Saturday, February 24, 2007

Feeling Rich

In the old days BRV (Before RVing), my idea of feeling rich was a well-stocked pantry, good shoes, a San Francisco wardrobe (can't have too much black here), and a small army of hairdressers, manicurists, dry cleaners, auto mechanics, auto detailers, grocery delivery people, and restaurants to keep everything maintained. Now that I'm a full-time RVer in a small motorhome, my idea of "wealth" has changed.


I don't have a pantry but the cabinets are well stocked with food. Shoes? I have a good pair of tennies, a good pair of work shoes that allow me to stand for eight hours, one pair of black suede Mary Janes, a pair of shower shoes and Homer Simpson slippers. I do have that little black dress, two blazers, two skirts and one gray pinstripe suit. Most of the time I'm in jeans, sweats or pajamas (hey, if Hugh Hefner can write in pajamas...). I cut my own hair but there is a back-up barber three blocks away in case I make a mistake. Most of the other people I needed to keep my RV, toad and myself operational are within three blocks.

I'm not a freeway flyer or "road warrior princess" commuting to a 9-5 job. I don't have to be anywhere I don't want to be. Today, for example, I went to the post office to check my box and shopped for a few groceries. After I put everything away and emptied the trash, I came inside, locked the door, made a pot of French vanilla/vanilla nut coffee, changed into sweats, and sat down to write. There is a storm coming and I don't have to be anywhere until Monday morning. I have books to read, cable TV and DVDs to watch, a full tank of propane, a full tank of gas and Internet connectivity. That's my idea of wealth.

How about you? What makes you feel rich?

1 comment:

  1. I feel rich in friends and experiences. Even though I now have a homebase and travel 6-9 months a year, my best friends are still my RV friends. There's something about this lifestyle that encourages getting to know one another at a deeper level.

    And the experiences I have had while working on the RV road are ones I probably never would have had if we had stayed in PA in a house. I've been kayaking with whales in Glacier Bay in AK, climbed Long's Peak in CO, explored Anasazi (oops- Ancesteral Pueblan) ruins in UT, to name a few.

    Being paid to park in beautiful places or parking on national lands free of charge also makes me feel rich! Jaimie

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