Well, all in New England knew the weather into February was just too good to be true and so..........Here we are again with a storm and then snow showers every day adding slightly a few more inches to whatever is already on the ground. Tony and I are finding it almost unbearable to be dreaming of retirement in a few years and full timing or snow birding (whichever we end up liking more) while coming home exhausted from work every day to snowblow driveway, paths and the like and to make certain that everything that keeps us warm, safe and comfortable is kept in tip top shape (although we know maintenance never ends, not in an rv either, but we think warm climates would help).
While I don't want to wish my life away, I believe I would be supremely happy to never have to go through the trials of a New England winter ever again. Come on retirement!
BiggarView said
06:26 AM Feb 9, 2016
Totally with you on that, except so far this winter here in Chicago area, barely any snow and we have spinach growing under our cold frame so it's not a total loss. Researching all things RV has sort of become my new hobby but I have to pay attention not to obsess as there is still the regular stuff to take care of. The more we learn, the more comfortable we are with the projections we have made, especially where it comes to our budget.
Slowly but surely we are getting the house upto snuff and enjoying the upgrades also. We have not really started any major effort to purge as yet, some clothes and bric-a-brac but that is all.
Not to worry Karen, retirement will come soon enough.
Brian
-- Edited by BiggarView on Wednesday 10th of February 2016 09:17:07 AM
ChefMom said
07:03 AM Feb 10, 2016
Brian:
Thank you for the words of encouragement. Sometimes just hearing about the hopeful moving forward of others is all I need to keep moving toward the dream of full timing. I totally agree that while we can all do our homework on the subject in preparation that we must not obsess as that is letting life right here and now just pass us by. I try, but the future, as we prepare for it is so tempting. But I do realize things can change in the blink of an eye so it's better to be focused on today with an eye toward the future. Darn snow and cold!
Kato said
04:32 PM Feb 10, 2016
ChefMom:
We feel your pain as well. We are in NH and working to start our full time adventure some time next year. Right now we are getting busy purging things, getting the house fixed up to put on the market in a year, etc. As the year goes on things will get even busier and the year will fly by. So...hang in there. We are in the same mental state. We don't want to wish our lives away but we are ready to get going!
We will be going to the Escapees rally in Vermont this summer and ordering a truck and 5th wheel in the fall. Then it will really start to feel real!
Tim
ChefMom said
06:25 AM Feb 11, 2016
Tim:
I can only wish for you what we wish for ourselves and that is much success in moving forward toward your new life. I'll have to look into the Vermont rally as we are in Vermont for part of every summer anyway. Maybe we'll see you there.
Clay L said
12:43 PM Feb 13, 2016
Sounds like us!!
We started full timing in Oct 2002. We lived in Bow NH for 18 years and at that point we had both had all of the cold, gray, snowy, winters we ever wanted. We were from the west (TX me, OK her) and although we loved the state and made lots of friends we were ready to leave.
rodeojoe said
03:03 PM Feb 15, 2016
The waiting is tough, and we have 2 1/2 years to go! Patience isn't my best quality but I am learning so much now that I will be well prepared when we do get out there. We will be able to avoid some of the common pitfalls. I too live in an area with extreme cold and can't wait to never have to be in that again once we are able to be mobile permanently!
Julie and Ray said
05:38 PM Feb 15, 2016
I think there are a lot of us in the same situation as you are ChefMom, so you have a lot of support here. We are very thankful to all the wonderful folks on this forum. They allow us newbies to get a bit of a head start rather than starting completely from scratch. We hope to be in the class of 2017 so for now it's selling stuff, saving for the rig and repeating "one more winter" over and over. Attending out first RV show day after tomorrow!!
ChefMom said
05:51 AM Feb 17, 2016
I prefer to think of this string of cold weather people waiting for their dream to start not as "misery loves company", but as a group within this whole great group of people that can all commiserate with one another. It certainly does help to realize, as we had to stay in all of this past weekend with dangerously low temps outside, that there are others also waiting and hoping and dreaming. Everyone who has responded here sounds like they are strong enough to use the time until "that day comes" to plan, purge and dream. Even in the cold, I can see it coming and you know what---it sort of keeps me warm!
fun2travel said
05:06 PM Feb 17, 2016
It's funny you say you don't want to wish your life away. I said that many times as we waited and planned. It does help fill the time with your research. We went to an RV Dreams rally when we were a couple of years out. ( highly recommend). Then we started purging and shopping for our fifth wheel and truck. It was time before we knew it.
Enjoy the planning and shopping. That's part of the journey.
