Despite priding myself in being an “out-of-the-box” thinker, I never could have imagined 3 years after marriage my husband, toddler, and I would be living in an RV. I mean, who gets married thinking they’re gonna move into a camper? Not this lady!
I married Ed three years ago. It was the most exciting day of my life. I kept saying “I can’t believe Ed is marrying me! I can’t believe I am getting married!” If you’ve read a blog post or two here at thevirtualcampground.com, then you probably know I am a little different so my excitement and surprise is completely understandable.
But I digress. Here we are in southern Alabama living in an RV named Dixie. And I absolutely love it. I love the short cleaning list, the RV park, the… wait, I already wrote that blog post. Click here for why I’m in love with RVing. This post is about how living in an RV has made me fall more in love with my husband. It is my anniversary gift to my husband because well, this week is our anniversary and my cheap booty ain’t going to the store. Again, I digress. Let’s get in to this.
So it turns out my husband is super handy.
Since moving into the RV, I’m pretty sure my husband has never had to work so dang hard in his life. This RV has been throwing challenges left and right at Ed and he just keeps rising to the occasion. Leak in the garbage compartment? No problem. Water damage to the whole back wall of the RV? Ed’s got it. Replace the floor? Yeah, it’s done.
This, ladies and gents, is manly and sexy. **SWOON**
I’ve also learned he’s way more patient than I am.
I always tell people Ed is a much more patient partner than I am, and it is true. He easily forgives me and has never yelled at me for any of the ridiculously-high number of stupid things I’ve done. I, on the other hand, cannot boast these stats. I didn’t think I could gain a more patient spouse until we bought Dixie.
You see, we bought this RV only a couple months after Ed returned home from Afghanistan. As a family, we were all still adjusting to each other and to our roles. It was going as well as it could but of course it was still very challenging. Throw an RV into the mix and it could have been a disaster!
But it hasn’t been!
I have seen my husband struggle since we started living in an RV, but time and time again I see him succeed.
I see him overcome barriers as a parent with Chelsea. I see him put his needs and wants aside for me. I see him work tirelessly on this dang RV and then make the family dinner with a smile. All these reasons make me fall in love with him again and again.
A lesser man would have probably just gotten keys to an apartment by now. Working on this RV has tested so much more than his handyman skills. Bearing the sole responsibility of fixing our home (on top of a full-time job and being a husband and father!) has stretched his patience much further than I thought capable. I see him working on our home every day and I am so proud to be this man’s wife.
We’re finally getting to spend time together!
So it’s our 3rd anniversary and it’s the first time we’ve been together on this date since our wedding. Truth be told, most of our relationship has been spent apart. When we met, he lived in Alabama and I lived in Florida. While dating, our closest distance in mileage was almost 300 miles. And our marriage? Well, I’ve either been pregnant and working or he’s been at month-long trainings for work or deployed for a year.
I love the security this duty station and RV have brought to our marriage. I love knowing he is coming home and we will be together because well, we have no other choice. I mean, there really is no place to hide in this fifth wheel. We’ve got to stick together.
When we lived in the townhouse, I was always worried about cleaning and making the house perfect. When Ed would get home from work, I’d tell him to play with Chelsea so I could get some chores done. I felt like even though we lived in the same house, we didn’t get to spend a lot of quality time together. In the RV, it is so different. Chores are done together quickly so we have plenty of time to have fun as a family.
And plenty of time to argue.
Alright, I’d be lying if I said we weren’t arguing. Of course we are. The RV renovation, on top of having a cranky 2 year old, and just life in general has taken its toll on our relationship. Sometimes it seems like we can’t find a single common ground. Sometimes it seems like the harder we try to get along, the less likely we are to do so.
Can you relate? I’m sure you can, because DUH! This is not a strictly RV-related problem. Lots of couples argue. What is unique about doing so while living in an RV is that we have to promptly solve our problems. We have to swallow our pride and quickly come to a compromise or else ole Dixie is going to turn into a Lil Box-a’ Torture for not only us, but for our daughter as well. This small space can fill with tension so fast even the dog cowers in the corner.
So how does this make me love my husband, exactly?
