I met a woman at the hostel at Tebbits light house in New York state on my trip, that did no longer own a house. She camped, stayed a hostels, and would volunteer at church type camps and retreat places. In between she couch surfed. I found her lifestyle very inspiring.. while she found my touring very inspiring.

Moni

We may do something very similar. We think we will just get an rv or motorhome and not get a house for a while. We have no belongings so might as well travel a little. And do what we can along the way.

I'm now thinking about a very small RV. Not sure if I want the hassle, though, or payments! I'm also not very mechanical so not sure how much a pain it is to empty the septic system. I need to visit a dealership in person and check it out.

I've not done it...upon retirement we moved back to the property where DH grew up and we had just built a new home.

But there wasan article awhile back about people who chose that, at least for awhile.

DH's cousin and her husband bought a 5th wheel/pick-up rig and are doing that. From California, they are now in NH, and heading down here to Philly for a visit.

Consider your daily expenses. Whether you tent camp or RV, there is usually still a daily rent except for the occasional overnight in the Walmart parking lot. I have no earthly idea how much those things cost!

I would not do an RV. You will be traveling alone and have to do all the driving. I'm not sure of all the camp ground type places for a woman alone.

I would rather see you staying in adult hostels, B and B's or even AirBnB's. Lots of options.

Do you have any particular places that you want to go?

Sushi and I posted at the same time. I do feel traveling with a companion and going yourself are very different.

Volunteering used to be be simple. You showed up and did your thing. Some entities now require background checks; thus, it is not always possible to just be there and have them accept your offer of assistance.

If you elect to get a small RV, it could be fun. If you want to drive 300 miles, you do it. If you want to stay in one spot for several weeks, then you do it. Part of the 'fun' of that would be the planning.

You might consider renting a couple of different RVs and go for 3-day weekends somewhere. Use those experiences to guide you to your final decision.

You said you were a nurse? My sister joined the Peace Corps. They deposited a small paycheck in her bank account every month ($500 back then). she volunteered in Africa, had an interpreter, armed guards and staff that set up the tents and drove the group of nurses around. She had "no" expenses. Then every 3 months they gave her a month off and a round trip plane ticket to anywhere in the world.

Maybe something like "this" would interest you?

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We met a professional photographer that drove around in his motorhome. He was stranded here for repairs and we hung out with him. He'd sold his home in New York and paid cash for the motorhome. The home was plush, he had his 2 dogs, but frankly it sounded like a rough life.....being homeless, unsure of where he'd be next.

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Below us is a camp ground. I'm friends with the owner. It's on 13 wooded acres. She says there are RV'ers and trailer trash. You have to deal with BOTH in a campground.

Eld6161, I want to go everywhere. LOL! I especially want to see Maine and the Pacific Northwest. I've been to most states except for the ones up north. I would also like to see Alaska, but want to revisit other places I have only driven through. I don't think I would stay on the side of the road by myself, I would pay to stay in a regular campsite on the way to and from wherever I am going. The problem would be being alone working a campsite. Not sure what that would be like. Not even sure I would feel comfortable driving even the smallest RV, which is 22 inches long.

Jim, I think I will rent one, the little class B ones.

Nicole, when I was younger I wanted to join the Peace Corp, but now with my aches and pains, not sure I could handle it. Especially if I had to sleep in a tent. I also do not want to be a nurse in retirement, too hard physically and emotionally.

Sounds like a fun and adventurous plan! Before you assume that you would be able to get volunteer jobs, and or stay at parks as volunteer, I would look in great detail into the application process for this. I believe many of these volunteer jobs are in demand, and they have more volunteers signing up for them then they have positions available. I know a couple who had this as their retirement plan, and it did not work out for them to get the volunteer positions ( and free lodging ) that they were counting on to make the budget work. They had a great time traveling for a couple of months, and then realized they needed to make different plans for the long term.

I seen the neatest Winnebago at Meijers over the weekend. It was more like a van style. They had the sliding door open so I could see some of the inside as I walked by and looked very nice. I thought " I could drive one of those!" It looked like a new model. My husband and I were camp hosts in Florida for a couple of years when we had a motor home.

I taught a recreational moving water kayak class several years ago for a group of older women and one of the ladies had done just that. She was, a breast cancer survivor, and traveling all over in a small rv. I really admired her spunk!

Like Mary, I know of several retires who though not full time RVers, are campground hosts in different parts of the country during the summers.

Kath if you give me eleven years LOL until my last kiddo graduates high school Amiee and I will hop aboard and bum the US with you HAHA.

Seriously have you considered finding a friend who would also enjoy this life style to go with you? And take into consideration room fees vs RV costs...after all you need a place to sleep every night and I bet renting rooms nightly will add up.