Camper Chronicles said
10:19 AM Feb 20, 2016
ChefMom wrote:
Well, all in New England knew the weather into February was just too good to be true and so..........Here we are again with a storm and then snow showers every day adding slightly a few more inches to whatever is already on the ground. Tony and I are finding it almost unbearable to be dreaming of retirement in a few years and full timing or snow birding (whichever we end up liking more) while coming home exhausted from work every day to snowblow driveway, paths and the like and to make certain that everything that keeps us warm, safe and comfortable is kept in tip top shape (although we know maintenance never ends, not in an rv either, but we think warm climates would help).
While I don't want to wish my life away, I believe I would be supremely happy to never have to go through the trials of a New England winter ever again. Come on retirement!
We were in New England as well and I still remember the last winter we stayed there and how long it stretched out. Then in 2014 the wonderful feelings as we watched the winter from Tampa Florida :) This winter we are in Arizona and again as I see what my friends and family are going through I can't believe I put up with that nonsense for so long. Of all the many wonderful things that have come along with this lifestyle, not having to deal with snow, ice, cold, and driving in all of that is honestly one of the best gifts. When you have to deal with it, you become a bit numb and resigned to it, but once you are away...wow huge quality of life improvement.
Trace
ckrkrovers said
10:38 AM Feb 20, 2016
Same here in Western NY. I must admit I am wishing months away until we go this fall. No RV yet but tons of fun looking. I'm sure once fall comes we will be in panic mode trying to finish up and find our RV and then hit the road. Until then, back to my RV magazines lol.
Well, all in New England knew the weather into February was just too good to be true and so..........Here we are again with a storm and then snow showers every day adding slightly a few more inches to whatever is already on the ground. Tony and I are finding it almost unbearable to be dreaming of retirement in a few years and full timing or snow birding (whichever we end up liking more) while coming home exhausted from work every day to snowblow driveway, paths and the like and to make certain that everything that keeps us warm, safe and comfortable is kept in tip top shape (although we know maintenance never ends, not in an rv either, but we think warm climates would help).
While I don't want to wish my life away, I believe I would be supremely happy to never have to go through the trials of a New England winter ever again. Come on retirement!
Totally with you on that, except so far this winter here in Chicago area, barely any snow and we have spinach growing under our cold frame so it's not a total loss. Researching all things RV has sort of become my new hobby
but I have to pay attention not to obsess as there is still the regular stuff to take care of. The more we learn, the more comfortable we are with the projections we have made, especially where it comes to our budget.
Slowly but surely we are getting the house upto snuff and enjoying the upgrades also. We have not really started any major effort to purge as yet, some clothes and bric-a-brac but that is all.
Not to worry Karen, retirement will come soon enough.
Brian
-- Edited by BiggarView on Wednesday 10th of February 2016 09:17:07 AM
Brian:
Thank you for the words of encouragement. Sometimes just hearing about the hopeful moving forward of others is all I need to keep moving toward the dream of full timing. I totally agree that while we can all do our homework on the subject in preparation that we must not obsess as that is letting life right here and now just pass us by. I try, but the future, as we prepare for it is so tempting. But I do realize things can change in the blink of an eye so it's better to be focused on today with an eye toward the future. Darn snow and cold!
ChefMom:
We feel your pain as well. We are in NH and working to start our full time adventure some time next year. Right now we are getting busy purging things, getting the house fixed up to put on the market in a year, etc. As the year goes on things will get even busier and the year will fly by. So...hang in there. We are in the same mental state. We don't want to wish our lives away but we are ready to get going!
We will be going to the Escapees rally in Vermont this summer and ordering a truck and 5th wheel in the fall. Then it will really start to feel real!
Tim
I can only wish for you what we wish for ourselves and that is much success in moving forward toward your new life. I'll have to look into the Vermont rally as we are in Vermont for part of every summer anyway. Maybe we'll see you there.
We started full timing in Oct 2002. We lived in Bow NH for 18 years and at that point we had both had all of the cold, gray, snowy, winters we ever wanted. We were from the west (TX me, OK her) and although we loved the state and made lots of friends we were ready to leave.
Enjoy the planning and shopping. That's part of the journey.
We were in New England as well and I still remember the last winter we stayed there and how long it stretched out. Then in 2014 the wonderful feelings as we watched the winter from Tampa Florida :) This winter we are in Arizona and again as I see what my friends and family are going through I can't believe I put up with that nonsense for so long. Of all the many wonderful things that have come along with this lifestyle, not having to deal with snow, ice, cold, and driving in all of that is honestly one of the best gifts. When you have to deal with it, you become a bit numb and resigned to it, but once you are away...wow huge quality of life improvement.
Trace
Carol K