In what seems like a short time ago, the NuRVers gang had a major organized gathering in Gonzales, Texas called ‘Days of the Nu 2’.
Not only were we fortunate enough to attend this unique convergence of other full time RVers who work as we roam – we took on the task of filming video interviews during the event.
We had great intentions with the project – ranging from producing a feature length film introducing you to some inspiring people to perhaps publishing a video podcast series with the footage.
But between some technical glitches getting the video in a format we could edit, life shifting focus for us and swimming in dozens of hours of footage – I really came to appreciate those who have the patience, dedication and talents to put together such projects.
I realized this week – it’s been nearly 2 years since that gathering in April 2010!
We’ve past the point of the project being nearly ridiculously delayed and into a point where the project could take on a whole new perspective.
Below is short compilation I put together from the interviews, focused on introducing you to some of these downright inspiring folks. Each clip shares with you how long the RVers were into their journey at the time, how they were keeping funded and some words of inspiration.
Over the coming weeks we’ll be tracking down each of these NuRVers and seeing if they’d like to update us on their journeys with a follow-up interview.
We’ll be posting those interviews along with some more of their original video footage – we think it’ll be interesting to see where everyone is at today. Are they still on the road? What adjustments and life changes have they made – new income sources, new RVs, new family dynamics, new goals?
Meet more Ramblings
Meet some of the other nomads we’ve interviewed in this series:
[catlist categorypage=yes orderby=rand numberposts=2 thumbnail=yes thumbnail_size=50,50 excerpt=yes excerpt_size=150 excludeposts=this morelink=”View all of the Ramblings”]Ramblings: Tales from Nomads
We love how many stories we’ve been blessed to hear from our peers over the years, and the sheer variety of how this lifestyle can be made to work. So we’re making a video series call ‘Ramblings: Tales from Nomads’.
As we encounter other nomads in our own travels, we’ll film the ones willing and introduce them to you.
You can catch the entire series at: https://www.technomadia.com/ramblings
We hope you have enjoyed the video and what is to come.
LOved Loved the video… looking forward to our own NuRver Lifestyle !
How awesome!!!! What a great time! We are still in our rv, but we stay local to our family. We have no regrets and enjoy the simple abundant life! You guys did a great job!
Mitch,
I have a successful business.
I also work 80 hours a week; I just do it in an RV.
Thanks for the viddie guys.
I think its fun to see how other people approach these things, and I’m looking forward to that update.
As for Mitch, meh, Its is often in how ya see things. Positve thinking is empowering, but
I for one don’t think everything needs to be all “positive thinking” all the time. I find that after a point that can become just a facade.
What this RVing loner saw on the negative side in the video though (just so Mitch doesn’t get all the abuse), wasn’t the successful businesses –
It was that all the fellas had awesome women standing by them. But maybe that’s for me to work on and not the video producers 😉
I was actually surprised at how many solo women RV’ers we had at the nuRV rally two years ago. And actually, no solo men.
And as for me… I started off solo, and much to my surprise and delight I found my awesome woman (Cherie!) along the way.
*grin*
Great snip it of time and paths… the “Where are they Now” will be an awesome watch, too.
I think this lifestyle choice has more to do with personality types then luck or wealth.
We sure wish we’d have met all of you guys much earlier in our full-timing. Glad we’re finally catching up with some of you! Cheers- Jeanette
We are thrilled to finally cross paths with you guys J&D! People come into your life when they are meant to, I suppose.
Okay, I just watched the vid. Awesome!
It was fun seeing the faces I knew, but it was also exciting to see how many I didn’t know.
Y’all come back to Texas so we can meet up, ya hear?
It’s amazing & exciting when you think about how many of us out here doing it. And this video clip just taps into a small subsection of us.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19
This sums it up… Keep doing what you guys do best. Forget the haters.
-Jim
Thanks Jim. We don’t view Mitch as being a troll so much as someone expressing their own fears in a less than ideal way 🙂 (Ok, maybe that is a bit trollish).