Well, it has shown me just how much he loves me and is willing to do whatever it takes to make this marriage work. When I cross a line, I see he doesn’t hold a grudge. When he starts to get upset, I see him throttle back on his emotions and take control of them so we are able to get along. Knowing my husband loves me so much makes me such an incredibly grateful wife. Seeing that love in action every single day makes me also love him that much more.
I don’t think we would be working so hard on our relationship if we were in a regular ole sticks and bricks. I think we would be more prone to “escape” tense situations and let things “stew.” Living in an RV makes that almost impossible. Our conflict resolutions skills must rise to the challenge over and over in the heat of the moment to extinguish inflamed egos and mend hurt hearts. I am so proud of my husband for adapting to this lifestyle and giving our marriage 100% in the process.
How long have you been married or with your partner? Could you survive the RV life? Comment below and don’t forget to share the article if you like it!
Great article. Liz, you sound like a wonderful person. Marie and I started out tent camping. We bought a big Colemen Oasis tent. It was wonderful. It was a big square 10 x 10 or 12 x 12 with no poles inside just open space. Big zippered doors with netting on each side and two large windows screened and w/extensions to keep the rain out. We camped a lot in it, mostly great times. One vacation we had a week of steady rain. We also had three small children. Sarah was 6 months old, Krista was 1 and 1/2, and Matthew was a very interested in everything 2 and 1/2 year old (he took everything apart) (everything) !!!!I I dug trenches around the tent to keep the water at bay but it rained much !! Matthew was playing on the floor when he very excitedly said “water fountain” !! I looked over to see a six inch high waterspout coming up from the floor. The floor of the tent was rubberized and very durable but the pressure of the water had found a pinhole. In a couple of days the sun came out and we quickly packed up and went home. We tent camped for years and I loved it. We then traded up to a High/Low hard sided camper and then bought the 5th wheel which was marvelous. It hooked up and unhooked in a snap and towed like a dream.
RVing was a tremendous experience I am so glad we took those trips when we could. Even after the kids were gone Marie and I made a lot of memories.I’ll tell you one of my favorites. We were in some western state somewhere (which is the way I enjoyed traveling), (go somewhere), not always a perticulay a destination, just go somewhere. We stopped to eat at steakhouse. The line was really out the door. The steakhouse offered one cut of steak (I can’t remember what it was), one salad ( a wedge of iceberg), and one dessert. And everything was delicious. The bartenders brought everybody drinks while we waited in line, everyone got to talk to everyone else and it was a great time.
I’ll leave you in peace. Have a Merry Christmas !!
Steve Juhlin
Hey Steve! So glad you guys had such wonderful memories. And yeah, the times when there are “waterfalls” and lines out out the door are usually the most memorable!
Merry Christmas to you too, my friend. Thanks for reading and commenting. You’re a gem!
Happy Anniversary! We have been together 12 years and married for almost 9. Planning to go RVing and certainly hope we have the same skill set you speak of here… Great writing!
Thanks and congrats on your decision to RV!
This is so sweet! Happy Anniversary you guys! You make an adorable couple!
Thank you Jennifer!
this is great!! i’m dying to rent an RV for the whole summer. i don’t think we would be able to live in one full-time, but i would love to travel.
Do it! RVing will change your whole perspective!
I love this Liz. My hubs, our four young daughters and the dog are renting an rv for three weeks and driving to Colorado this summer. Youll have to send me all of your tips for maintaining my sanity in these first few months.
So excited.
Aww thank you! Yes, any tips you need just PM me!
This was such a sweet post! Brings back memories of when my family lived in an RV when I was 10–it wasn’t a seriously long time, 9 weeks while we didn’t have a home, but there were 5 kids and 2 parents in that little RV and those nine weeks were very memorable! 🙂 So far, the smallest place I’ve lived with my husband was our 600 sq. ft. apartment in China–I like small spaces, you’re right, the cleaning doesn’t take long at all!
I’ve heard China has smaller living spaces! I’d love to explore Asia one day!
