we’re moving into an rv. no, really.
I mean, there it is. Secret is out. Mic is dropped. We are moving into an RV starting this summer and traveling the country full-time with our family. SURPRISE!
Let me back up. Let me back way, way, way up.
You may recall last January when I officially declared myself done with blogging. At that time, I was eleventy billion years pregnant, we had recently moved into a newly built house and I was burned out with a capital B. I needed a massive break from blogging and social media and the internet in general. But you know all of this. And you also know the when and why of my decision to come back to blogging in this space. It bears repeating that I missed it because I missed the community (you guys!) and the recipes. These are things in my life that fuel me, both literally and figuratively, and I find so much joy in the creative process of food blogging that I decided to bring Girl Versus Dough back to the present in a new, more true-to-me way.
But the rest of my life? It wasn’t feeling right. My husband, Elliott, and I had been doing a lot of reflecting in the last year on our life, how it had gotten to what it is now and whether we were happy. Short answer: We were not.
Long answer?
(Oh just me taking a selfie in my new micro-bathroom, hair in top knot, no makeup on, saying hello. Hello!)
We needed a change. We needed to find a way to take our lives back into our own hands, on our own terms. We were both working hard at our jobs, taking care of two children, maintaining a big house, constantly feeling like we were spinning slowly out of control on the hamster wheel of The American Dream. Let me be clear: We put ourselves in that situation, and if all factors considered were favorable to us, we would still be living that lifestyle. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting The American Dream, and we were so, so grateful for our opportunities and very aware of our privileges. But to us, it wasn’t jiving with our values for our family.
We wanted more freedom, less stuff. More time, less hustle. More experiences, less stress.
We were entering our thirties feeling like we were in our eighties, just bone-tired at the end of each day wondering: What is this all for?
(Side note on these photos: These were taken with the slides IN, so there is more space in the RV than what you see, TRUST. Lord knows I need at least two more feet of space between the kitchen and the table. ;))
One of my best friends mentioned to me months back that she and her family are planning to live and travel in an RV full-time starting next year (2019), and at the time, I thought, “Oh, fun! Good for her.” And I didn’t consider for a single second more that I would do that with my family. But God works in funny ways, and the seed, unbeknownst to me, was planted.
So one day this winter, when Elliott came home from work and looked, as he often does, like the color of life was drained from his face because his job had taken all of his energy (he currently works as a physician assistant in an emergency room), we sat down and thought really hard about what needed to change in our life and how. And that’s when that planted seed first began to grow. “What if,” I said, “We moved into an RV?”
And here we are.
So, here’s what has happened since January, when we officially made this decision: We sold our house (!). We are working to sell all of our things. We bought a 27-foot Winnebago Class C and named him Harvey, and he is very ugly right now but I am planning to make him look more like home (sorry, Harvey, we love you!). We shared the news with our close friends and family and have received overwhelming support as well as criticism, but we are learning to accept this as part of the process as, understandably, this is a HUGE LIFE CHANGE and not everyone is warmed to the idea of it. We get it. It’s unconventional and risky and probably very “millennial” and avant-garde and heck, we are still trying to wrap our own heads around the whole thing. But at the core of it, it represents freedom — both financial and material — and adventure and travel, and a focus on time and family and being in nature and educating our children in a unique way, among so many other things that we truly value.
So we are chasing our own new American Dream.
Here’s what still needs to happen: We still need to sell just about everything. We need to fully plan our travel route for the next few months. We need to renovate the RV (OK, not need to, but definitely want to/will). We need to move out of our house (!). Plus a million other tiny details that need to fall into place to make this happen. It’s an extremely thought-intensive process with a necessity for planning and strategy, but thankfully Elliott and I thrive on all of those things. We love love love planning and organizing and optimizing. #nerds.
Now you’re wondering, OK, but what are you actually going to be doing while on the road? I am going to be blogging here, as well as on our new TBD blog that will focus on our new lifestyle (more info to come on that once we have it all figured out!). Yes, that means I need to learn how to cook and bake in a VEHICLE. So that’ll be interesting/hopefully fun. I am hoping I can keep the premise of this blog as consistent with “normal” kitchen standards as possible, but that’s something that will have to develop on its own as we get out there and give it a go. Just know that I’m not planning to turn Girl Versus Dough into Girl Versus Grill and Camp Stove and Propane Oven (though I’m sure there will be many tiffs between me and all of those things). I also am going to continue my job with General Mills on a remote basis, something for which I am extremely grateful. That part of things was especially bittersweet for me, as I truly love my job and my co-workers and it will be hard to leave behind the recipe development portion of my job for now. But I am so happy I will be able to keep ties with them in a new way while on the road.
