The Full-Timing Nomad: Not All Full-timers are Bums

Life as a full-time RVer always leads to interesting conversations with people who just can’t seem to wrap their heads around the concept of being mobile without having any hard and fast commitments in a specific location, on a specific date. Holiday gatherings are an especially fun time to watch friends and family’s reactions when they make polite conversation with me, the family oddball, by asking: 

“So, where are you off to next?” 

To which I usually reply “Well, wherever it’s warm and sunny.” 

When the inevitable long pause happens I can see the gears in their brain working overtime as they blankly stare at me and try to make sense of my lifestyle. 

“So you just go. . . wherever?” they ask. 

“Well, pretty much,” I say. 

As the conversation inevitably and abruptly ends I can’t help but chuckle. Living an unconventional life always takes some explaining to do and I see it as my duty to dispel the all-too-common myth that people who choose to live and work on the road are shiftless, lazy bums. You see, it’s really quite the opposite for most of us. 

Non-retired full-timers are some of the most entrepreneurial and hard-working citizens I know. To live comfortably and pay the bills as a younger full-timer requires a hefty dose of gumption. Instead of  settling into a stationary job with a bi-weekly paycheck that lures us out of bed every day, we work twice as hard to have the best of both worlds; an adventurous life all year long – and a comfortable income.  To achieve this means putting out a little extra elbow grease to earn a decent living. If we run a small business, finding new clients and marketing services online is never-ending, daily chore. If we choose to earn money through seasonal employment, we’re constantly on the lookout for next-season’s best opportunities. And if we run a business and work seasonally, as Jim and I do, there’s never a day when we’re not maintaining our multiple revenue streams. 

Jim and I work harder than we ever did, even when we had our own small business in a fixed location, but the rewards of doing what we love from the road are superior to anything we can imagine. For example, this week we’ll head out to the Southern California desert for a small gathering of other full-timing friends who work from the road. Our small social circle consists of professionals from 25 to 65 years old who work in fields ranging from accounting to software development and jewelry making to high-end tattooing. Sure, we’d rather spend our afternoons doing fun “rally” types of activities together, but since we don’t get paid if we don’t work, most of us will put in an honest day in our chosen profession. 

However, when our work day is over, instead of checking-out in front of the television as most working people do, we’ll gather for good times around the campfire. Inevitably some unforgettable happy memories will be created that week and as we each go our separate ways when it’s over, we’ll take our friendships online until the next time our paths converge somewhere in North America.  

Yes, you can have the best of both worlds. The full-timing lifestyle is a perfect example of that.

Rene Agredano

Rene Agredano and her husband, Jim Nelson, became full-time RVers in 2007 and have been touring the country ever since. In her blog, Rene chronicles the ins and outs of the full-timing life and brings readers along to meet the fascinating people and amazing places they visit on the road. Her road trip adventures are chronicled in her blog at LiveWorkDream.com.