but it sure is fun to be back in a mode where we're looking at recipes and planning meals. That doesn't mean we won't still have those nights where we make a salad, throw something on the grill and call it dinner, but we've been doing that about 75% of the time since getting on the road and we were running out of creative ways to grill another chicken breast without some help from recipes.
We've had a lot of fun over the years shopping the gourmet food vendors present at many of the art shows we do, I just have to be very careful these days, I seem to find too many good things and then we're out of pantry / fridge space.
Hdrider said
02:09 PM Jan 30, 2014
I would call you closer to abnormal,,,,, only 6 months to get into a routine LOL!! I know it took us longer than that. But for us part of going to this life style was to get more away from a routine anyway I guess.
NWescapee said
06:53 PM Jan 30, 2014
Wish we could do without a routine, but we NOT retired, so I need a routine when working. However, I've learned yet another lesson today, if I'm cooking something in the crockpot all day, move the crockpot! The most logical spot was on the kitchen counter just on the other side of my desk, stomach has been growling all afternoon. I don't need that kind of distraction again
WestWardHo said
07:51 PM Jan 30, 2014
Oh mannnn, Copper River Salmon, it doesn't get any better. And DO let's post of local finds. We'll start: Range Cafe in Bernalillo, NM (just N of Albuquerque) Awesome, incredible green chili Mac & Cheese and Annie's a grilled cheese and wonderful fresh Asian salad. Not regional food but regional great eats!
Sherry
Grams said
04:48 PM Feb 7, 2014
Where is the recipe thread?
RickandJanice said
07:17 AM Feb 8, 2014
Add us to the list of those still looking for some sort of a routine. We are just 8 weeks into what we consider a full time RV lifestyle. We also retired at the same time and are still trying to "catch our breath" after working 45-50 hour work weeks for the past 35 years. I think we are still feeling like we are on vacation so need to "do something" every day. It is good to hear it may take 6 months to a year to learn to slow down a little and find a routine that works.
-- Edited by RickandJanice on Saturday 8th of February 2014 07:17:46 AM
Mark V said
01:02 PM Feb 13, 2014
We have a huge 6 1/2 qt. crock pot, and figure to downsize to a 4 qt. before we hit the road. But I do like the idea of being able to cook a bird or a large piece of meat, which I can do with this one. I'll have to see how big the convection oven is in whatever rig we eventually purchase. We also plan to take in as many of Guy's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives as we can along the way. I especially like the fact that he mainly features places that the average Joe, (or Jane) can afford to eat at on a semi-regular basis, without going broke.
Are we abnormal?? 6 months FT and we are finally back into a routine, starting to bookmark and earmark recipes to try, etc. Why did it take us so long? Unexpected maintenance, detours to establish domicile, detour to take care of a truck upgrade that resulted in being caught in the flooding in Colorado/evacuations in September, more travel, finallly getting back into the swing of things with art shows, virtual work, etc.
6 months on the road and other than holidays, I'm finally interested in new recipes, cooking, bought the "right size crockpot" etc.
Is this normal? I LOVE to cook, try new recipes, hand Dale things to grill, etc. but it's taking a while to get back in a routine. I feel like a slacker, but given the massive changes in life, taking both jobs on the road,etc. I've been making excuses and justifying a lack luster meal planning / cooking life.
Now, I've got at leat 5 new recipes to try on my "to do" list, grocery lists, etc. It feels like I'm getting back to normal.
Is this "normal"? Does it take a while to get back to an equilibrium of meal planning, cooking,etc after going FT?
Understand, we're NOT retired, which adds LOTS of complications, but I feel like we are slow learners.
You are coming out of "vacation mode" that most full timers go through in the first year.
You are now adjusting to the full time lifestyle.
Don't fret. It is still the best way to live.
Barb
Now I gotta learn all over again in the Jamboree with different space, appliances & cookware. 😄
Let's not forget the recipe thread on here and add/share our good finds.
Sherry
Sherry - the new crockpot is a 4 quart Rival, bought it at Fry's Marketplace, on sale. In the old house we had a 2 quart, a small snack size and a huge 6.5 quart crockpot, none of those came with us. We kept saying we neeeded to get one and last weekend while shopping for groceries Dale wandered away and found this nice little 4 quart, with the removable crock for easy clean up. My seafood breakfast quiche is cooking as I write this, so excited to be getting back to an old favorite recipe.