Elliott, on the other hand, will no longer be working as a physician assistant (obviously). Instead, he’ll be focusing his energies on a new business we’ve started (yes, something ELSE that is under wraps for now, but I promise to share more very soon!) as well as the new lifestyle blog we are creating. He also will be doing more behind-the-scenes work for GVD, and I am SO HAPPY about that. It’s a bit of a hot mess on this side of the screen when it comes to everything but, well, the content. So I’m hopeful he can keep the gears working well in the background of this blog.
So… yikes. Sigh. Whew. I’m so glad to get all of that off my chest. I could keep writing about the whens and whats and hows and whys of all of this for a literal age but I will spare you the novel. I am sure you have a million questions and I would love to answer them — really! So please, if you have any questions at all, ask away in the comments and I plan to respond in a Q&A-style post soon. Once the new lifestyle blog is up and running, we’ll be sharing more details on everything over there, too, so stay tuned for that. Until then, we’ll be furiously packing and purging and planning and pinching ourselves as we ask ourselves for likely the 400th time, “Are we really doing this?”
Yes, yes we are. And we are ready.
This is so exciting! I dream about being able to work remote and travel all the time haha not that I think it will ever happen but I’m always happy when I see that other people are able to do this 🙂 I’ve been reading the Mavis the Airstream blog/website, you might find it interesting. Good luck with everything!
Thank you so much! I’ll have to check out Mavis the Airstream. 🙂
That is so wonderful!! I cannot wait to read of your adventures and also travel friendly recipes.
Thank you so much, K!
Holy cow, SO excited for you! I totally understand where you are coming from on all fronts and I can’t wait to follow along with this adventure!
Thanks so much, Abby! xoxo
What an exciting adventure! I, myself, am super keen to see the ‘after’ photos for how you’ll be turning the camper van into a home. All the best for your next chapter, all the way from South Africa.
Alet — Yes, “after” photos to come! 🙂 Thank you so much!
I’M SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS YOU BEAUTIFUL HEROES!!!! ILLINOIS FOR MONTHS PLEASE 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 !!!!
YOU SMELL LIKE PINE NEEDLES AND HAVE A FACE LIKE SUNSHINE
I think you guys are just starting to LIVE the American dream. What an incredible gift to give to your children. I can not wait to read about all your adventures!
Thanks so much, Rebekah! We are hopeful this will be an especially memorable experience for our children. <3
This is wonderful! Can’t wait to ride along!
Thank you, Mary!
TAKE ME! TAKE ME! ; )
Lol, let’s start a caravan! 😉
Wow! Sounds FABULOUS! Can’t wait for the other surprises.
Thank you so much, Tiff!
I’m SO SO SO excited for you guys!!! This will be amazing. I’ve wanted to do this for a while, but not brave enough to do it on my own quite yet. Maybe one day! Can not WAIT to follow along on your RV adventures 🙂
Thanks so much, Rachel! I can’t wait to share our adventures. 🙂
congrats on the move and I commend you two on your bravery! very envious…
Thank you so much, Matthew!
I am so excited for you! This will be a fantastic adventure!
Thanks, Marian!
I know SO many families that have opted to do this very thing, and not even ONE regret!! If you need info on homeschooling the kiddos, let me know, as I have 25 years experience!!
So, good for you!!! Congrats and prayers on this new season of life!!
Oh, I will DEFINITELY need advice on homeschooling when the time comes. I’ll keep you in mind, for sure. Thanks, Saralee!
I lived in an RV out of state for a few months, no traveling while my husband worked. I’m sure you will enjoy it, maybe write a cookbook, on your adventures? Best wishes.
Yes! We are open to any new opportunities that might come out of this. 🙂 Thanks, Karen!
good for all of you. I guess you took the red pill or the blue pill…I forgot. lol many times I have said, do you own a house or the house owns you?
great choice, many memories to be made!
