Day 263 / 102 Sunshine Fixes Everything

Ocala, Florida 85 Degrees - Sunny

As we roll down Interstate 75 on our way to the RV resort where we will likely spend the rest of the winter, I am reflecting on the past few days.

We looked at several parks in Georgia and even made a tentative reservation with one of them. In the end we realized two things. We have been to Georgia twice now and don’t like it much and we want to be warmer than Georgia will offer. We are rolling down the highway with red clay stained vehicles and looking forward to a different atmosphere.

Champ and I both have relentless work ethics and bailing on a commitment was a jagged pill. In the end we had to recognize that the National Parks System failed miserably in terms of providing suitable accommodations. It wasn’t a matter of us being pretentious or picky, this place was the kind of park that spawns trailer trash jokes.  During the conversations with the Superintendent of the Park and our ‘boss’ it was revealed that they are aware of how bad conditions at the private RV Park have deteriorated over the past years and they have secured funding to build volunteer RV Pads within the Park. This was the first time they have had someone quit over it.  What really irked us was the fact that there were a couple of nicer parks within 15 miles, but they wanted us to pay the difference. That’s right, they wanted us to work for them an pay to camp. Not gonna happen. Turns out the place in town costs them $240.00 per month and that is all they budget. With both of us working 24 hours each week that places our monetary value to them at a dismal $1.25 per hour. Welcome to the National Parks Service.

The reality is that our annual budget and income is based on us work camping 10 months of the year with 2 months to let down. Another option we discussed in the beginning is I would work part time in what ever area we choose to stay in the winter. We may try plan B this winter after all. At 53 years old I should still be earning anyway. Our age difference and the fact that I have stopped working full time to do this at a very early age not only presents some challenges but some opportunity as well. Unlike couples who are both well into their 70’s we have the dynamic of one of us being young and still with a desire to work a bit.

We aren’t leaving mad as one might imagine. We’ve ‘walked away clean’ as my old co-worker Mary used to say. We left on good terms with an invitation to come back when they have their onsite pads built. We are excited to spend time where it is warmer than Georgie will be. Champ mentioned that it will be nice to ‘just be retired’ as he put it. In the 5 ½ years since he officially retired, he has completely gutted a house and remodeled it for resale, and we have spent 2 full years work camping so it’s time to let him relax, he’s has most definitely earned it. Ocala will have lots of opportunity for me to land a part time seasonal gig at one of the restaurants or shops.

When I called the RV park we are headed to, a work camper named Mary answered the phone. When I inquired about site availability she asked when we wanted to come in and I said ‘today – April’.  I sensed I needed to give an explanation so told her about our predicament. As I described the park, we were in she started laughing! She apologized but couldn’t quit chuckling. I loved her! We called a couple other parks and talked for a few minutes and decided to call Mary back.A credit card number and wishes from her for safe travels we hung up phone and pulled up the jacks. She said she can’t wait to meet us and swap work camping stories.  The anxiety has vanished as we head down the highway. We are ‘over it’ as they say and looking forward to what will unfold and who we may know when this winter comes to an end. This kind of freedom is both exciting and unsettling. This is the part where you take a step forward in faith that this bump in the road is meant to be and will set us on a different path to something good!

I wrote the bulk of this as we rolled down the road this afternoon. Now, I am sitting at the RV Park. We are very happy with our choice. It was 85 degrees when we arrived. The jackets are already stowed under the bed and we are in shorts with all the windows open this evening. It’s been a very weird 2 weeks in the life of these two full time RV Volunteers. Now we relax.

Until next time…