So, here's the full poop: Renee and I, after long consideration, finally arrived at a common agreement.
It wasn't that we didn't agree, just that what we arrived at took a long time to turn over, to think about, to do a "chess analysis" on the many possible moves available to us.
To cut to the chase--or through it!--we both chose that, as a childless couple, there would be no one to whom we could leave all our junk. On top of that, the fact remains, young kids don't **want** the kind of junk we've collected, and all our older friends...well, they are jettisoning *their* junk, too!
Yard sales are of limited use, given that:
-A) we live 'out beyond Woop Woop,' and;
-B) they are a huge hassle for the little benefit gained.
So, to that end, the demonstrably good junk will be sold off, to other Boomers who, before they crank, don't realize as we did, they're drawing in *stuff*.
We realized, we have had *PLENTY* stuff, but not enough seeing.
Seeing the world.
Seeing our own darned country, a great deal of which I've never seen.
I've never been to Yellowstone.
I've never seen any Civil War sites.
I've never been to Bouchard Gardens.
I've never seen The Keys.
I've never seen the Arch.
I've never seen fall, in upstate New York.
I've never seen Ellis Island, the statue of Liberty, or Central Park
Hell, I've never even been next door, to Kansas, and seen "The World's Largest Ball Of String!" The list is..well, beyond the range of the number of tomorrows I *might* have left.
We want to *experience* places, to *see* things we've never seen before, and we are clear-eyed enough to know we have many more yesterdays than we have tomorrows, in which to do so
Time to head for tomorrow...in an RV!
Fortunately, what with Renee's many years at a good county job, my savings from my Federal job, plus the sale of and pay-down of the property, best we can tell, we'll be OK. We won't live like a King and a Queen, but we'll be plenty comfortable.
With few monthly bills. With the open road, to choose how we go, how we live, what we see.
Ergo, we bought Harvey. He's (relatively) small, easy-to-park/drive, and was in good shape for his age (1985).
We *think* we'll graduate to a pickup-with wheel, but that will be down the road, closer to our retirement date--with luck, 2026. That's why we chose a moderately-sized RV, to actually experience and see what size of "Tiny home" we end up with.
Our "practice" RV.
In honor of some excellent friends, in the next year or two, we'll be having a "House Cooling" sale: We'll invite friends, and ask that they choose a thing they like, to take to their homes, and enjoy.
No reasonable offers refused!
So, in a nutshell, this is a bit more detail. I'm still learning how to be a blogger, and to do all the requisite moves, so please be patient...and join us in our adventure!
Paul-n-Renee
It wasn't that we didn't agree, just that what we arrived at took a long time to turn over, to think about, to do a "chess analysis" on the many possible moves available to us.
To cut to the chase--or through it!--we both chose that, as a childless couple, there would be no one to whom we could leave all our junk. On top of that, the fact remains, young kids don't **want** the kind of junk we've collected, and all our older friends...well, they are jettisoning *their* junk, too!
Yard sales are of limited use, given that:
-A) we live 'out beyond Woop Woop,' and;
-B) they are a huge hassle for the little benefit gained.
So, to that end, the demonstrably good junk will be sold off, to other Boomers who, before they crank, don't realize as we did, they're drawing in *stuff*.
We realized, we have had *PLENTY* stuff, but not enough seeing.
Seeing the world.
Seeing our own darned country, a great deal of which I've never seen.
I've never been to Yellowstone.
I've never seen any Civil War sites.
I've never been to Bouchard Gardens.
I've never seen The Keys.
I've never seen the Arch.
I've never seen fall, in upstate New York.
I've never seen Ellis Island, the statue of Liberty, or Central Park
Hell, I've never even been next door, to Kansas, and seen "The World's Largest Ball Of String!" The list is..well, beyond the range of the number of tomorrows I *might* have left.
We want to *experience* places, to *see* things we've never seen before, and we are clear-eyed enough to know we have many more yesterdays than we have tomorrows, in which to do so
Time to head for tomorrow...in an RV!
Fortunately, what with Renee's many years at a good county job, my savings from my Federal job, plus the sale of and pay-down of the property, best we can tell, we'll be OK. We won't live like a King and a Queen, but we'll be plenty comfortable.
With few monthly bills. With the open road, to choose how we go, how we live, what we see.
Ergo, we bought Harvey. He's (relatively) small, easy-to-park/drive, and was in good shape for his age (1985).
We *think* we'll graduate to a pickup-with wheel, but that will be down the road, closer to our retirement date--with luck, 2026. That's why we chose a moderately-sized RV, to actually experience and see what size of "Tiny home" we end up with.
Our "practice" RV.
In honor of some excellent friends, in the next year or two, we'll be having a "House Cooling" sale: We'll invite friends, and ask that they choose a thing they like, to take to their homes, and enjoy.
No reasonable offers refused!
So, in a nutshell, this is a bit more detail. I'm still learning how to be a blogger, and to do all the requisite moves, so please be patient...and join us in our adventure!
Paul-n-Renee
As the grown up child of an Australian Drover who travelled this great land, either on foot or in a wagon or in the saddle on the back of a horse, I can fully recomend your wonderful "change of living life" plan. No good for me now because at age 70, with Multiple Sclerosis a life "out on the track" is not something I can manage too well these days. I wish you both very many years of travelling and meeting all the great people you will meet and seeing all the sights yet to be seen.
ReplyDeleteHave a travelling good time my friends. AND fully agree with you. What we class as a treasure and hold onto for many years others class it as junk and will buy it, take it home and brag about how they got it ' dirt cheap' in a garage sale and will then put it in their very own garage sale just to get rid of it.
So off you go and enjoy the next wonderful phase of your lives and a great big Cheerio from Helen
You should go see all of those places. Some of my best experiences have been traveling. Enjoy the heck out of it before you can’t!
ReplyDeleteFantastic story. Harvey and the crew, and all of us are buckled in and ready for the road!
ReplyDelete