Perpetual Travelers

[winger]

We sold our house in Texas in 2006, and have traveled in an RV since. We are slow travelers, left south Texas in early April to be in Maine by August 1. Or so. Right now, we are in Ohio Amish country.

2014 was a decision year. Our old RV was showing the miles. We bought a new RV over the winter, and our travels continue. It's not your father's 1964 20' camper, and wherever we are parked is "home" to us.

We often discuss buying property or a small home somewhere, just haven't looked seriously at any area. Maybe someday........... We expect something in life will limit our travel in the future, and give us a reason to stop.

[H2ODude]

Interesting thread. Dispels the impression one sometimes gets that all retirees who can, travel all the time. With both kids and grandchildren overseas, we've done a lot of flying, to the point that it really is not attractive to me at all (DW is more tolerant). DD and 4 GC are returning to a 5 hour drive from here, so one incentive gone. DS and 1 GC still overseas, but we'll likely make that 30 hour jaunt only once a year.

We'd likely do more 4-5 day drives, but the pets make impromptu travel tough. Have discovered the pet sitters who come stay, but in itself is a hassle to some degree.

I think travel, like moving once retired, is something that beckons some more than others. You just have to decide what it really is you want and makes you happy. And my motto once I quit was "if it don't make me smile I don't do it"

[kcowan]

I think the nesting instinct is really strong. People seem to have a need to store their stuff even if they never use it from one year to the next. Yes an RV can serve that purpose and forces you to be a minimalist by space. We always thought we could travel more once our family obligations were completed (2008) and we do, plus we have seriously got rid our stuff. But we still enjoy having a place to go as our home base. I can understand why celebrities end up owning multiple homes. It seems to be a natural human condition. Even pop groups who have to be on the road all year have their places.

Kramer and the Terhorsts seem to be the norm. They start out with great plans to PT but then establish one or two home bases. I recall the Terhorsts bases were in Argentina and the US, while for Kramer it is The Philippines and California.

[Sarah in SC]

We "boat tested" the PT lifestyle in our mid 20s with a three month live aboard time in the Bahamas.
I'm not ashamed to admit that after 4-5 weeks, I was counting down the time til I could come home to my own house again. It was a good and relatively inexpensive lesson for us, and we know now that our travels will always have an end and we will want a home base.

Since then, we've taken a few longer trips, one that was 8-9 weeks and a couple that were 6 weeks or so, but knowing we are coming home makes them less anxious for me.

I love my multiple pets, my quiet house, and close friends too much to be gone indefinitely.

And, that introvert thing!

[Fermion]

We have finished building our RV and will be starting the perpetual traveler lifestyle as soon as we sell our house. Essentially the RV is a tiny house, with just a smaller version of things we have in our home and a much larger back yard.

I don't know if we will like it or hate it. I do know we have spent weeks camping and hiking, living in tents. We spent 3 months in Ireland a couple years back on a work assignment and it was a blast. We don't have any children and have lived in the same state for too long (20 years). The world is big and life is pretty short. Having to spend precious days or weeks traveling back to a home base seems like a big waste of time.

I am very open to renting a house for a few months at a stretch, especially in places like Alaska (winter, too cold for RV) or in the Florida Keys where there is little parking. If you rent for 6 months then move to another location, is that still permanent traveling?

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fermion I am very open to renting a house for a few months at a stretch, especially in places like Alaska (winter, too cold for RV) or in the Florida Keys where there is little parking. If you rent for 6 months then move to another location, is that still permanent traveling?

It still is. It's because you do not stay long enough at a permanent place for you to set roots and to accumulate "stuff".

[walkinwood]

There seems to be this thought out there that if you ER, you must travel a lot. Or if you travel, you must want to be a perpetual traveler.

One of our surprises in ER is just how much we love being at home. Not home bound, but doing things while living at home.. oh- you know what I mean. However, by standards of working people, we do travel a lot.

I would like to, some day, give up the house and spend a few years living in different interesting places for a few months at a time. DW isn't sold on it yet.

[truenorth418]

I love traveling. But...

When I was working, I found that I was frustrated with the limited time I had to travel. Also, travel had a significant "escape" benefit to it. I couldn't wait to get away, and I hated to return home and back to the grind of work.

In retirement, I truly value the freedom to travel wherever and whenever I please. And I intend to see all parts of the world over the next few years. But I have been surprised that without the need to "escape", I do not feel the burning need to get away and I am no longer sad to return home as I was during my working years. I still love to get away, but I find myself getting a little stir crazy and lonely being on the road after a while. I did not expect this.


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[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by walkinwood I would like to, some day, give up the house and spend a few years living in different interesting places for a few months at a time. DW isn't sold on it yet.

We are on that already. One 16 yo cat that ties us down. But all the parents and siblings have passed. So maybe 3 months in each of four places, two of which we own. And the other two rented in various exotic places each year. The internet has really made that easy.

[jetpack]

I have so many places I want to visit, I just hate the traveling part of it all. Even a few hours on a plane get to me.. and don't get me started about the airport.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetpack I have so many places I want to visit, I just hate the traveling part of it all. Even a few hours on a plane get to me.. and don't get me started about the airport.

Too true. +1

(Which is why we utilize repositioning cruises whenever possible.)

[Danmar]

Once we are free of parental obligations. (3 of 4 still alive and in need of considerable help) I think we would like to "live" in exotic places for a month or two at a time. Probably off season, maybe, Italy, South East Asia, Scandinavia, UK, Ireland, etc. Agree that flying and airports are not fun.