Lifestyle – Living Single in Retirement

There has been an enormous growth in the RV industry this past year. After living through the 2020 pandemic and being isolated at home for a year, a lot of us are itching to travel. Older Women who are in their retirement years are asking the question, “Can I buy an RV and become a nomad?” There are many older women who own and travel in a variety of RV’s (Recreational Vehicles). Whether it’s a big Class A or a smaller Van, even if it's not self contained. Some of these older women live full time in their RV and are called Nomads. Other women only travel part-time and continue to maintain a home-base. You can learn more about why some choose this lifestyle, from this very popular new movie called Nomadland. What is an RV Lifestyle? An RV lifestyle is when one or more people live in an RV and travel from place to place either part-time or full-time. RV’s can be vans, small or large recreational vehicles, travel trailers, buses and even box vans that have been converted to become self contained. What is a Nomad? A nomad is someone who wanders, moves around, instead of living in one place. The nomad community compares having a “sticks and bricks” home versus having a home on wheels. Many full time nomads follow the sun. They like to travel to locations that have constant temperatures in the 70’s. What is a Nomad Lifestyle? Living a nomad lifestyle is a choice. It usually starts with a person making a decision to live on the road. This requires a shift from living in a house to living out of an RV, a van or other vehicle. Some nomads even live out of cars. Notice the words “out of”. Nomads will tell us that they don’t live in their RV’s they live outside. This provides them with a new back or front yard view every time they change locations. It is also one of the reasons they choose this lifestyle. Are Nomads homeless? A nomad is not homeless. They are houseless, without a fixed, physical address. Depending on where a nomad will travel to next, they often will use a mail forwarding service and have mail sent from their home state to where they are currently located. Can you RV and not become a nomad? The answer is yes, you certainly can. There are many senior women who like to travel in their RV but still maintain their sticks and bricks home. One such senior, named Terry, discovered that she likes to travel and follow the sun and then go back home. A full time nomad life is not for her. https://youtu.be/Za02IK8vZ5w What are the advantages to being a Nomad? Opportunities to travelLearning to live on lessUsually cost less than rentLive a compact life Make lots of new friendsCan join many communitiesEnhanced living through new experiencesGo anywhere the road takes youLearn new culturesEat new foodsParticipate in festivalsSee beautiful wildlifeFollow the sun According to some estimates, ⅓ of all RVer’s are Solo Women. What are the disadvantages to being a Nomad? Moving all the timeSometimes a lack of private spaceCan become lonelySpace inside is limitedPrice of gas fluctuatesA budget is requiredMust save money for the unexpectedDownsizing can costRepairs may be neededConstant cleaning What are the challenges of becoming a Nomad? Planning ahead for a moveEstablishing a routineStaying organizedChoosing your communityResearching your next locationEating healthyGetting exerciseBecoming good at packing What is the best RV for older women? When choosing the best RV as an older woman, you must take into consideration access and movement. How much lifting, pulling, pushing and labor will be required of you as you live in that RV. Is there enough storage and can you reach it? Some older women have said that they just cannot do any heavy tasks any longer. No worries. They know the importance of purchasing a very good maintenance plan and have access to people who can help them. That’s one positive about making friends in the nomad community. They help each other. Another important consideration when choosing an RV is to choose one that you feel safe in. Can you get in the driver's seat quickly and leave if necessary? Check out Kathy’s rig and how she travels. https://youtu.be/p-e8bM-976Y Resources For Solo Women RVers Robin from Creativity RV shares why she became a nomad and shares some information about how to start an RV life. Her book and videos will help you decide if this lifestyle might be right for you. https://youtu.be/XcOTIbGkE0I Another Resource Another YouTuber that has much to offer single, senior women who are interested in the RV, Nomad lifestyle is Amber of Story Chasing. Here she talks about her last 4 years on the road and the many experiences she’s had, good and bad. At the time of this writing she tells us that she just turned 50 (which she doesn’t look like). She is an inspiration to all women who want to travel solo and shows us how it can be done.