His comment does serve a purpose, as the attitude beneath it is a common one we hear. That those who are ‘living the dream’ somehow didn’t earn it and had it easier than however they perceive their own situation.
I mostly feel sad for Mitch, and hopes he can find it within himself to make his life happen.
Cool! Can’t wait to see the update on everyone.
Nina
Thanks Nina! And we continue to look forward to the day our paths cross.
Ah, memories! Thanks for putting together such an awesome compilation! I can’t wait to see where we all are two years later. I know things have changed for us a lot 🙂
-Karen
I know.. so long ago! I so enjoyed getting to know you during that visit. And looking forward to updating your story with all the exciting stuff you guys have made happen since.
Great post. We are gearing up to go full-time later this year and have yet to figure out the income “thing”. We want to live the adventure, see new things, and some old ones again. I had the privilege to meet some full-timers at a recent RV show in Omaha and I have to say that they were the happiest people I have ever met. It sounds to me that “Mitch” hasn’t done due diligence on research regarding the full-time RV lifestyle.
Thanks Bryan! I am confident that if this is the lifestyle that calls you, that you will find a way to fund it. Best wishes to you on your journey, and stay in touch!
Wow that was the most depressing video on full timeing rving I ever seen. Everyone you spoke to with 1 or 2 exceptions had some kind of succesful buiness already going on.Wow they really took the big leap and quit they’re jobs and decided to go full timeing.They’re comments of go ahead just do it are easy to say when money is already coming in.And especially the one that still works for her dads buiness. Perhaps more interviews with some real people who are really taking the leap and making a living as they go would be more helpful.Sorry for the negative post but that was just depressing for some of us non wealthy folks.
First of all, I want to point out that ‘Mitch’ posted this with a non-working e-mail address. We tried to reply to him directly, but it was undeliverable. So we are replying publicly, because we believe that attitudes like this are part of what contribute to folks feeling that living a lifestyle like ours is out of reach.
To Mitch –
I find it quite ironic that you only saw it as ‘1 or 2’ households in the video as being folks who didn’t have pre-existing successful businesses. There were at least 7 households in the video (Gillian, Brice & Rose, Joey, Chris & Becky, Justin & Tara, Matt & Sarah and Skip & Selena) that were still figuring out the income-thing – but yet took the leap and decided to figure it out as they go. And really, even many of us who run businesses are constantly figuring out how to continue to bring income in – afterall, that’s the life of a business owner.
If you think that running a business equates to being wealthy or having it easy, you are dreaming. Big time. People who have left the employed workforce to become business owners have taken huge leaps in their careers and income sources. The life of the entrepreneur is feast or famine, and we work just as hard as anyone else to keep our lifestyles a reality (perhaps even more so, as we don’t get employment perks like vacation time, medical leave, health insurance, pension plans, a regular paycheck or a minimum wage). We’re on our own for all of that. The money doesn’t just ‘come in’. We have to plan and build our businesses, find clients (and hope they pay), invest in building products that may or may not pay off, put in long hours and always be keeping an eye towards where the next hit of cash is coming from.
Living in a RV actually helps make that easier, as the costs are much more flexible than living in a fixed homebase. Thus why many of us, after having already gone through the process – can say with experience – ‘Just do it!’. It’s not as scary or as big of a leap as most make it out to be.
Just because someone already has a business going does not mean they are somehow not ‘real people’ or privileged or haven’t faced their own struggles. It just means they’re a step or two ahead on this path to location independence. And just because many of us took our leaps years ago in becoming business owners and now RVers, does not mean we had it any easier than what you might be facing.
We hope you can find it within yourself to view the people interviewed in the vein it was intended – be inspired that it is possible. It is intended to be a peak at what life can be like after you take the leap. That if you too put your mind and heart towards it, you can be successful in affording the lifestyle you want.
– Cherie
The one who ‘still works for her dad’ (which is a massive misconception, that I won’t even attempt to address here)
Great work guys! Thank you. I love the diversity of everyone’s lifestyles and work portrayed in this. Would it be OK if I share this on our blog?
