It’s our ONE YEAR NOMAD ANNIVERSARY!!!
On May 30, 2024, we left our house of 24 years for the last time and set up camp at the Sun Resort RV Park in Milbrook, IL. The house closed escrow a week later on June 3, and since then, we have been “homeless”! So, given that we have made it to the one-year mark, we thought we’d give a bit of a recap of all the things we’ve seen and done, all the places we’ve been, and offer a few ups and downs!
Where have we been?
We stayed at the Sun Resort in Milbrook, IL, for six weeks before putting the truck and RV in storage for a month while we crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Brooklyn, NY, to Southampton, England on the Queen Mary 2 oceanliner. We enjoyed a few days in New York before the voyage, and a few days in London after the voyage, before spending a little over two weeks travelling through Ireland.
After returning to the Joliet area, we headed down to Springfield, IL, for a few days to visit Chris’ mom before heading north toward our first “work camping” gig in Crookston, MN. We were hired on at Knutson Farms to work as farmhands and truck drivers during the sugarbeet harvest. This place and these people will forever hold a special place in our hearts. We worked hard, went to bed tired, learned a lot, felt included in everything they did, and had an amazing experience.
From NW Minnesota, we set off for Encino, NM, where we had arranged to work in customer service and sales at the Flying C Ranch, a fuel and convenience store on I-40, in the middle of nowhere, New Mexico. Let’s just say that this place (some of the people) was not for us. After just 17 days, we offered our notice, were released the same day, and set off for a new place where our hearts and talents would be better received and appreciated.
Hello Texas! We found a small campground in the panhandle of Texas, between Amarillo and Lubbock. We were hired to work in housekeeping, to help turn their five small cabins when guests would check out, clean the restrooms, and the laundromat. We absolutely enjoyed our time here. The winds were a new experience, but all in all, we had a blast and had a pizza every Thursday from the on-site food truck!
We had committed to stay at the Silver Wind RV Park and Cabins through March 15. So, our next stop would a visit to our grandsons and family in Ferris, Texas, before moving on to Joliet, IL, via Springfield, IL, where we would be for two weeks getting a lot of loose ends tied up. We met with the accountant and had our taxes done, had doctor visits, went to the DMV (twice) to get new licenses, and met with as many people as possible in a very short period of time.
The next stop (and current gig) was Dowagiac, Michigan, to the Wonder Woods RV Park & Cabins in the Sister Lakes area. Here, we have helped to resurrect a campground that had been run down and closed for two years. We are the “Camp Hosts.” Ken also picked up a part-time job at the restaurant/brewery right next door as a food expeditor and runner. Now that the preparation for the season is slowing down (the campground looks amazing), we are starting to get out to explore the area a little.
We chose this opportunity in SW Michigan so that Chris could be closer to her mom, in Springfield, IL. She books a train (Amtrak) once a month to go visit for several days.
As we look back on the first year of FULL-TIME RV LIVING, we have absolutely no regrets. We have no regrets about leaving our careers, selling the house, and everything we owned, or moving from 1500SF to 340SF. We have met some absolutely amazing people, seen some amazing places, visited incredible Catholic churches and shrines, found many geo-caches, and learned more about ourselves and our world than would have ever been possible had we not made this full-time decision.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though! A few “not so great” things that we had to deal with were: water leaks, frozen water supply lines, a water-damaged roof, and subsequent full roof replacement, three blown trailer tires, the Texas winds (85mph), power outages, and 18” of snow in NM.
Now, you’re probably thinking… What can I send Chris and Ken (@ Wonder Woods RV Park & Cabins, 93283 CR 690, Dowagiac, MI 49047) for their ONE-YEAR NOMAD ANNIVERSARY…well, we can help. Traditionally, the gift for a one-year anniversary is “paper”. So, how about some “paper” with the image of Benjamin Franklin on it?!?! Too much? Fine, we will also accept Grant, Jackson, or Hamilton! Haha!
In all seriousness…We LOVE our life and how we are living it. We LOVE our “house” as well. It’s not for most, but it is for us. Make no mistake; we thank God for his abundance and guidance and for keeping us healthy and safe. We also thank YOU for following along with us, praying for us, and keeping us in your thoughts. Thank You!
That’s about all for this update. Please check out all the pics below and the captions. We love reading your comments, so please make some comments.
Until we chat again, we remain…We RVery Blessed!
Camp Hosts at Wonder Woods RV Park & Cabins in the Sister Lakes area of Dowagiac, Michigan.
We’ve managed to squeeze in several RV inspections along the journey!
Ken, working as a food expeditor and runner at The Strand Brewery in the Sister Lakes.
Bridget came to visit and used our “office” to “WFH”.
A little down time, enjoying a beer and some bourbon.
We visited the giant Shipshewana Flea Market.
We always try to connect with all the kids via a Zoom call.
A routine in Silverton, TX was Pizza on Thursdays. We used the same box each week and kept tallies at the top!
Texas winds caused us to bring in the slides in an make like a little more “compact”!
Free corn dogs from The Briscoe Bite, in Silverton Texas
On a hike in the Palo Duro Canyon
We visited Bridget and Jake in Denver for a couple of days.
We met up with Maggie, Garret, Henry, and Bridget in Texas.
Hiking at Cap Rock Canyon in Texas.
We all came back to Illinois in December to see our caboose graduate from ISU.
Outside our “office” at the Silver Wind RV Park & Cabins in Silverton, TX.
18″ of snow on day three in Encino, New Mexico at the Flying C Ranch.
Chris is trying to stay busy at the Flying C.
Ken is trying on some of the hats at the Flying C.
What an amazing experience, operating this John Deer pulling a disc or chisel plow through hundreds of acres of land.
Us, outside of the “office”.
Us, along for the ride as the GPS guides the tractor through the field.
We would weigh in at 88,000 pounds at the sugarbeet piling station. Such a blast!
One of the three trailer blowouts! They weren’t all this bad!
We’ve done lots of geocaching!
We returned to Ireland after many years of being away. We hope to return again some day soon!
Here we are about to board the Queen Mary 2 Oceanliner back in July of 2024. It was the trip of a lifetime!
