The final defining chapter (up to this point) was my decision to follow my heart, buy an RV, and begin traveling the country, solo.
By my early 30s, I had established a research business and created freedom in my life that allowed me to work when and where I pleased. But I hadn’t done anything with that freedom and it was making me crazy. I sat in my home office for hours and hours each day, running to the gym to keep my sanity… and often feeling like there was something I was missing. I wanted to explore, to experience adventure. And I finally had the ability to do it.
I had roamed the country for a few months, moving to different Airbnbs, but I knew there had to be a better way to travel as I pleased (especially with a dog). Deciding that living and traveling in an RV could be the ticket, I bought my first camper in 2017.
It was a 20-foot travel trailer with no slides, and it was honestly an experiment in minimalism. I was curious how much I could simplify my life, and I wanted to know if simplicity seemed related to happiness. I went all in (with the help of my brother-in-law), strapping solar panels to my roof, installing a composting toilet, and setting up a signal extender so I could work from areas with little cell reception.
I camped mostly on BLM national forest land. I met many interesting characters during that first year and a half on the road. Ultimately, it did seem that there was happiness in simplicity – but I also eventually grew tired of living and working in about 100 square feet of space. So, I upgraded…
I’m now in a 44 ft. fifth wheel with five slides. I had no towing experience when I started (and nobody to teach me), but I really wanted that experience of adventure and freedom, so I figured it out. The jump from my travel trailer to my fifth wheel was a little startling, but new things are almost always a little uncomfortable. Seven years later, I’ve now towed my camper up and down passes all over the country and have had incredible opportunities to push my body in the most beautiful regions. I learned how to deal with the discomfort and shut off my self-doubt as I white-knuckled my steering wheel with fifteen thousand pounds barreling..
My decision to sell everything and hit the road was really about so much more than learning how to tow a big rig, though. It was about developing new skills, problem-solving on the fly (because with campers, there are always problems to solve…), and being able to push myself to overcome things I was previously afraid of (like hiking in the dark, heights/exposure). A few short years ago, I got weak in the knees just climbing on the roof of my first camper to check my solar panels. Now, I’ve tackled almost all of Colorado’s class 4 14ers, with many experiences in free climbing in class 5 territory. I’ve learned how capable I am when I just *set my mind* to something. I’m confident in my ability to navigate whatever life throws at me.
I practice what I preach and my life is evidence of that.
