It's no secret that a while ago, my family made the difficult decision to move out of our four-bedroom farmhouse. We decided to leave the 2 1/2 bath, 2400 Sq. Ft. home for a more affordable option. We moved into a two-bedroom, one-bath, 300 Sq. Ft. RV situated in the pasture of the farm. We rented the farmhouse to a lady who keeps her horse on the farm. So, we can see our old home from the RV, and we get the added bonus of sharing the pasture with horses, chickens, and roosters.
The move has gone swimmingly. We have learned to maneuver our small quarters so much so that we're considering downsizing again.
I am just kidding. Since our move, our daughter, Paola, has grown a foot a week. Well, maybe not that much, but she went from a 12-year-old little girl with pigtails and braces to a 14-year-old young lady with long black flowing hair and braces. I think she doubled in size. In any case, she no longer fits in any of the four bunk beds in her small, but quaint, bedroom.
It's quite sad that all the child is asking for is a comfortable bed. I told her she is spoiled rotten. I mean there are children somewhere I'm sure who don't have a bed. She has a pull-out couch after all!
Today, my husband came in with the groceries while Paola was still asleep on the pull-out couch. There's a problem with this because the pull-out couch reaches the refrigerator, and there is no way to open the refrigerator door when the sofa is in the sleeping position. Who am I kidding? Most of the groceries wouldn't fit in the refrigerator anyway! I told him to take the groceries out to the other fridge that we keep in the barn. The only problem with that refrigerator is the door falls off of it. Honestly! Such issues are so minor in the scheme of things.
Okay, so here we are on year two in the cramped living space. It was supposed to be a maximum of one year. However, circumstances have prevented us from moving back into the farmhouse just yet.
There are things I have learned about living in an RV. My friend used to RV a lot, and she always joked, "If the trailer is rocking, don't come knocking!" That's true. I'll leave it at that.
Our shower-head mysteriously decided to only allow water out of two holes. Have you ever taken a two-hole shower? That water pressure is brutal! It felt like a thousand little stinging bees pelting you into the teeny tiny corner. Luckily, I watched a commercial about the miracle product, CLR. Wouldn't you know it, it does work! We now have a shower that no longer leaves lesions, but you have to be a midget to use it. I'm the only one who fits under the shower in our family. It's a source of great pride for me.
Speaking of the bathroom, I cannot even go here - no pun intended. There was the time when the toilet kept backing up, and we couldn't use it for weeks on end. Unfortunately, the toilet backed up after the port-a-potty was taken out of the pasture. Luckily, we had McDonald's right down the street.
The toilet cannot be plunged because it is not that kind of toilet. We resorted to buying a shop vac and vacuuming it out. Now, if that doesn't make you want to puke, I don't know what will! Not only was I missing a pot to piss in, but I didn't even have a toilet to puke in! I'm happy to report that we solved the problem, though, and can now sit on the throne with the door shut if you're short. If you're tall, you have to close the bedroom door, leave the bathroom door open and hang your feet out.
Why don't sheets stay on the bed in the master bedrooms of RVs - just wondering? Oh, and don't ever forget about the overhead storage in the master bedroom - especially when the trailer is rocking! I'll just leave it at that.
Climbing into bed at night takes on a whole new meaning in an RV. You literally have to "climb" into bed. I think Paola has it easier. All she has to do is move the couch cushions and pull out the bed, and she's there. Her dad and I, on the other hand, have to move the computer chair away from the bathroom sink and fold it up in the corner. Then, I have to enter the bed from the foot of the bed before Bill. My climbing onto the bed first is essential because our master bedroom TV takes up half of the foot of the bed. Otherwise, I cannot get to "my side" of the bed - although I believe "side" is an oxymoron. There is a minuscule space on either side of the bed that is supposed to serve as a path. Unfortunately, that path is no longer available because our computer printer and my guitar are on my side, and a bookshelf is on Bill's side.
As I was saying, I have to climb into bed first from the foot of the bed on Bill's side and move diagonally to my side. Try doing this after knee surgery when one knee is entirely out of commission! It's hell when I have to go to the bathroom at night - especially if the stupid fold-up chair has unfolded.
I looked up "RV" in Wikipedia just for the heck of it. Here's their definition: "a recreational vehicle equipped for camping out while traveling." We're traveling, alright. We're going from here to there. Here is where we are because of our choices. I made a choice, and my family agreed to sacrifice by downsizing. We sacrificed so that I could leave my salaried teaching job to follow a dream. My dream was to run a program for special needs adults so that they could experience empowerment through employment.
I am so blessed to have a family that supported this decision, and I'm so lucky to be running such a program, Exceptional Entrepreneurs. I know that here in this RV is not where we want to be forever. I know that my spoiled rotten child deserves a better bed. I frequently have to remind Paola that this experience is building character. Then, I tell her that it is the road less traveled that will give us all stories to tell, laughs, and perhaps some tears along the way.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
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