Ocala, Florida 85 Degrees - Sunny
The life of the full time RV’er is one that is often an emotional rollercoaster. Late February early March is a strange place in this universe if you are one of those who lives the snowbird style life that gravitates back toward northern roots and family in the spring.
As we visit during our afternoon gatherings, the conversations have taken a decidedly different tone. We are talking about what we can do together in the short weeks till we start scattering to northern summer destinations. Last dinner dates, excursions we have talked about all winter that we still want to squeeze in and talk of departure dates dominate happy hours. We are realizing our days with our winter companions are numbered. In our third year, we are acutely aware that some of our connections will endure and some will simply end when we part ways later this spring. It’s neither good or bad, but just the way it is in this life.
The other half of us is chomping at the bit to get home to kids, grandkids, friends and other family. We pry ourselves away when the cool fall winds start to blow the leaves off the trees. We have navigated another holiday season, southern ‘winter’ has passed. We watch the weather in Iowa with a little guilt that we have abandoned everyone for yet, another winter season. As we work on our February tans by the pool in Florida, our former full-time home is buried in snow and ice and the temps are something we have not experienced in three years now. We video chat with the kids and tell them we will see them soon. In our hearts, it won’t be soon enough.
The hardest part about being away is, ‘shit happens’. It happened last night. We got a call from our daughter saying that our son-in-law’s dad, ( aka Grandpa Mike) who we consider a friend, was in a serious accident with the two grandsons. It was one of those phone calls that made me want to throw some stuff in a duffle bag and head to the airport. Thankfully, the injuries were not serious, but the incident was traumatic for all and my heart didn’t come down out of my throat until I was able to video chat with the little boys, 7 and 4 to see or myself, that although they were bruised and sore, they were intact and still their normal selves. It reminded me of last spring when Champ had to have emergency surgery, and the call went the other way. We were in Texas dealing with the emergency, and the kids were in Iowa dealing with the phone call. There’s nothing like a phone call with news of a medical emergency or accident to remind you how far away from home you are.
We are dreading the impending good-byes with our new friends made in Florida this winter. We are also very excited to get back to Iowa for the summer. We have lots of fun things planned for our last six weeks in Florida. I am looking at volunteer jobs here for two winters from now and we hope to return. Next winter we will be in Texas again, hopefully work camping in a private park where we plan to join friends for the winter. If we don’t get the work camping gig at the park, we’ll simply employ Plan B again and I’ll get another part time job in the area.
Mixed emotions dominate right now. Life goes on, new friends
are made, old friends reappear in our lives and the kids put up with our
snowbird ways. We are ready to be back in Iowa, but need to wait out the relentless
winter. Such is the life of a full-time
RV’er. Life is weird but good!
Until next time…
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