Action Has Started

This week I was finally able to mentally let go of thinking over and over what I had decided to do or not to do. That seemed to help me a lot mentally of not second guessing my plans and have a clearer idea of what was taking place. By doing that and listening to what my mind was telling me, things have been falling into place and some things at a fast pace. I actually marked my calendar for the first time today, showing the date that I will send in my resignation at work. It will be a shock to many. I will then have my last day at the job two weeks later, then a week at home wrapping up loose ends and plans to be on the road by the end of that week.

It's been a really good few days. I have been in the action mode the past couple of days. I have re-listed my Mini Cooper and Chevy Truck on Craig's List. I will sit them down by the highway with For Sale signs after the snow stops flying but thought I might find a buyer sooner via Craig's List. I have also taken pictures of things I will be selling on eBay. I usually take pictures first of all of the things that I am selling, download them, edit them and then write the ads for each item to list it.  I've always had good luck with eBay and was a full-time seller, Power Seller a few years ago before closing my online business in 2010. So, it might take me a little longer to get the ads written but by Sunday night I plan to have the majority of my items up for sale either as fixed price or auction items.

Taking a tour through the house, there is not that much work to clear it out. I have downsized a lot last summer and this past fall, so now that has paid off. With what possessions I have left, I know exactly what is going and what is staying. The inside of my house is not barren but just the minimum things I needed to live in a house.

Remember when I have said that yard work and general house maintenance had gone from enjoyable a few years ago to a dreaded waste of time recently?  I cannot wait to get away from that. It's a never ending battle where there always seems there was something to do to the yard, house or one of the 3 vehicles, taking up most of my free time on weekends. I will trade all of that for just some of that maintenance being transferred to my rig as needed.

I will probably not talk names of states in my plans until I actually hit the road, but the "road trip" is all laid out and in the final stages of preparation.

The "momentum train" has left the station and is moving forward at a nice pace.

Snow Again and No Change in Plans

I was back at work today after a nice 3 day weekend. Something out of the ordinary, my internet line went out Friday and was not fixed by AT&T until Monday night ... so I had some time to think about plans and read books over the weekend. These past 3 days gave me a "feel" of what retirement will feel like and from those thoughts I know that I am making the right decision this May. That is one decision I have NO hesitation on, nor 2nd thoughts.

The only thing I have been going back and forth on is how much downsizing I need/want to do. Sell the house or keep it, how much more stuff to get rid of ... things that I have thought about since October 2011. I am down to what I would call the basics as far as house possessions. There is really not that much to get rid of. I am thinking when the weather changes in the spring I'll have a yard sale for a couple of weekends and get rid of a lot of it. By that time I plan to have the RV loaded with what I want and will live in the RV until my departure date.

I know, I know I had talked about living in the RV since last fall but this winter has been worse than normal and would be beyond any type of weather I will be staying in the future. For example it was 17 when I drove home today telling me with the wind chill it felt like Minus 8.  Even with a heater, we are not staying in the RV until probably April.  It is still plugged into house power to keep the battery charged and gives me lights when I go out to check out the interior after the storms that have taken place.

So, the majority of time when thinking of my options on the house, possessions, etc ... I still see getting rid of everything that does not fit in the RV, and leaving the house empty with a realtor showing and selling the house while I am gone. I know that is repeated info for most of my followers and something that has been discussed a lot ... but that is the most consistent thought when asking that question.

Basically it boils down to two things. 1) I want to change location.  2) I just don't enjoy the time it takes to maintain a yard and needed house maintenance.

Sure, there will be times of needed maintenance on the RV, similar type of work, but not nearly the amount of time it takes me to keep the house/yard maintained.

So I spent most of the day at work today going over my options spreadsheet, reading different blogs I follow, looking for any more info on some of the RV forums and dreaming of getting out of here.

Is this weather related?

Recently it shows I have posted on days where there is bad weather or some on the way. 

I don't believe this is weather related. It is just a point in time where plans are becoming solid after two years of research. Questions I've had in the past are now being answered (finally) and everything feels good.

I still plan to travel light. I still plan to take 3 hounds with me. I still plan to be in SW Arizona this time next year.

Snow Flies and Plans Moving Forward

The brutal storm in the Midwest is to arrive today. So far its only been rain/snow mix with the temps to drop around 4pm and then the snow will fly and by Monday our high temp is predicted to be MINUS 8. Looks like a lot of snow and ice by tomorrow morning. Borrego Springs comes to mind when I see that temperature forecast.

I have finally moved out of my "winter blahs", hibernating mood and am fully charged and excited to get back on track for my departure in May 2014.  That date will be here before I know it. Thanks to the downsizing I did last summer I am not that far away of being able to pack what little stuff I want to keep for the future when I decide to settle. Sports memorabilia, books and some music that I would rather not sell or give away will be stored somewhere until I decide where the settling spot is.

I've been following all the blogs on my blog roll daily this winter but kinda tuned out all the informative forums, RVs for sale sites while I hibernated. After all the information I have read and collected these past two years, I seem to have forgotten some of it so I'll start doing a little review of rving fulltime. During this time I will also start packing the Coachmen and will have a better idea of what to take or get rid of.

As it stands, I'll leave in May 2014. The house will be empty and a realtor will show it for sale. I may tow my H3 Hummer since that can be towed wheels down and is a 4x4. I will sell the old Chevy Pickup and my Mini Cooper. All of these different plans/options have been tossed around for years and every time there is one plan that consistently shows back up ... the one I am going to follow in May.

Things change, places change over time and after 17 years this March I find it is time to move on. I just didn't enjoy living here this past year for various reasons that I will not discuss here but some things can't be changed for the better. It is the longest period of time I have ever lived in one place in my life. All ranging from the beach in Carlsbad CA, to Whidbey Island WA, Breckenridge CO and back to the Midwest, the land of humid muggy summers and freezing winters.

It's time to move.

I have a few places in mind but will find the place during my travels. This traveling itch has never gone away and I know if I don't get out on the road now (May 2014), that traveling thought will linger in the back walls of my mind for the rest of my life and continue to bother me.

So, I have 5 short months to go back through each room and discard or load things into the Class C (no name yet) and 5 short months to prepare the house for showing.

I know time is moving so fast that May will be here before I know it.

I can't wait to hit the road!!