Next trick is going to be figuring out where to store it so I guess that means another round of going through the kitchen cupboards, ejecting things I haven't used in 6 months realizing I probably don't need them and wondering why we brought them along. Now that I know is a perfectly normal thing to do
In the truck I used a 1 quart crock pot that I picked up at walmart. It used only 120 watts, so my little 300 watt inverter powered it just fine. It took me a while to downsize my portions for one person. Even the one quart was too much usually. I could start something about noon and have it done before I stopped for the night.
I also have a 4qt with the locking top.....it rides nice in the sink during travel time for a hot meal when its time to pull over..... you will also find 12vlt food warmers in most truckstops that are great for heating food on the road , they are not much bigger than a lunchbox but are great to pack a hot meal to pull over for!!
of course Im always looking for a reason to pull over!!........then there is always Nikki who see's a Rest area sign and thinks its Disney World!!!!
I can't hardly wait for the "new normal", whatever that ends up looking like!
Kelly
Some days, we have time to plan and prepare meals and enjoy 'dining'. And somedays, we've just got too much going on to be creative in that area and just eat.
For me, life on the road is not just about mobility - but embracing variety of what a day looks like.
- Cherie
Now that we're only "weekending", burgers, hot dogs, and sometimes pre-cooked at the S&B and microwavable. If we sit in one place for a while, out come the pots and pans but always pretty simple meals. When we full-time again it will be the same. We're easy to please.
What is fun is finding interesting ingredients and products on the road. There are still some regional differences. An example is I can only find Zatarain's Dirty Rice with Cheese in the Southeast, which tastes different than the normal mix and has no MSG. I make a casserole with it, green beans and some kind of spicy sausage (Andouille is the best). In much of the country they sell farmed raised Atlantic Salmon, vastly inferior to the more varied wild salmon available in Washington State. We have changed dinner plans after getting fresh caught Albacore Tuna on the Oregon Coast, it is best seared (fried rare) the same day. The real fun is to go into Canada and find stuff we don't have in the U.S., or go into a Mexican or Oriental supermarket. But some only go to Super Wal-Mart and look for the same old, same old.
Add Dungeness Crab to that list of specialty seafood from the NW.
And the best berries in the world.
Barb
Yes, there is definitely be a NEW normal waiting for us!
jrzygrl64: Stop at an Alabama visitors center when you get there and ask for the brochure, "100 things to eat in Alabama before you die". You will love it. Edit: It is online, http://www.aotourism.com/images/brochures/pdf/100_dishes.pdf.
The Raspberry Festival in Lynden WA, close to the Canadian border, is a biggie in July. The area around Lynden is a major berry producer for the country.
That reminds me, watch for festivals and fairs for fun and interesting food. We have had some great times at these, including the Hyder Fall Fair, close to Thunder Bay ON on Labour Day Weekend, and the Kelseyville Pear Festival, in Kelseyville CA in September.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Thursday 30th of January 2014 10:27:47 AM
Missing the super fresh seafood from the Northwest but will be back there in June right about time the Copper River Salmon starts coming in, yum, taste buds are already starting to water.
Looking forward to continuing to try new, local specialties, but it sure is fun to be back in a mode where we're looking at recipes and planning meals. That doesn't mean we won't still have those nights where we make a salad, throw something on the grill and call it dinner, but we've been doing that about 75% of the time since getting on the road and we were running out of creative ways to grill another chicken breast without some help from recipes.
We've had a lot of fun over the years shopping the gourmet food vendors present at many of the art shows we do, I just have to be very careful these days, I seem to find too many good things and then we're out of pantry / fridge space.
Wish we could do without a routine, but we NOT retired, so I need a routine when working. However, I've learned yet another lesson today, if I'm cooking something in the crockpot all day, move the crockpot! The most logical spot was on the kitchen counter just on the other side of my desk, stomach has been growling all afternoon. I don't need that kind of distraction again
Sherry
Add us to the list of those still looking for some sort of a routine. We are just 8 weeks into what we consider a full time RV lifestyle. We also retired at the same time and are still trying to "catch our breath" after working 45-50 hour work weeks for the past 35 years. I think we are still feeling like we are on vacation so need to "do something" every day. It is good to hear it may take 6 months to a year to learn to slow down a little and find a routine that works.
-- Edited by RickandJanice on Saturday 8th of February 2014 07:17:46 AM
We have a huge 6 1/2 qt. crock pot, and figure to downsize to a 4 qt. before we hit the road. But I do like the idea of being able to cook a bird or a large piece of meat, which I can do with this one. I'll have to see how big the convection oven is in whatever rig we eventually purchase. We also plan to take in as many of Guy's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives as we can along the way. I especially like the fact that he mainly features places that the average Joe, (or Jane) can afford to eat at on a semi-regular basis, without going broke.