Travels Of A Solo RVer With Marcelle Phene

I started full-time RVing for a lot of reasons, I was really looking for a total lifestyle change in many ways. I’ve always loved to travel but am also a total creature of structure and home habits. When I travel I always want to take my regular routine with me, but find it’s hard to do when you don’t have your regular stuff with you. Plus, I love to cook and am a nutrition coach, so having my own kitchen when I travel plays a huge role in my happiness. I also was beginning to feel overwhelmed by stuff. Finding more simplicity and minimalism mentality in my life has been a big part of wanting to downsize into a smaller living space and streamline my goals and values. After considering all of this, moving into an RV just seemed like the right fit.

Staying Small On The Road

When the time came for me to buy my home on wheels I went with a 24′ Gulf Stream Conquest (Class C). I found that these small Class C’s were the most bang for your buck after looking at Class B units which were much more expensive. I didn’t want anything too big because it’s just me and I want to be as mobile as possible.

My Careers On The Road

Fortunately, my work life before moving into an RV was already set-up to be pretty much 100% location independent. I already had two established self-employed businesses that function predominately from my laptop. I am a transformational nutrition coach and work with clients 1-on-1 over the phone and I maintain a weekly blog. My other business is working as a consultant for fertilizer regulations with companies that manufacture or distribute fertilizer on a large scale. It’s regulatory work so I don’t ever have to make farm visits or anything like that = lots of flexibility.

My Favorite Moments

So far, my favorite experience has been meeting up with a friend and her family in an unusual situation. I’m from CA and have this wonderful friend who lives in the city I was living in before RVing. She vacations every year with her 3 boys and husband in the state of New York with her parents, where she is from. So thousands of miles away from our normal environment, she invited me to come and visit with them while they were there. The timing worked out perfectly and I was able to spend a week with her whole family! It was the most relaxing and rejuvenating experience I’ve had thus far. Being on the road can get lonely and I miss quality time with my friends more than anything else. Being able to spend this precious time with her and her wonderful family was such a blessing. Not to mention, they all knew the area so it was like having a personal tour guide! I got to see and swim in some amazing waterfalls. Something I probably wouldn’t have done without her.

My Tips For You

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve whacked my head on those enormous side view mirrors! I’m finally learning to collapse them once I park!

Check out Campendium, RV Parky, and Roadtrippers apps. These 3 tools have been lifesavers for helping me plan my routes, stays, and ideas for fun things to see and do along the way!

Going With The Flow

I don’t have a timeline or a plan (for once!). I will full-time until I decide it’s no longer a good fit for me, could be months, could be years! Next for me is making my way back towards CA and my hometown to be near friends and family for the holidays and my big 30th birthday!