Laying low in Lake Havasu and the worst part of RV living

Four weeks ago today we arrived back in my hometown of Lake Havasu City, AZ.  We had spent a month there back in November/December and needed to return to install the trailer parts that didn’t show up in time during our last stay.  It was an excellent excuse to spend some more time with my family and enjoy a little more desert weather before beginning our travels through the Eastern Sierras.  We showed up thinking we’d stay for a week or two and then continue on.  Well, that plan backfired and we ended up spending close to another month living at my dad’s shop.

I’ll back up for a moment and say that I haven’t been inspired to write this post.  In fact, I thought about skipping it altogether.  This post doesn’t have a bunch of pretty pictures.  There are no sunsets, no wild places, no exploration.  I’ve found over the last five months living on the road that you only want to share the highlights but doing so leads to a misconception that full-time travel is nothing but good times.  In reality, it’s not that different than stationery life.  There are highs and lows, good days and bad.  They just come with a different view and a smaller space to work within.

So what have we been up to the last few weeks and why don’t I want to write about it?  We’ve both been sick.  Really, really sick.  Back before we began this lifestyle, getting sick on the road was my biggest fear.  I knew it would be uncomfortable, I knew it would leave me longing for a real home.  Mark woke up not feeling well the day after he pulled our trailer in to my dad’s shop and removed the wheels and brakes in preparation to replace the brakes and install our new shock kit and lift kit.  That project came to a screeching halt and instead Mark holed himself up inside the trailer, inside the shop, for a week.  A week later, anxious to get some sunshine inside the trailer, Mark worked up the motivation to complete the project and get the trailer outside the shop and in to the daylight.

I’m not sure how he did it because he remained pretty ill for another week.  And that’s when I started to come down with the same thing, though I was convinced at the time that it was just a cold… no big deal.  So a few days ago we decided to pack up and get on our way.  Mark was finally starting to come around and I was hopeful that if we moved on maybe my body would follow.  So far, that’s not been the case.  I’m so grateful we had the comforts of my dad’s shop and company of my family the last 3.5 weeks.  Though being sick in a 100 sq. ft. space sucks, being in my hometown made it much easier.  Now that we’re out boondocking and the fear of running out of Kleenex is real and everything covered in dirt on top of being sick is just as sucky as I anticipated, I’m anxious and hopeful that this will all be behind us soon.

I’m sharing this not to complain but to bring a little balance to all the glamour of life on the road.  Social media has a way of making this lifestyle look like it’s nothing but a life of ease and adventure.  And I’m just as guilty of that as the next guy.  But sometimes it sucks and being sick has definitely left me missing the simple comforts of a house.

“This too shall pass” is the current motto around here.  Hopefully we won’t clear the country’s stock of Kleenex before then and fingers crossed the next time you hear from us we’ll be back to our regularly-scheduled exploration.

 

To my fam, thanks for being awesome.  I’m SO SO GLAD we did our annual photo session BEFORE we got sick!

12 Comments

Leave a Reply to micheleCancel reply

  • Hi there
    I am so sorry you have both been sick. What a bummer. I have to say I have wondered how I would manage if very sick in the confines of our truck camper…. Would not be a nice experiensce for either of us for sure. Hopefully you will be on the road feeling well and happy again. Yes to your telling us all the problems as well as the wonderful times …. that is life and it is never all roses….. We so enjoy your blog. Best to you both.
    Jim & Genie

    • Thank you so much for your kind thoughts! We should be back to our old selves soon and hopefully will have some fresh, new posts!

  • I feel for you both. Yeah, the flu bug that’s going around is nasty stuff. I had a case of it in early Dec and took most of the month to get over it. I always knew this side of RV existed…as do breakdowns, etc. Wishing you both good health a quick recovery and no more problems. Spring is upon us!

  • Sorry hear you guys were sick – bummer! Glad you’re not leaving out real life stuff on your blog like so many others do 🙂 Thanks for the post!

  • Hope you are both on the mend….wish we were closer to help! Love the family pics! So glad you were able to get out with family. Love to you both.Momo

  • Michelle, I admire your honesty about life on the road. Sometimes “it ain’t all beer and Skittles”. (Look that one up!) ????
    I enjoy your blog no matter the tenor and I will always be envious of Mark’s photographic skills. Get healthy and enjoy each other! -M-

    • Thanks so much for the kind words Matt!

      Fun fact: 90% of the photos on our website were taken by me (Michele). That’s why you rarely see pictures of me 🙂

      So glad you enjoy our website!

By michele

About

Hi!  We’re Mark & Michele, a couple of modern-day nomads perfecting the art of slow, perpetual travel.  Our tiny home on wheels and slow-paced travel style allows us maximum freedom at minimal expense.  This blog is where we share our travels as well as our insights in to this lifestyle that we absolutely love.  Thanks so much for being here.

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