Lol 🙂 I don’t remember which pill it was either, but in any case, we are ready for a new reality. Thanks, Karl!
Your family is doing what mine wishes we could do! Unfortunately, it is not in the cards for us, so I’ll be living vicariously through you. Can’t wait to read all about the adventures!
Thanks, Stephanie! We are excited to share our adventures.
Fabulous!!!!!!! Wishing you and your family the happiest, most interesting and exciting “road trip” ever. I’ll continue to stay tuned. If you’re ever in Pinehurst NC, stop by!!!!!
Thank you so much, Patricia! We will keep Pinehurst in mind! 🙂
Good for you! You’re doing the right thing. You will give your children great great memories, and that is our job as parents.
Thank you so much, Paul! That means a lot.
I am excited to read all about the process!! And the NEW blog!! 😀 Congratulations! There will be many living vicariously through you!
Thank you so much, MaryEllen! We are so appreciative of the support.
WOW!! This was a BIG surprise. CONGRATULATIONS on your new endeavor. Pray it is even better than what you all are expecting it to be. Sometimes stuff gets in the way of what life should be.
BLESSINGS!!!
Thank you so much, Charlotte. Prayers are so appreciated!
Girl, I’m SO happy and excited for you and I wish you all the very best for a safe and wonderful trip! I know we’ve lost touch, but I’m THRILLED to see your growing family and how you’re doing.
Stephanie, many people go through life wishing their lives were different and not doing anything to make it so, but kudos to you and Elliott for taking the bull by the horns and doing something about it! How exciting! You both will do what’s right for your family and it will all come together as it already is. These are going to be memories to last you all a lifetime and I wish you nothing but the best!
Hugs, girl!!
Thank you, lady! Your comment is so meaningful to me. Thank you, thank you. Hugs to you, too! xoxo
This is bold, and brave, and terribly exciting! I look forward to reading all about your adventures and seeing the country through your unique perspective!
Thank you, Kelly!
This is AWESOME and I am so excited for you!!! I can’t wait to follow along and hear about all of your adventures!!
Thank you so much, Jessie!
Oh, this is amazing! When you’re in Middle Tennessee and the Nashvile area you’re more than welcome to stop at my house and sleep in a big bed and use a real shower! Seriously! We love company!
Ha, I will LOVE the chance for a big bed and a real shower now and then. 😉 Thanks, Cas!
This is so exciting! It’s honestly probably something I would NEVER want to do myself, but I’m very excited to follow along as you guys follow your dreams. 🙂 I hope it goes well for you guys!
Lol, it’s def not for everyone! 😉 But thanks, Sara! So glad your single-serve chocolate chip cookie will fit in the RV oven. 😉
Best of luck… can’t wait to follow you on your travels here! 🙂
Thanks so much, Jada!
Wow, friend! This is super exciting! I will be praying over this transition for y’all and I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in your family! <3 XO
Thank you so much, friend! Your prayers have always been appreciated. xo
holy cow! I never saw this coming, but I’m so happy for you guys! What a big adventure awaits! And such good life memories! Love you guys!!! Can’t wait to see/hear/read more!
Thank you, lady! We’ll let you know when we make it down to Texas. xoxo
Wow, you guys. This is huge. I can’t wait to hear more about your plans. And please stop by Iowa City. ?
YES. We miss you guys!
I do have a practical question: When you do something like that, what gets listed as your residence? I ask because of mail issues, tax payouts, even property taxes. Cell phones at least go with you, though to get billed, you need a residence, right? “RV travelling” probably doesn’t cut it.
I am too old for such a venture (though I have been tempted) but these questions really do percolate. Reminds me of the old Seinfeld episode where Kramer tried to stop the mail and the USPS wouldn’t let him.
Good luck with this next phase. I hope you find it satisfying. For sure you will be learning and experiencing new things pretty often.
GOOD questions. There are ways to declare a domicile so you’re able to have a “residence” so to speak without an official address. Something we are still working out right now. Love the Seinfeld reference, haha. 🙂 Thanks for your well wishes!
