Well today was it. 26 years of working at the University of Virginia is history. And yesterday was the new moon so no wonder everything in my life is waxing. Life is on the up swing!
Sorry there are no pictures today. I had it all set up to get one of me closing the door to my office for the last time and taking my name plate off with a GIGANTIC smile on my face but the designated photographer (that's what we mean by "sometimes") forgot the camera. No problem since I don't know that I wanted a picture of the moment anyway. You can just picture it in your mind. I am one happy camper. :-)
Now the real business starts with getting the last loose ends tied up and all the packing done. We have never had cell phones. Mostly me I guess. I just didn’t want the expense or to be available 24/7. I find many cell phone users to be thoughtless in the way they answer their phones any time, any where rather than turn them off or on vibrate and then they practically yell into the phone so that anyone around them is forced to be a party to what are sometimes very personal conversations. So this RV life has forced upon something I may well not have done until there were no more land lines. We’re starting out with baby steps. Well at least I am. Just the phone Ma’am (apologies to Joe Friday-if you recognize that reference count yourself “wise”). Just the phone, not a camera or a browser or a texter. Just a phone and no contract. The “plan” is $25 a month from Virgin Mobile for 300 minutes. I can cancel at any time if I find, now that they are using the Sprint network, their coverage doesn’t stack up. David on the other hand wants to be able to use all the stuff this VM plan provides not just the 300 minutes. It also has unlimited text and data so his phone is more fancy. We want to find out how we actually use these things and how much before we sign away two years to probably Verizon. Comments and advice always welcome.
I’m not actually as much of a Luddite as the above may make me appear although we also don’t have cable but that’s largely because we don’t watch TV. I’ve found nothing worth watching including the entertainfonews. Unless it is lightning, I’d rather be outside and when it’s dark I’d rather be reading or sleeping. But all that’s another story for another day.
I have done quite a bit of IT work and know my way around a computer. So having my laptop on the road is important to me. How else will I update this blog? I also have been using Skype to keep up with friends and relatives who live at a distance which will now include a lot more people. But with an air card and cradlepoint I’m not sure how that will work on the road but I guess we’ll see. As with so many other things, we will see. How much fun to have so many things to discover and explore.
We are really looking forward to every day being our day to design and do whatever we please with many many fewer obligations and responsibilities. We’ve gotten the “boy do I envy you” and “wish I could do that” comments from quite a few folks. My response is that we don’t know if we can do it either but we really want to and believe we can so off we go. Sometimes you just have to step out in the direction of your dreams and set that fear aside. Think those good thoughts.
If you go into out-of-the-way places you can't count on cell phone coverage all the time, so there will be times you will do without. Air cards and other devices to keep you connected to the internet are the same way - so if you want to be outside cities and into the mountains or some of the western areas, then you won't have internet 100% of the time. If you are happy without TV then why bother with satellite or whatever.
ReplyDeleteI like to be able to call my kids, get email, and read blogs. But life doesn't stop if I can't do that. I just go sit outside and look up into the trees!
Most folks see connectivity as a life-line they desperately cling to. But that's like gaining freedom in your life by living/traveling in an RV, and then tying yourself down to that life-line. What in the world did people do 10 or 15 years ago?
I'm definitely with you Gypsy. Surely won't choose the places we go based on whether we can stay connected. I like to do the same things you do, talk to my daughter, email friends, read and write blogs but it doesn't have to be all the time every minute. My point exactly. We are definitely on the same wave length about gaining freedom and then tying yourself down. We all did do quite well without being available 24/7 in a myriad of different ways not so very long ago. It's amazing how quickly novelty becomes "necessity".
ReplyDeleteSherry,
ReplyDeleteYou are doing a great job on the blog. I'm so looking forward to reading about your adventures. I would have never thought that you and David would be this far along in achieving the dream of full timing. I am so jealous we have 324 days 5 hrs 41 mins 34 secs but who is counting? :o
Congratulations on your retirement! I can't imagine what it felt like to close that door for the last time. Now the world is your oyster go make some Perls.......
Gin