Things I’ll miss:

Things I won’t miss:

The Red Head I Live with and I have been traveling the country for the last year and a half in our motor home. Life on the road is interesting, to say the least. But unfortunately, whether it is health, money, or spirit of adventure dies, we all will leave full time RV life on the road behind at some point in time. The Red Head I Live with and I did that this week. We’ve landed in an apartment for the time being and we’re going to sell our motor home.Looking back, there were things I liked and things that I didn’t like. There are things I’ll miss and things I won’t miss. Here’s the rundown:1. Waking up to bird calls in the largest cottonwood forest in North America in Idaho.2. Seeing Bald Eagles soaring 50 feet above my head in Idaho and Iowa.3. Seeing new places every week.4. Making new friends at almost every stop.5. Wednesday afternoon pinochle games during winters in Arizona.6. Looking at the forecast to see how far north I can drive without crossing the 72-degree gradient.7. Meeting folks who know what it’s like to live in an RV full time.8. Sitting on a bench by a trout pond in Idaho and watching the fish jump.9. Having my own restroom with me wherever I go.10. Being able to work on the road.11. Gem World in Quartzsite, Arizona. The Red Head added this one!1. Living on top of the holding tanks. My life on the road has made me a big fan of modern plumbing.2. Flushing the toilet with my foot. Effective, but it just seems wrong.3. Crummy internet everywhere I went.4. Looking for EchoStar 14 every time I move my motor home. The Red Head I Live With is a big Utah Jazz Fan. There has been a certain amount of pressure on me to get the dish set up correctly and quickly in time for the game to start. I hate calling Dish to report my new address. It feels like they’re checking up on me.5. Backing a 40-foot motor home into a back-in slot after dark in a cold rain and having to decide if you are going to trust your eyes, your instincts, or your wife. When in doubt, choose your wife’s counsel. If not, she’s the only one that will say I told you so.6. Turning the hot water on 25 minutes before I’m ready to take a shower. Timing is the essence of success!7. Seeing friends you’ve just met, and you really like, hit the road. You know who you are.8. Not having anywhere to live while your RV gets work done and it always needs work!9. Having to find a new repair person in every town. Some are great; others, not so much. As a full time RVer, you are always vulnerable to the next repair person.10. Spending what seems like $1,000 a month on unexpected repairs. Everything is always at least $1,000 and will take a week. Then, the repairs always take twice as long and cost twice as much when they’re done while you have to live someplace else.11. Teeny, tiny showers that don’t fit someone with the torso of the Pillsbury Dough Boy.12. Fixing things every time I stop.All-in-all, it has been a great ride! I’m sorry to see it end. We’ve seen a lot of America, but not enough. We’ve met a lot of fun people, but not enough. Going forward, we will keep publishing The Golden Years Gazette and Anita’s blog – Knitting with Anita. Now, on to the next adventure.At least that’s the way I see it!The Senior Curmudgeon appears every Thursday on the Golden Years Magazine website.