Redefining Luxury: RV Style

Since moving into the RV, my whole life has changed. I never could have dreamed how much change has come about unexpectedly. I could go on about how my future plans have changed, how I’ve grown closer as family, blablabla Honestly though, I’d rather talk about something fun. Here is how the RV lifestyle is redefining luxury in my life.

1. Taking a shower in your own home, and subsequently finding the right mix of “my water is lava” and “take the polar bear plunge.” Wow, what a luxury I used to take for granted. Seriously, I have lived in this bad boy for about 4 months and have taken about 4 showers in here. Usually, I get my shower bag together, haul my butt up to the camp shower, take everything out, hang my towel, start the water…you get the idea. Don’t even get me started on showering at the gym.
2. Giving your kid a bath. Chelsea now takes showers with me at the gym. The picture of above is at a hotel. She took a bath every night. It was so much fun!
3. No ants, or those weird Japanese ladybugs, or rampant spiderwebs come to think about it. To not have those in our home is such a divine experience. It rained like mad a few days ago and there were ants EVERYWHERE. And ohmygosh! Ed found the queen in our house after a day and killed it. He laughed with glee. Pretty sure it was a defining moment in his life.
4. Going to the kitchen while my kid is napping. It’s honestly a luxury I just can’t afford. I must wait at least 30 minutes after she falls asleep or she’ll wake up. If I wait over 2 hours, forget it. I’ll just starve til she wakes up.
5. Washing clothes in my own home. Yeah, yeah, I know some RVers have this in their home and say it’s a must and I thought I’d feel the same way but now… meh. I’ll put it on the luxurious features of life. (PS be on the lookout for my laundry day video coming next week.)
6. Alone time is a high-priced luxury. Most days, it’s just simply not on the menu.
7. Something my husband can’t do is walk around to both sides of the bed. Sorry honey!
8. Not worrying about hitting your dang head everywhere you walk is another one my husband worries about. He is mostly clear in our RV, but visiting others or window shopping at dealerships can be tricky for him.
9. Carefree grocery shopping is only for those fancy folks with big ole food storage. The RV pantry space is limited, people. I must plan ahead and remember no giant chip bags, one bag of apples, and the jumbo bag of cereal DOES NOT FIT LIZ! Y’all ever play Tetris? That’s what it is like if I come home with too much.
10. Showering while your partner is doing the dishes. Yeah, I just don’t see that happening any time soon. LUXURY!
11. Level housing. “Hey babe, can you please check the levelers. My vertigo is really getting me mixed up today.” Yes, I say this.
12. Easy trash and recycling pick up. For us, this is a thing of the past. We have to walk quite a bit to the dumpster and as far as recycling goes…I have to take it to a facility about 20 minutes away.
13. Going to someone else’s house to shower. Ahhhhhh! It was so incredibly nice to shower at my in-law’s house last month. I could have set up a chair in there and fallen asleep.

So if you’re reading this and you don’t live in an RV, you are probably thinking “What in the heck would possess someone to give up these basic staples of life? Why would you give up a decent shower and a bug-free home for Pete’s sake??!!” Here is a list of things I’ve gained that I used to believe were impossible luxuries.

1. Getting to know the neighbors. Yesterday Chelsea, Haley, and I went for a walk. We passed by a guy making breakfast outside. Of course the two critters wanted to investigate. We ended up going in for breakfast, talking with his wife and him for almost two hours. I used to think about how nice it would be to really know my neighbors. Now I do!
2. Solar powered home. In a traditional home, this can be very expensive. Now it is a dream I can make come true! And someone can teach me over at YouTube University!
3. Having the freedom to travel. Seriously, I cannot wait! I know we aren’t traveling yet but the idea of it gets me so excited! And it helps so much that we already live in the RV. It makes the dream seem so doable.
4. Being so close as a family. If you wanna live in an RV, ya better be willing to work on your conflict resolution skills. Seriously though, Ed and I get along so well. Even when we are in disagreement. It is a beautiful part of my life that I don’t think would be so easy in a traditional home.
5. Living where you want to vacation. When we finally hit the road, we’ll be able to stay in places for long periods of time we’d never be able to afford without an RV. Key West, here we come! Grand Canyon? Sure, let’s find a place that has monthly rents available, sweetie!
6. Traveling without packing and unpacking. Ohmygosh, my last trip was 3 weeks long and so stressful. I brought as little as possible and I still felt entirely overwhelmed. I just kept thinking when we move around in our RV, when we move around in our RV…

I know I’ve given up some of life’s conveniences to live in the RV, but the freedom and peace of mind it has given me is worth every ant I see, less-than-amazing shower I take, and precise grocery shopping list I write.

What would you be willing to give up to have freedom and peace of mind? Comment below! (And don’t forget to share!)