I am a bit unclear on what you are trying to do. Do you want to work in National Parks in exchange for housing? If that is the case, I would find the closest national park and begin relationship building asap. Volunteer now for short times and learn what is available and where- who are the people in the know/the decision makers and such.

MamapinkyO I do have a few friends who may go on a trip or two but don't think any of them want to go on a long-term working trip.

Rita, yes, I want to volunteer all over the country, not just National Parks, but state parks and maybe some charities that have temporary workers. You have to apply for the National park jobs but I don't think they have really short volunteer jobs, at least none that I've seen on their websites. Most are a least a month long and I am still working full time. Most of the campsite jobs are for couples so I'm still exploring.

Not even sure I would feel comfortable driving even the smallest RV, which is 22 inches long.

That seems exceptionally small, to me. ;)

We know someone who does Project Hope LINK and loves it.

Instead of an RV, I would suggest a van since you only need it for one person. It would be completely drivable by you. You could upgrade it to your needs.

Whoever posted that she shouldn't do this because she's a single woman and would have to do "all the driving." Seriously? What in the world does her not having a penis have to do with her ability to drive all the time?

Staying in a hostel? With random strangers and sharing a bathroom? NO WAY.

I drive about 99% of the trips DH and I take. Two weeks ago, I drove 3,259 miles in five days. I'd have happily done it alone, too.

I support Kath 100% in her endeavors and I know she'll be successful!

Just a few off-the-top-of-my-head things to think about:

-Tax, financial and medical implications of selling your house.

-How much of a loner are you? How does seeing something amazing, when no one will be seeing it with you, make you feel? Will you miss chatting with friends and neighbors?

-How comfortable are you with breaking down in the middle of nowhere, and not having cell service? Do strangers make you nervous when you are alone with them?

-Are you comfortable with driving in all types of weather/road/night driving conditions?

-How well do you navigate? How frustrated/anxious do you feel when very lost?

-Are you frightened of, or squeamish about, rats, snakes, wild animals?

-How well do you get over frightening/dangerous experiences? Do they haunt you a long time?

-Road rage level, and your ability to deal with other drivers' road rage, and bumper-to-bumper traffic.

-How comfortable are you with having to use unfamiliar medical facilities and doctors, dentists, stores, repair shops, etc., and making on the spur decisions when unexpected things happen?

Is there any way you can have a small trial run to one area and do a volunteer stint before you make any decisions? Perhaps you could rent your house out for awhile, just in case you change your mind. I'm sorry to be a negative Nelly, but I'm a worrier by nature. :)

gry falcon. Strangers don't make me nervous at all, unless they are talking to themselves while walking down Fremont Street in Vegas while flailing their arms around - lol. (this actually happened when the kids and I were in Vegas-we crossed the street). I've traveled and lived in many places so don't have any of the above issues, except I really don't like driving at night in a strange place. I can solve that by not driving at night. No problem if there is an emergency and I have to, just prefer not to. I'm a nurse, nothing frightens me anymore. ( :

I've actually been feeling antsy about getting up and moving for a long time now. I've lived in the same town for nearly 20 years. The longest I've ever been anywhere. My dad was in the Navy so we moved a lot and then I went in the Air Force. Even after getting out, the ex and I lived in several different places. I don't even talk to my neighbors. My friends are scattered all over the country. The ones here I only see occasionally since we are all busy with work and families.

It's a wonderful idea, but suggest you give it a test drive before making it a permanent reality. How about renting out your house for a year and see where life takes you? Maybe you'll love it, maybe you won't, maybe you'll decide to do it part time.

I have friends (a retired couple) who travel several months each year -- some RV traveling, some car, some flyaway, some domestic, some international. Big trips and small. They are both very involved in community work, but focus on that when they're in town. They have a rich, full life.

I say, give it a try but give yourself an out, in case it's not what you hope it will be. Have fun!

Not what you're thinking about at all, but I loved the idea of living on a cruise ship all the time. No, I've never been on a cruise. I would probably last a month or two.

I don't know if I would like that at all Miss-sistersue. I would like to go on a cruise to Alaska but that's the only place I can think of. Not much of a beach person.

I've just returned from a trip to Alaska. We stayed in several lodges. One day the shuttle driver was explaining to us that he and his wife(both retired) do what is called work camping or "Workamping". They basically follow the seasons in their RV, working and seeing all different parts of the country. For instance, he said they had been in Alaska for the summer. The lodges close down for the winter the middle of Sept. Then they were going to Iowa for 2 weeks working at a harvest, then down to Sevierville Tenn. (the Great Smokie mtns.) for the winter. This is their routine. They weren't alone -the majority of people we met working at these lodges were doing some variation of the same thing. It's a whole way of life. He said their were two major web sites that post jobs. https://www.workamper.com/?gclid=CKnJ8tb6jdYCFQKHswodmIAF8Q

On our vacation, we saw a LOT of RVs and campers. That lifestyle seems to work for some, but not for me. I always see these things and wonder how many gallons to the mile they get. Or the people towing campers knowing how jerky and slow that makes the whole ride. Then once you get into town, you're so big, there's no place to park...not for me. Especially on vacation, I don't want to bring all that work with me (cleaning, cooking, dishes, etc). I'd rather eat out and walk away from the table and leave the vacuuming to someone else.

