What I want to do when I grow up

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately (in my spare time) about retirees and how they have made the most of their free years and it got me thinking.

DH and I have spent the last year and a half semi formulating a retirement plan.  In one way retirement sounds so far away, but in reality, he retires in 9 1/2 years and I plan on doing the same.  As our friends know, we have fallen in love with our RV and love nothing more than to go somewhere new and spend a few days doing absolutely nothing.  I also feel so relaxed in the RV.  I think it's because I'm not looking at the mountains of laundry to be done, or the dust that has become an inch thick, or the myriad of household chores that need to be done and that I never get to.  It's hard to relax at home.  But in the RV, I'm not looking at chores.  I'm listening to the sounds of nature and looking at the lack of stuff that needs to be done.

I still have all the creature comforts... washer and dryer, tv, microwave, king size bed.  But sitting outside in front of a campfire just instantly relaxes me.  I find myself even enjoying a trip to Wal-Mart when I'm camping.  It's just a slower and different pace.

So what does this have to do with retirement?  We have talked for nearly two years now about selling the house and traveling fulltime once we're done with work.  Of course, that was before I changed careers and opened my own business and completely changed our lifestyle.  Before, we would go camping on long weekends, and extra days here and there.  We would also plan one long trip a year, usually overseas or someplace across the country.  Now, I barely have two days a week off in a row, and can't fathom taking a whole week off.  Traveling out of the country is out of the question, as our bank balance reminds us all the time.

DH states that he still plans on retiring when he hits 55 and hitting the road.  So, I will have to make decisions.  If my business, God willing, is successful, do I sell it or hire a manager?  More importantly, do I want to leave everything and everyone behind that I love?  It will be hard, but I do.  I want to spend these years that we still can, traveling this beautiful country and meeting new people and making new friends.  I want to go to Alaska again and spend the entire summer traveling that great state and seeing all its splendor.

I want to be able to toss a coin to decide where we go next.  I want the choice of staying somewhere as long as I want, or just pack up leave and move somewhere else.  I want to be the captain of my own ship, or RV, in this case.  I look forward to having no responsibilities other than our immediate needs.

My one and only concern about this lifestyle?  Will I be able to live in a 40 ft. long mobile home with my husband and not kill him?  We both have our own space in our house and we enjoy our private time.  So far, the small space in the RV has not bothered us, but we haven't lived there fulltime.  What happens when we're together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 30 days a month?  Will we be able to manage?  Without my support system of family and friends around, will I be able to handle relying on him for everything?

I don't know the answer to that yet, but I'm more than willing to give it a shot.  We plan on workcamping as long as we can - working at a National Park or somewhere 20 hours a week in exchange for a free campsite and that will give us something constructive to do and give us time apart.  It will also force us to do some socializing and not become total hermits.

The last year has taught me that when you make plans, God laughs.  So, I'll look forward to embarking on our new life in a few years, but I won't make any concrete plans until it's time.  But I look forward to what the future holds.