Last year, I moved to Texas in the hopes of not moving while pregnant. That, in fact, back fired badly, and we ended up moving 15 times in a 12 month period. This was very stressful for a number of reasons.
1. I was pregnant or had a new baby which makes moving a bit more challenging. I usually had to have help with packing and unpacking the car when I was pregnant, which meant working around someone else's schedule. It was difficult to come home from the hospital to a place that wasn't our own and not be able to set things up in a way that was conducive to a new baby. I think Harrison learned to crawl at 4 1/2 months because he was put down so often so I could pack or unpack.
2. Most of my stuff stayed packed so I didn't have my own things. This often meant I bought something new that I knew I had packed somewhere but it was either in a different state or was just to much of a challenge to get to. We stayed in AF lodging for a large portion of the 12 months, so we were able to use their supplies, but it never feels like home. You don't have your own knives, or plates or even sheets. And I don't want to think about who else has slept (or not) on the beds we slept on or when the last time the duvet covers were washed. Even when we stayed with family, we were staying in their house, with their things, and their rules.
3. We were constantly having to get used to new environments. Trying to figure out the television in each new hotel room, or where they put the towels, or the how to turn on the oven. Where is the toaster? Is there any plastic wrap? Does this couch fold out into a bed?
4. The uncertainty of how long we could stay somewhere and when we'd have to move again. There were times we had to pack up everything the day after we unpacked to move out of a room in lodging, only to be told a couple hours later that we could move back into the same room. Especially with military lodging, we we never sure if we'd be able to stay or how long. We would often have to call the office in the morning to see if we would have to move out that afternoon, or if we had another days reprieve.
5. Often the spaces where we lived were not set up for a family of 4, with a very active toddler and a new born baby. The military lodging tended to be the best for this, but where we were staying when I gave birth to Harrison was a bit of an exception. They did not have any two bedroom units. The bed in the bedroom was a double, which was not big enough for both Dallas and me in my very pregnant state. I ended up sleeping on the (double) fold out couch for several weeks up until and even after the birth of Harrison. The day I came home from the hospital, I shared the couch with my mother and my new born baby, while Dallas shared the bed with Austin. Even in the larger accommodations, we were always concerned with what Austin could get into and since it wasn't our stuff, he had to be careful not to play with anything that wasn't his. The floors and furniture were made for hotel living, not family living.
So, why an RV?
1. Hopefully this time I won't be pregnant or have a new baby. But even if I do become pregnant, moving an RV would be much less stressful than moving a house full of goods. If I have a baby while in the RV, I can set it up with what I need ahead of time, without having to worry about moving in the mean time. We would have the things we need and can set things up the way that works for us.
2. The packing and unpacking will be minimal. We would have a set-up and break-down routine. Beyond that, most of the stuff would stay were we put it on a regular, daily basis, rather than having to be put in boxes and packed away. We would have our own things. Our own beds, our own dishes, our own food, our own toys. If stuff gets broken, it's our own stuff. If the kids spill, it's on our own furniture.
3. We would have a consistent routine and environment for the kids. They know where their toys are and where they go when they put them away. They know where we are when they wake up in the middle of the night and have had a bad dream.
4. While we might have to move the RV occasionally, theoretically we would be able to stay at an RV park as long as we wanted. Also, even if we move RV parks, our "home" stays the same, it just gets a new backyard.
5. We can set up our RV how WE want it and change it as our needs change. While there will be distinct limits mainly because of size, we can do what we like with what we have. We can baby proof or not. We can set up a play area for the kids. It will be ours to do with as we please.
So, while an RV lifestyle might not work for many families, I think for us, it makes sense.
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