We met a retired couple at the Grand Canyon who do the same thing that Chessie described. The husband, who drove a bus around the Grand Canyon park, told us that if they didn't have their RV, they would have lived in open, single sex dorms owned by the company and on the property. The wife worked at the main desk in the lodge. They said they had lived this life style for a few years so far and they loved it. They were doing this work/travel to supplement their income and to travel in the US.

I have friends who did this for 20 years after they retired. They bought a raised roof van and lived and traveled in it, hosting campgrounds in Texas and Alaska according to the season. I believe they have settled at Puget Sound now, as they are past their mid-80's. They LOVED the lifestyle, but I'd have killed my DH with my bare hands after 20 days in a van. :)

ETA: she was/is a nurse, like you.

I think it would soon get to be tedious and maybe even boring. Like how the exotic thoughts some may have had of being in a traveling circus but the reality of same are so different.

There's a company that operates as a concessionaire at national parks, employees get housing and can rotate between them. We've run into them at places like Crater Lake and Death Valley. I forget the name but you'd find them if you try to make a reservation at one of the properties. The jobs tend to be unskilled and manual labor, like being a server in restaurants or working in their hotels, so maybe not suitable for someone of retirement age.

There is so much to consider if going to do this. Life is short as we all know and if possible we should fulfill our dreams. Have you thought about what you might do when not able to travel after a number of years? You said you would sell your home so where would you live when finished traveling. I am assuming you would use the proceeds from the sale of your home to finance your travels. As I said so much to consider.

My brother and sister-in-law did pretty much that. But they were RVers for years before, so it wasn't entirely new to them. When my brother retired 6 years ago, they sold their home to a nephew and got rid of most of their stuff and stored a few things they didn't want to part with, then said goodbye to California and hit the road. They also had some idea of what to expect, since my sister-in-law's daughter had been working at campgrounds and resorts for several years (sans RV). For three years they traveled most of the U.S., stopping at campgrounds for months at a time. Sis worked gift shops or whatever was available, Brother did maintenance. Some great experiences, a few not so great. But they made lots of friends along the way and saw many sights.

They made a couple of trips back to California for family events (flew). When they left CA, they knew they eventually wanted to settle in Oregon and that is what they did. The bought a house and guest house on several acres, built a small campground there and many of the friends they made along the way come and stay for weeks at a time. Brother, with the help of another brother, built a workshop on the property and Sis has neighbor friends over for weekly craft meetings.

It's not for everyone, but it certainly made them very, very happy.

You only mentioned the RV thing, but my youngest brother retired two years ago and is also having the time of his life. He's a camper, but he prefers a tent in the open. He's a biker and a hiker. He owns a duplex in California and is holding on to it and stops in occasionally to check on things, but I wouldn't say he does much living there. He has been traveling extensively. He flew to South America and hiked a jungle or two, He's been to Egypt, Mexico, and on and on. He sometimes spends time at my other brother's Oregon digs (brother built a pad just for little brother's tent) for weeks at a time, or just as a stop on his way to the next trip, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends. His latest big trip was to do the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage from Portugal to Spain. He lost a bit of weight on that trip, LOL. It's like an interesting documentary when he posts on FaceBook, LOL. He was afraid he'd be bored once he retired, but he is managing to make the absolute most of it.

A couple I know sold everything and bought a boat. They spent about five years cruising from place to place, and loved it.

An Aunt and Uncle sold their house bought an RV and planned to travel around indefinitely. That lasted about a year until the Aunt said she was tired of it, and was buying a house again, and told her hubby he was welcome to join her in the house or keep on traveling in the RV, but she was done with it.

Maybe instead of an RV, one of those camper backs that sit on a pickup truck? Smaller, easier to maneuver but you still have a bed and kitchen. Hmmmm. Bathroom though LOL!

Dances.

Response to Imstillchloe. I was taken aback by how hostile your response felt to me.

First off, when I said single, I meant she would be traveling alone. No mention of a man being needed. Interesting enough, many of the above replies shares examples of couples doing what Kath wants to do.

There are adult hostels, , some are in universities. My DD took a summer class in NYU one summer and her neighbors were older adults. These dorm rooms are like small apartments. So maybe hostel is not exactly the right word. is

There are various types of more less exspensive accommodations.

i agree with all of Gyr's points.