Hey, I hear you on the 30’s burn-out feeling. I think a lot of it is that parenting is just *exhausting*. No one tells you that before you have kids. This is a really cool idea BUT…I’m worried for your mental health. Tiny homes have been proven to actually stress people out. And I live in small apartment with two kids currently, and the lack of space is KILLING us as we house-hunt in vain (and I’m not someone that wants a huge house, just more than 700 sq ft). They wake each other up from naps and bed early, they bounce off the walls on rainy days, when my husband works from home, they yell and scream and go crazier because everyone’s home and they get overexcited. It’s much harder for him to get work done, and we actually have doors to close. What about when you’re cooking and doing dishes trying to meet a deadline while the kids are trying to nap or sleep a few feet away? I know I’m raining on your parade, but I’m living in a tiny space with two kids near lots of nature and we are NOT happy either. I’m just a bit worried for you! Maybe you can find some Air BnB’s or something like that along the way when you need more room.
Birch — Thank you for your comment. These are all things we’ve thought about with great concern when we decided to take this leap. We know this new lifestyle is going to bring up a whole new set of challenges for us, but we also know that it will give us opportunities that we didn’t have before, even with a house with lots of space. It’s going to be an adventure in so many ways, but we are willing to give it a try (and also willing to decide that it’s not for us if that ends up being the case). Thanks for your honesty and YES, hotels or friends’ homes here and there will help give us breathing room every once in a while. 🙂 xo
I’m a 69yo Australian living my dream of a gypsy lifestyle with my Minnesotan hubby in Oz. I love one-pot cooking, baking in our Cobb Cooker, also slow-cooking in our Dream Pot which is non-electrical. Good luck with your new and exciting venture.
Thank you, Maggie!
That is so wonderful. We have thought about that but now probably to old to do it. But so excited for you. Can hardly wait to read all your news.
Thank you so much, Lucille!
We lived in an RV for 6 years before medical issues encouraged our thinking of moving from Canyon Lake Texas into San Antonio near the VA Audie Murphy Hospital. There are plenty of reasons to enjoy it, and now I think I’m ready to think about living on a sailboat but that will come far down the road we’re on now.
Enjoy!
Hi Gregory, thank you so much for your comment! It’s been so rewarding to think about new ways to live. We look forward to experiencing the reasons to enjoy this lifestyle. 🙂
Such an exciting adventure for your family! 🙂 There’s a family from my church that moved into an RV last summer. I know it’s been filled with both unexpected joys and challenges, but overall, they are very happy they took the plunge! Looking forward to following along!
Thank you, Laura! Always helpful to know about others who are doing it and enjoying it even amidst the challenges. Hope you are well! xo
Awesome!! Tom and I dream of doing the same thing in the coming years, Lord willing!
Would LOVE to have you visit if you are ever passing through central IL.
Hiiii! I hope you guys CAN do this when the time is right for you. And we will unquestionably be dropping in if we pass through your neck of the woods. xo
Wowowow this is so big! Congrats and good luck on making such a big decision! I cannot WAIT to follow along 🙂 xo
Thank you, Kelsey! 🙂
Good luck to you & your family.Cant wait to read about your travels.We are retired and in the process of downsizing & selling our home to start full time rving.
Yay! Best of luck to you, too!
I think this is the NEW American dream. Getting rid of things that hold us back and seeking more adventure in our lives! Congratulations to you and your family! Sure there will be set backs and things that you can’t control but take it all in stride and love every single moment good and bad. I’m excited for you and a bit jealous.
Can’t wait to read more!
“Life’s like a road that you travel on
When there’s one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend sometimes you stand Sometimes you turn your back to the wind There’s a world outside every darkened door Where blues won’t haunt you anymore
Where the brave are free and lovers soar Come ride with me to the distant shore
We won’t hesitate break down the garden gate
There’s not much time left today
Life is a highway
I want to ride it all night long
If you’re going my way I want to drive it all night long”
Read more: Tom Cochrane – Life Is A Highway Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Thank you, thank you, so much. <3
I’m SO happy that you have made this decision. I have been following a tiny house blogger for a long time and last year they decided to do the same thing as you – Mom, Dad, two very young children and a Great Dane!! I think you could find a lot of useful information by checking out their pages:
http://www.learningthelongway.com
http://www.instagram.com/learningthelongway/
They’ve been gone quite a while so you can get route ideas as well.
