"What if we were gypsies?"

Scott: So here's how it all started... Last March, Theresa and I were sitting around trying to solve a puzzle. We had lots of questions, but no good answers. Questions like: What are we going to do after our lease runs out in August? Where would we like to live when we grow up? How do we visit places without flying in for a week or two? And then only seeing a few tourist sights? How do we spend time with my son in Florida and my daughter in Maine? Plus visiting all friends and other relatives in Maine? How can we avoid colder weather? How can we find a place with less allergens? What if we rent somewhere new and don't like it? How can we find time and money to visit all the places we want to go?

So one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that there might be an answer. "What if we were gypsies?" I asked. Theresa looked confused for a moment, so I explained. "What if we got a trailer and spent summers in Maine and winters in Florida? And wandered here and there during the spring and fall, looking for places we liked? And just took our time doing it?"

The more we talked about it, the better and better it sounded. Downsize, and get rid of lots of stuff we didn't need. (Boy, did we have stuff!) Save money on rent, as campgrounds are cheaper, sometimes much cheaper, and include most utilities. I could work anywhere there's internet, and most campgrounds now have wireless. Become Florida residents! Hey, that has benefits! No state income tax and no vehicle inspections.

Then came the details: Find a trailer that was big enough to fit in, and small enough to pull easily, with a walk-around bed and a big enough bathroom. Find a truck to pull it. We didn't want a drivable RV with a "towed", aka "toad" - that got ruled out pretty early. They have terrible interior layouts and are HUGE! We had a Prius, but they make terrible toads - the front wheels have to be off the ground on a dolly or trailer, and that's just a pain.

So we did it! We finally found and purchased a used 2005 25-foot Coachman camper, and a brand new red Chevy Silverado. The camper had exactly the floorplan we wanted, and was in perfect condition. The Silverado had a trailer package, rear wheel drive, crew cab, a full warranty, and very comfortable seats. We got a few extras for the truck, like a bed liner and a cover, and running boards to make it easier to climb into.

My son bought the Prius (which solved his transportation issues), and everything else we gave away. Books, washer and dryer, furniture, big screen TV, movies, Rock Band instruments, cookware, dishes, exercise equipment - everything we didn't need and wouldn't fit. We made so many trips to Goodwill that they started to recognize the truck arriving. We kept a few things, and bought a small flat screen TV and plastic dishes, but not much else. We only stored a few keepsakes and a tuba with relatives.

We camped in the side yard for part of the summer, plus took a trial run to Vermont. And, in August, moved out of our rental "stick-and-brick" and into our first campground, but still in the same town we had rented in. Planned small steps, so we had time to learn what we didn't know.

Now it's been over five weeks, and we still just love it! It's almost the first day of fall, and that's when we hit the road and head south. Yee-ha! :)