We both knew we needed to make a change. We felt stagnated in our current careers and knew we wanted to explore our passions. The first idea that came to mind was selling our home close to downtown Austin and building a micro home on the outskirts of the city. We had visions of living a relaxed, debt free and sustainable life. We both still love this idea; however, the temptation to live a full time RV adventure won out.
As decisions go this one was a doozy. Quitting our jobs, selling our home and possessions, and hitting the open road sounded effortless and freeing when batting around the idea over morning tea. It got a little more weighty when we started to connect the dots between our dream and reality. We took a step back to consider the pros and cons of our decision-
Pro:
- Leave behind the monotony of an office job
- Be 100% debt free
- Have the freedom to experience beautiful and exciting locations
- Live minimally
- No more upkeep and maintenance of a home
- Free to build our passions into a career
- Visit our girls, Erin and Carly, more often
Con:
- Leave behind a guaranteed salary and paid benefits
- Sell our home, a valuable asset
- Leave dynamic, cutting edge careers (it can be hard to let go of the rungs on the proverbial ladder :)
- Leave family and friends
We took a hard look at the cons on our list and decided we could turn them into pros by thinking outside the box and letting go of the accepted status quo. How many people can say they are completely debt free? This is our point of leverage. We aren’t tied to a mortgage or mountains of debt, this fact gives us the flexibility to pick and choose how we earn a living. We aren’t trapped in a job because we face financial ruin if we dare leave. This realization took care of cons one and two.
The concern of letting go of the career ladder was simple to address. It was a matter of letting go of the ego that says we must climb the corporate ladder in order to achieve societies standards of success. When it comes down to it, this was never our measure of success. Living lives that are full of passion and adventure is our marker of success and the full time RV lifestyle is our ticket!
The last item on the con list was not as easy to sweep away. However, because of our flexible lifestyle we have the opportunity to spend dedicated time with our family and friends throughout the year. For this we are grateful.
Now to get a bit philosophical about the decision. We are both in the habit of giving credence to our intuitive voices. In this case we both strongly felt that a change was needed. In our experience when we listen and follow that lead, amazing things seem to happen. The journey may not look exactly as envisioned but the twist and turns always help us grow on a personal and spiritual level. It is the little bit of unknowing that comes with following our inner voice that makes us feel alive. And if we don’t feel alive-what’s the point!
If you’ve been living the full time RVing lifestyle for a while, we’d love to learn what pros and cons you’ve found to be true?