My husband and I just spent our first winter down in South Carolina to escape our horrible winters in way northern NY. We found a few websites and apps that were extremely helpful. One is a site you pay to join ($40) called “HarvestHosts.com”. It’s awesome!! The site is made up of hundreds of different businesses (private and gov’t) that let you go and stay overnight for free. They include wineries, vineyards, farms, gov’t buildings, etc. We stayed at a vineyard in North Carolina and had a wonderful time. They let us use their electricity which many of them do. It’s a win, win for everyone – we enjoyed a bottle or two of wine and had a wonderful nights sleep in their parking area. You are not obligated to purchase anything at all which is nice as well. There is a farm we will stay at on the way back south this year. You get to feed the baby calves and enjoy seeing a big farm in action. They also have a farm store with all of their own milk, cheese, eggs, butter and their very own ice cream :). That’s in Maryland. These are just a couple of examples of what you can find. There’s another site
called “BoondockersWelcome.com”. It’s also a site you join, but well worth it. It’s made up of a community of RV’ers who share their own home parking spaces with you overnight for free. Then there are the apps “Campendium” and “Park Advisor” which are great as well.
As a side note, I absolutely loved cooking in our travel trailer. We cooked almost every night or grilled out whenever we felt like it. I also baked a lot and everything came out beautifully. It’s really no different then cooking in a house. Just a little smaller quarters. Best of luck to you and your family on your new adventure!
Ginny, this is SO helpful, thank you! We have heard of Harvest Hosts and are looking into programs like that to see if any are a good fit. I love the idea of HH! Will check out Boondockers Welcome, too. And I’m so glad to hear your cooking/baking went well in the trailer. I’ve been worried about this but your comment has eased some of my fears. Thank you again. 🙂
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I love this idea. We love RVing and I too cook and cake. Yes it can be done in an RV. Get yourself a Dutch Oven, they are amazing. so many recipes you can make. I have made many a cakes on the road with one, pineapple upside down, peach melba cake, not to mention peach french toast, stews, roasts. It’s an amazing adventure. Good luck.
Yes! So good to hear. I would be sad if I couldn’t bake while on the road. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I think that’s AWESOME!! Enjoy!!
Thank you so much!
When I was a kid/teenager my family all over the country with a travel trailer. I hated it because it was impossible to keep and maintain friendships. How will your girls make friends, learn to socialize with peers, etc? Will they ever be able to play on a sport’s team, take music lessons, swimming lessons, dance lessons, etc? Will they be able to have relationships with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other extended families? Obviously, no one can visit and stay with you. How will that work?
Best of luck to you and your children.
Hi Jeanine,
I appreciate your honest comment and concerns. We have given great consideration to the care of our children through this new lifestyle — in fact, they are our top priority. Never would we have decided to make this transition if we felt it would have any negative effect on their livelihood, education, personal and social growth, etc. Our kids are very young — 4 and 1 — so they’re at the prime ages for flexibility and learning by doing and experiencing, and what better way to give them the experience of a lifetime than by exploring the country? We have plans to stay with extended family many times throughout our travels, in fact, family that we rarely (if ever) get to see when we are stationary. And we do have space to accommodate people to stay with us in the RV if desired, though any visitors most certainly will have the space to bring their own tent/RV/etc. I am so sorry to hear your experience with full-time travel was not enjoyable for you, but we intend to take into account every single consideration for the well-being of our children as we take this leap. Thank you again for your comment and your well wishes.
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Woohoo!!! I am so excited for you and your family! My mom and I are doing the same thing right now and we LOVE it! We’ve been on the road for over a year and can’t wait to keep going. My dachshund, Phoebe, is on the road with us too and she has a blast! It was fun for us to learn as we traveled so I won’t offer a ton of suggestions or tips but here are two that could save some time and money – if you plan on watching local TV and you need a satellite do some research and think about getting it mounted on your RV. And save some storage room for a heated hose. We needed one in Texas (of all places) and it really came in handy when the weather was chilly! We’ll be cheering you on from our RV!
So fun! Thank you so much for those tips! We’ve already learned quickly that just because we are in a place that’s “supposed” to be warm, it isn’t always, and you need to be prepared. 🙂 Maybe we’ll see you on the road!