Note:  The picture above is of us back when we both were thinner and had more hair.  As usual, I am being sassy and he is being wonderful and supportive.  Classic Cindi and Roger.

Why The Princess Bride theme?

This blog contains many references to the 1987 movie, The Princess Bride.  Written by William Goldman, directed by Rob Reiner, and starring (in whatever order I wish) Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Andre the Giant, Wallace Shawn, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, and Peter Cook (as the impressive Clergyman).

We discovered this movie in the mid ’90s when we had kids at home between the ages of 5 and 16.  This was the only movie they ALL loved to watch.  We watched it so many times as a family that our daily lives became sprinkled with quotes from it.  My daughter even used the theme music as the processional for her wedding.  So it seemed fitting to weave it into the fabric of our new lives as well.  After all, it is a movie about a great adventure and so is our new life!

I will attempt to blog in such a way that you will enjoy the stories even if you are unfamiliar with the oft-quoted, ‘mawwiage’ and ‘inconceivable!’  But do yourself a favor, look for The Princess Bride on Netflix or Prime or Hulu, order a Blu-ray copy from Amazon, or borrow the DVD from a friend (we have had to purchase it 5 times due to loaning it out…so be kind, if you borrow it, return it and get your own).

Why Full-time RV?

In November 2015 we made the decision to sell our house and sell, donate, or give away almost everything we have accumulated during our 24 years together and become full time RV nomads.  And we didn’t even own an RV!

So, how did we come to this decision?

About a dozen years ago Roger did some contract work as an environmental consultant at a couple of National Parks.  He loved these gigs (nice work when you can get it!) and would come home and show me the photos he took of these gorgeous places and tell me all about his time there.   His favorite place to work was the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.  One day Roger called me from Wyoming and told me about some people he had met.  These people actually LIVED in their motorhomes.  They what?!  They worked at the Grand Tetons during the summer, then drove their motorhomes to another National Park or somewhere else to work and play for the rest of the year.  He told me this as I sat with my mouth gaping, incredulous.  It sounded bizarre.  It sounded weird.  It sounded wonderful!  We immediately dismissed any thought of doing anything even remotely like it.  We had real jobs.  We had a big house, some kids, dogs, and horses.  Besides, the idea was just too weird.  Other people did weird things with their lives, not us.

Along came 2008 and the economic climate all but decimated our consulting practice.  We couldn’t get enough work for both of us so I went back to work in the corporate sector.  Roger did too eventually.  We both liked the nature of our work but found the daily grind and politics to be soul crushing.  I was battling depression (and mostly losing) and in 2014 empty nest syndrome hit me hard…real hard.  I got some therapy, started practicing meditation, and started reading some pretty interesting books.  The Antidote–Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman got the ball rolling and the audiobook, The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown changed me.  If you haven’t read anything by the very witty and very down-to-earth Brene Brown, I can’t recommend her books highly enough, they literally changed my life.  For a taste, watch her Ted Talk here.  Her second Ted Talk was very powerful as well.  You can watch that one here, but only after watching the first one, OK?

In 2015, Roger and I were both unemployed.  We had both been downsized. The corporate world had finished chewing us up and finally spit us out.  But we weren’t old enough to retire.  My kids lived hundreds of miles away in Arizona.  Life had not turned out like I planned.  I knew that if I wanted a happily ever after, I was going to have to create one.

Then I remembered something Roger had told me a long time ago.

“Hey, hon” I said, “Remember those people you met in Wyoming that lived in their RV?  Can we try that?”  He replied, “As you wish.”

Well, not in those exact words.

Roger returned to work as an independent Quality Management System and Environmental Management System auditor for a terrific company that sends him all over the country.  If we can get to an airport, he can get to work.  He can do this part time and the rest of the time he spends here; polishing my saddle until I can see my face in it and reaching over my head to hand me a pitcher.  No, he doesn’t.  If you don’t understand the reference, you really need to watch the Princess Bride.  It’s a wonderful movie and you will appreciate my blog more so, dear friend, go watch it!

So if it’s not all saddle polishing and pitcher handling (and we have yet to be in a swordfight) then what do we do?  What does full-time RVing look like for us?  That is what this blog is about.  We hope you enjoy coming along with us on our adventure.