Now, about Mister Sad Sack….Well said, Cherie! I couldn’t agree more. Speaking as someone who did NOT have money coming in when we first hit the road (rather it was all going out), we had to sacrifice a LOT to figure out how we were going to continue this fabulous lifestyle. And we still sacrifice a LOT, because we don’t have any job security or steady income. But we’re OK with that, because this lifestyle is better than anything we could have imagined.
If someone has the dream to succeed in something, whether it’s full-timing as a non-retired person or whatever, they CAN make it happen with enough determination and drive. How many examples of successful people do we need to point out to show that this is true?
But if all someone sees is how much “easier” the other guy has it, and complains about it without doing anything about making their dreams come true, well then they’re dooming themselves from the get-go and will never see their version of “success” in their life.
Now THAT is depressing!
Right on, Rene!! That is depressing. And we see it all the time.. all the excuses folks come up with because their dreams aren’t coming true.
Every one of us has taken huge leaps, and we continue to. When I decided to hit the road, I halved my income while still paying for my Florida home until it would sell (and took a huge loss on it when it finally did) – and still was able to make it work. We pinched our pennies, stayed off-gride, took on odd (but fun) jobs to supplement all this “high-paying” (hah) wealth we had coming in.
If you have a dream and want to make it reality – you will find a way. You will leap. There will be scary moments. And it will all work out.
And yes.. absolutely, please pass the video on!
Not sure who you’re talking about Mitch, but we are not “wealthy” by any means. Rene and I took a huge leap of faith by leaving the successful business we had grown in our stick house and hitting the road. We are real people who still work full-time, for ourselves, and now we are helping others learn how to do the same with our new e-book Income Anywhere! In fact we probably work harder now — and make much less money — than we used to with the false sense of security from needy clients and huge overhead, but we’re sure a lot happier!
Like Cherie said, running a business from your home, wherever that may be, does not require wealth; only some savvy, ambition, willingness and the determination to make it work. If that’s depressing, I guess I’m a pretty sad sack!
Mitch’s negative and inaccurate assessment of the brief sound bites from our incredible gathering, reflect the reason WE were there in our RV’s with ALL the unknowns and HE wasn’t. OUR attitudes towards the pros, cons and surprises of the RV lifestyle binds and blesses us.
I hope that Mitch can see how much that what we do, say (post) and believe affects his life and others.
Your work, blog and attitude is amazing Cherie … you’ve educated and affected so many more people than you may even realize.
I’m about to check out the video, but is there going to be another similar gathering any time soon?
I haven’t heard any noise about an official gathering of this magnitude. But NuRVers have been more casually meeting up across the nation. The past two winters a large group has gathered in The Slabs and QZ. And right now, we are camped with 3 other NuRVers in Cedar Key, FL.
Awesome. If any are heading toward Austin TX, send them our way!
PS- I’m flying into Gainesville to present Faces in mid-April. I just google mapped it and see that it’s just under an hour from you guys. Come visit! We could spend the day together and then I could have you as my guests to my movie thing. Let me know if you’re convincible. 🙂
Oh my! Was it really two years ago? That NuRVer’s gathering was so diverse, educational, inspirational and relaxing. Thank you for capturing and committing to sharing the essence of the different lifestyles on the road. Have I got a follow-up for YOU!
I’ll be in touch. RVJoey
Can’t wait to hear all about it, Joey!! Thanks for stopping by, great to hear from you.
A great article. I look forward to your updates.
Mike
Great compilation, better late than never! Looking forward to the follow-up, feel free to send those questions.
And thank you for the inspiration to catch up on some videos I’m only 8 months behind on producing!
Thanks Jim.. it’s on my list to follow-up with you guys! Excited to share more with our readers about how your business and lifestyle has evolved since 2 years ago!
Awesome stories and wonderful inspiration! Can’t wait for the follow up!