Happy anniversary, guys <3
Looking forward to meeting you & your wonderful hubby on the road in the not too distant future. I, too, am seriously blessed in the husband department & can't wait for us to pack all our craziness into 300 square feet and see what happens 😀
I am so excited for you guys to start your journey! And to meet you one day!
Happy anniversary, Liz!!
Thanks Mama Bear Martin!
Love this post! I’ve been married 7 Years and I’m pretty sure RV life isn’t for me but I thinks it’s awesome for you and your family!!
Happy Anniversary! This is such a wonderful post about your husband. Too often people write bad things about their husbands, so it’s so nice to read something good. That’s amazing that he’s never yelled at you!
Thanks Brenda! I try very hard to practice gratitude in my marriage. Thanks for noticing.
Happy Anniversary! What an amazing story. My husband had to retire early and cannot drive, and I work from home…so we are together 24 hours a day without breaks. We have learned to appreciate each other even more because of all that togetherness. We just celebrated 26 years together this past August. We love to camp, I would like to think we could survive life in an RV. =) Happy Valentine’s Day! I love your blog and your writing.
Thanks Valerie and congrats on your 26 years! That is quite a feat. Spending 24 hours a day together is quite the challenge at times, I’m sure. We don’t even do that!
I agree being in our 5th wheel has made life easier & more enjoyable. Less stress, less stuff & more quality time with our 3 kiddos. Yes we have our moments when it’s just a bit loud & crazy inside, but what can you expect in less than 400 sqft? I appreciate my handy man of a hubby of almost 15 years & am grateful for his skills. 5 months into our full time rv life & many more to go.
5 months here as well! I’m so happy to hear other couples that are loving it too! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I love this! Happy Anniversary!
My husband and I sold everything and moved into our motorhome 3-1/2 years ago. We wanted to see the country and try something different. It’s been amazing and our marriage is even better because of it. We celebrated our 37th anniversary a few months ago.
Aww I love this feel good story! Thank you so much for sharing it!
DDan and I have been married 38+ years. We have a TrailManor travel trailer that we have taken on several trips, mostly short ones, but we did go to the National Parks in Utah, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming for 5 weeks with my then 85 year old father-in-law. It was a blast. This trip was 3 years ago.
When our children were younger (4 and 10), we traveled to the New England states for 3 weeks. The children argued the whole time, and we sold our camper not long afterwards. We did not camp again until we bought another TrailManor 3 years ago.
I’d like to think that my husband and I could live in an RV for an extended period of time, but he is very much an introvert and has to have his alone time. We live in a 2800 square foot home, which is way too big now that our children are grown and on their own (28 and 34), but when I start looking to downsize I have to keep in mind that my husband spends most of his time alone downstairs and is not about to change. He is an excellent handyman and always has some kind of project going on (currently re-modeling our masterbath) and still finds time to cook our meals.
I have totally loved reading your posts. Keep them coming along!
Debbie
Thank you for the wonderful compliment Debbie!
I am an extrovert (shocker, I know) but I also NEED my alone time. I swear, half the time we fight it’s because I just simply have not had a moment to myself, not from anything else.
I am extremely blessed that my child still naps 2-3 hours a day and so I get time to work on this blog in the quiet. I have to learn not to take it too seriously, or all this alone time goes to waste and doesn’t actually keep me sane. haha!
I hope y’all go on a trip soon and of course, I want to hear all about it!
28 years of marriage here–probably because we have NOT lived in an RV. ? I need my space, and my husband is not, shall we say, handy. Your.family is seriously too cute!
haha Pam, you are cracking me up. I wasn’t sure we’d survive this craziness, but here we are giving it our all! Thank you for reading and commenting!
Happy anniversary! 25+ years here. Planning a 26.2 years party in the fall…Great pictures in this blog but the picture of you two with Chelsea is priceless.
a 26.2 party? OH MY GOSH THAT IS THE COOLEST IDEA EVER!!! (and thank you for the compliment on the pics. I try hard to make this a fun and visual blog!)
Dude, happy anniversary ❤❤ and I wish I could have been at your wedding so I could photobomb your pics with Zak.
Thanks for the well wishes! And omg seriously, does anyone know photoshop!!!?? This is my fave pic of us but Zak has got to go!