I personally don't like long distance driving. That is what I meant with doing all the driving. If Kath is comfortable with it that is what matters.

My DD had a friend who took a gap year. Similar idea in that she wanted to travel all over the country and volunteer. She planned out the entire year. The bump was though that one was cancelled and I think she wound up coming home before heading out to the next on the list.

Lots of things to consider, as mentioned above. If that is your dream, then work toward it. That is definitely not the way I want to enjoy my retirement!

A couple of years ago, the missus and I decided to leave the cold winters in central Illinois. I did a buncha research and we ended up on the Gulf Coast of Florida in a 55+ community (we don't golf, but there are 2 18-hold courses on the property). It is good.

We cruise, I can be at 5 cruise ports within 4.5 hours. If a cruise line has some empty cabins and they want to offer them super-cheap, I can be there. This year, we are on a track for 66 days on a cruise ship. AND, we'll still have money for getting the bathrooms renovated.

It is all how one wants to live. If one wants to travel in north America, so be it. I would, but the cruising is just as good. Yeah, I have been to many of the ports multiple times, but the experience is what I enjoy.

Kath, if ya wanna stop at our house sometime in your vehicle, you will be welcomed. The missus was an NP and she is glad it is done.

The posts about traveling alone brought back memories of our first year/winter being campground hosts. A lady pulled in with a mini motor home(class C) and told us that she, along with her husband , had been going to Florida for many years. They were from Illinois and that year had gotten partway to Florida but she woke up one morning to find that he had passed away in the night. She stayed at a town long enough to get the necessary papers and to have him cremated, then she continued on her way. She was the sweetest lady you would want to meet. It amazed me how she was able to handle everything on the motor home . Of course, all she had to do was ask for help and everyone was there for her as they knew her so well. She came back the next year while we were there and we heard that later she was host. The Rangers were always driving through keeping an eye on things. I never forgot that lady though! :)

It can be done! My brother retired from Ford at age 48 after 30 years of service and chose to travel the USA via conversion van. He traveled to national parks, metro parks, state parks, lake parks, etc. He was considered a part time, seasonal employee, with benefits. During the winter he worked near home in Florida and during summer he worked in Grand Rapids, MI, Ohio, New York and Maine. He performed many services, a few were painting, landscaping services, plumbing upgrades, shuttle bus driver, etc. He traveled for seasonal work until age 75 and died last year at 81.

There is an excellent YouTube channel called Cheap RV Living. I would encourage you to watch some of their videos. Some of the people are truly inspirational. While some aspects are not my cup of tea, part of me does want a much simpler more transient lifestyle. I do think I would handle having some type of home base that I could return to much better than being truly transient. Whatever you choose to do, Best Of Luck!

Cheap RV Living

I've been watching a bunch of videos, some couples and some single women on-line about their life on the road. Not sure about it now. There seems to be a lot of problems with RVs, even the newer ones. I'm going to keep researching, though.

I also looked at retirement communities but all of them are too expensive for me. If I don't do this I would want to move somewhere that I can walk to do my shopping and to entertainment. I do know that I probably won't keep this house. Too much yard work and it will need updating soon.

Kathsgrdn, we downsized to a house in a small town, walking distance to many things. It's great. Our town also is home to a large college, so that keeps things lively 9 months of the year. We'd also like to travel while active enough to enjoy it, and are contemplating renting our house for ?? months at a time -- seems like we should be able to find responsible young professors or grad students who need temporary housing. Fun to think about....

Nickel, my DD once rented an apartment from a professor who left for the summer months. lots of possibilities.

I'm a college professor who teaches abroad for 6 months at a time--at least I've done it three times over the last 10 years. In each case I rented my house to graduate students (who were great) but would have loved to have found a responsible older adult as well. Inquiring if such possibilities exist at local colleges is a great idea. Many profs also go abroad or to another city for sabbaticals, and they are always looking for housesitters or renters.

Thanks for the positive info! One reason we'd like to find a responsible person to stay at our house, is to have them care for our dogs and my garden. Rent would take that into consideration.

Kath--here's a recently published book on the subject:

https://smile.amazon.com/Nomadland-Surviving-America-Twenty-First-Century/dp/039324931X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507573799&sr=8-1&keywords=Nomadland%3A+Surviving+America+in+the+twenty+first+century

I have a friend doing this in an RV. There is a lot to know about maintaining an RV. They are hard to heat in the winter, hot in the summer. Gas is expensive, worse in Canada. Seems like something always needs attention, emptying, refilling, repairing, moving, taking down, putting up. Some of the jobs being a camp host are a lot of work, dealing with reservations, guest issues, emptying trash cans, cleaning bathrooms.