This is a wonderful lifestyle but Mike and I have discovered that everybody has their own rhythm for making it work for them. There are indeed many different ways to full-time and we are still learning what works best for us. We want to travel and explore and enjoy this great country but family is also equally important. So we want to have a balance. That is the way a lot of our full-time friends do their travels. We also decided that we wanted to volunteer or workamp some along the way. We enjoy the learning that is usually involved with volunteering somewhere. Last September and October we volunteered at Hagerman NWR in Texas and that was an incredible learning experience. Doing the volunteer thing for a few months also helps the budget and enables us to pump that diesel fuel into the Dutch Star. It is a win-win situation.
Where am I going with this you might ask?? Well, we have accepted a camp host position at FDR State Park in Pine Mountain. 
This is not a new volunteer position for us. We have hosted at FDR twice before. FDR State Park is like home for Mike and I, a beautiful place of peace and serenity. It all happened quite by accident. Because we have this fondness for FDR we drive through the campground and walk around the lake quite often. On one of our visits we ran into one of the Park Rangers that we knew. We talked for awhile and found out that they had a need for a camp host for a few months this summer. They would love to have us return. We applied and accepted the position. So beginning June 1st we will get to return to our oasis and camp host. We are so excited. The only thing we would have done differently is we would have extended our time at Rainbow Plantation into March and rescheduled our doctor’s visits for April. Live and learn and that is just what we are doing.
So what is our rhythm? We really aren’t sure at this time. What is important to us is having quality time with our son, Stephen. This will probably bring us into his area for a couple months in spring which will encompass Easter, birthday and Mother’s Day. We definitely want to be in his area during the holidays - November and December.
We love spending time with our friends at Rainbow Plantation so for the next year or so we plan to spend our winters there. The rest of the time will be spent traveling/exploring and perhaps volunteering from time to time.
Thanks for stopping by and visiting our blog….we hope you have a great day.
Our rhythm is somewhat like yours. We have 2 kids and 2 "grands" in Tumwater and we need to go back there a few times a year. Like you we stay for November and December.
ReplyDeleteI think we would like to do some volunteer work but haven't figured out what, where or when yet. The NOMADS sound like our best bet so far.
Your time at the FDR will be interesting to write about and I'll be eager to read about it.
Have fun!
I have always thought that it would be an interesting experience to be a camp host, especially if you can do it at a park that you like and that's in an area that you like. I look forward to hearing your stories about hosting--the good AND the bad experiences.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a beautiful park. I'll be eager to hear more about your experiences and will definitely add this to our ever-expanding list of places to visit! We, too, look forward to finding our rhythm eventually. We don't yet know where we'll spend the winter, but are starting to look at options and will hopefully have something finalized soon. Take care and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! You ARE finding your rhythm and it's YOUR rhythm, what works for you. I knew you could do. :) Enjoy!
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