Escapees March-April 2019 Vol 40 Issue 5

assignments that she found through the volunteer job clearinghouse, Volunteer.gov. One day, she realized she was spending more nights in her van than her sticks-and- bricks home, and she knew it was time for the next step. “I was already traveling in my 21-foot, class-B at least nine months out of the year and did not want to have a home to worry about,” she recalls. Without any kids or grandchildren to tie her down to a particular place in the country, she decided to sell her Wisconsin home. By the time it closed escrow, in fall 2016, she had transitioned out of her four-year consulting role with the hospice agency and into a life of full-time solo travel and working on the road. She purchased a new Roadtrek from the proceeds of her home sale, then got on the waiting list for a home-base spot at Evergreen COHO Escapees park, in

• Helping out in the office at the Escapees Co-Op parks, in Bushnell, Florida, and Branson, Missouri • Working as a test proctor for a national academic testing company. “Traveling in an RV while work-camping allows me to save on expenses and live in a beautiful place that I would not be able to afford otherwise,” she says. “I am still learning new things as I continue to explore working options as I travel.” And explore she has. Staying open to working in a variety of roles, settings and time-frames have helped Teri better under- stand what she wants out of work-camping and what it can do for her. As a solo RVer, she’s learned to avoid some traditional work-camping roles like campground hosting. “I did try it for one month to help out in a slow winter month and confirmed that I do not like getting 10:30 p.m. knocks on my door.” Out of all the places she has worked, Teri says that visitor centers are some of her favorite experiences. “I learn more in-depth about the area and the wildlife than I would as a short-term tourist. I enjoy working with the kids who often know a lot about the plants and animals, and it is infectious to see their enthusiasm,” she says. Other perks, like discounts on tours, entertainment and events, also make these education-centric jobs some of her favorite ways to experience new places. “I have intentionally worked and volun- teered for different organizations to see which I liked the best. It has saved on living expenses, although I am finding fewer paid positions that also give you a free campsite as compared to volunteer positions.” With two years under her wheels, Teri has learned that work-camping won’t make her materially wealthy. But she also says, that overall, “Work-camping has exceeded my expectations.” From living and working in national parks, to test proctoring in public schools, Teri is one of the thousands of full-time RVers experiencing the best kind of work-camping jobs that can put fuel in her tank and keep her on the road indefinitely.

                          

Chimacum, Washington. By talking to other full-time RVers online and in real life, she discovered how work-camping could offset her living costs and reduce her reliance on social security checks and retirement fund withdrawals. Over the last two years, Teri has taken a variety of paid and unpaid work-camping positions all over North America. She’s worked in varied roles, such as: • Guest services at the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation’s campground and musical show • Greeting and educating tourists at several wildlife visitor centers from California to Florida • Joining the Rapid City, South Dakota, KOA work-camper team • Educating visitors at the Alaska Sealife Center, in Seward, Alaska • Checking cruise ship guests on and off the docks in Alaska

                         

42

   