Top 5 Challenges of RV Living…so far

We are almost two weeks in, and I’m still enjoying camper life, although I am definitely having to learn to adjust and be flexible.  The thing that I thought I’d hate, having no dishwasher, is actually not bothering me at all, but there are plenty of other challenges to take its place!  With the kitchen and living area so close to each other (okay, they are technically the same thing), washing dishes isn’t a big deal because I can still socialize while doing it.

So, some of the challenges, so far:

1.  My clothes do not fit in the bedroom alone so they are in places all over the camper.  In the morning, to collect my one outfit I usually go to the closet for dress clothes, to my dresser for bra/panties, to a drawer under the TV for socks or tanks, to a cabinet above the couch for a sweater, then finally to under the bed for shoes.  Oh yeah, then my jacket in the coat closet..can’t forget that!   Eric refuses to put his things anywhere but the bedroom so I had to get creative with my things.  I considered laying my things out the night before, but where?  It’s not like there is anywhere to really lay them out where I know Lincoln won’t get on them besides our bed, so they are safer where they are.  It adds some time to my mornings, which I detest, but I am making it work.  It is probably a sign I still have entirely too much because we actually have a 5 foot wide closet with a shelf above and a drawer below, plus a dresser with 4 drawers and Eric has little to nothing.  Oh yeah, under the bed has tons of space (I’ve filled it with shoes!)  My next project will be to purge…YET AGAIN!

2. When Ally came over and slept on the pull-out queen sized couch this weekend, it took up the entire living area and I started getting claustrophobia.  As a typical teenager, she of course prefers to stay in bed until noon, which means the camper stays this way well into the morning, and it started making me feel like the walls were closing in.  With only 400 square feet, it doesn’t take much to start feeling like things are piling up unless you pick up everything right after you use it.  We don’t have much anymore, but what we do – we have to pick up afterwards or it starts feeling cluttered in here…and quickly!!!  Where it used to not bother me if Eric left his wallet, phone and keys on the kitchen counter when he got home, now I notice it.  I want everything to have a home and for everything to stay in it.  Maybe I’ll be able to relax after a while, but for now, I need organization in order to stay relaxed.  Otherwise, I just start feeling stressed from the clutter.

3.  I don’t have a garage for the first time in forever and it’s been freezing in the morning.  Having to get used to that.  Brrr!

4.  We have no cable!  I am having to learn to use Hulu and other internet based programs to watch my shows which is eating my data plan like candy.  Eric just upped us to 30 gigs today if that tells you anything!  🙂

5.  Finally, I have flipped several breakers in the morning with my blow dryer and straightener because you can’t have them on the same circuit along with the space heater, so that sucks big time.  You have to be strategic as to where you plug things in sometimes and in the morning when you are running late, that is not fun.  Good thing I cut my hair short and don’t have to do much in the morning to fix it anyway!

 

So those have been my 5 biggest challenges so far.  They aren’t horrible and they don’t even come close to outweighing the positives, but they certainly have forced me to be more flexible and to learn to let go of some things and adapt.

Living in this camper shows me that it’s amazing what little you can live with happily; I never thought I could live without the things I am living without.  I gave them way too much credit in my life!  If you would have told me I would be living in 400 square feet of space with Eric one day, I’d have told you it was impossible…but it’s not.  🙂

 

TJ

 

The Johnson family home.

The Johnson family home.

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