Hugh -

I have enjoyed reading your posts and I am especially interested in this recent post.  Our family of 6 is planning to get on the road this fall full-time and we are really wanting to learn from others as much as we can. 

I know you are busy but I wonder what you would say changed your families desire to travel any longer……age of the children, the type of RV you were living in, the places you stayed, the places you visited, etc.  We have lots of reservations and concerns about the unknown but we are super excited about trying to be full-timers even if we try and fail.  But, the advice of others is strongly welcomed! 

Thanks! Marci Livingston

My Response:

Hi Marci!

First, I want to say that you should forget all of your reservations
about traveling. Don’t let anything stop you from setting forth on
your journey! There is nothing to fear. Full timing is great! As far
as what impacted our family’s desire to travel – nothing in
particular, really. I think we will still travel. I just think we
need a bit more novelty, as we had seen what there was to see in
this one area.

Our RV is a 35 foot motorhome. Good sized but a 45 foot 5th wheel
would’ve been even better – in other words, with a big family more
space is better. Period. Especially if that space is
compartmentalized so there is a bit of privacy separating the kids
from the adults, and the kids who want it get a bit of privacy, too.

There is no place in North America that I would not recommend
visiting. It is particularly important to see the sections of the
Continent that are very different than what you are used to. After
our travels we split the Continent into three big chunks – East to
West: The East, which is the Atlantic and the foothills on each side
of the Appalachians up to the Mississippi; the Midwest, which is
Corn Country; and the West, which is generally brown in color,
beautifully desolate and empty compared to the rest.  That is a HUGE
generalization but you get the idea.

And don’t forget Canada – there is incredible beauty in the Canadian
West – don’t miss it!

We have not “failed” – we are just continuing our journey in a way
that is authentic to us. No one is judging your choice. If the
desire strikes – seize it! The only failure is to let fear overcome
your curiosity. The fear will soon disappear because it isn’t
justified. I am so glad and proud of what we have done together as a
family so far, and I am certain you will be for your family, too.

So GO!!!!

Love, Hugh

As for traveling overseas.  We are currently in Serbia – we were in Germany back in June and have been in Serbia since.  It is amazing here.  You are 100% correct about the kids learning more about culture and what makes humans tick.  They learned a lot on the road in the u.s., but more about history and landscape.  Canada is pretty much a carbon copy of the u.s. and the differences were incredibly minor.  As you mentioned, we did notice, and were shocked by, the waste size difference as we traveled from the west coast through the southern states to the east coast.  It was quite shocking.

The learning here in Europe is quite different.  We’ve been stationary for what seems like a while now, but we’re still doing a ton and learning a ton.  The differences in thinking and what people find important (home cooked meals made from HOME GROWN food….and consumerism?  No such thing.  EVERYTHING is used and saved and reused…..even bricks of buildings that are being taken down.)  These are massive life lessons for us and the kids, and we are finding great changes in our mindsets.

Serbia is incredibly inexpensive when you are using north american earned currency.  We are living on about 20 euros a day ($25 – $30) and that includes electricity, gas, internet, cell phones, food, clothes, etc.  We are not paying for a place to stay, as we are in my uncle’s place, but even if we were, it wouldn’t add more than $150 – $400 per month.  Email me if you want details, but it’s not as expensive as you think   The flight cost can be a pain, but I can give you the time period for the lowest rates (which are cheaper than a lot of flights within north america!)

Ves

P.S. Also – I forgot to mention that internet here in Europe ROCKS!! As do cell phones…..SO CHEAP and SO FAST! You have no idea! (or maybe you do!). But, it’s been really amazing. Here in serbia we’ve enrolled our kids in swimming (and they don’t just do pansy ass swimming lessons – they are like olympic training! – 1 hour lessons every day for crazy cheap), now karate – $13 per month for 3 one hour lessons each week! They are also enrolled in Serbian lessons – $6 per one hour lesson. Taxis anywhere within the city is $1.20

Food is CRAZY cheap….and talk about a 100km diet!? Yeah – all non-sprayed awesome and fresh. Consumerism = MINIMAL!

Anyway, I could hook you up here pretty well – do NOT give up on Europe….we’ve been livin’ the life out here.

Let me know if you’re up for more info….sorry to bombard you It’s just been an amazing experience!

Ves