Escapees November-December 2022

The secret is out: you don’t have to be retired to full-time RV. More people than ever are earning a living on the road and, eventually, some of these full-time RVers are rolling right into retirement while they’re still traveling. It’s a milestone that can shape up di ff erently for every one, especially RVing couples. But what happens if one person wants or needs to stop working, and the other is still employed by choice or necessity? Keep reading and you’ll learn how Escapees and Xscapers couples, who have di ff erent retirement paths, are making it work.

Page 50: Erik and Jeanne Anderson #129446 with their dog Hershey.

started doing about 10 hours per week of the same work I’m doing for my company, since they’ve been getting busier, and I couldn’t keep up with the volume. Plus, she’s now helping with keeping the gas tank full!” The time they spent living different schedules on the road was invaluable to their relationship. Both learned that good communication is key to making it work out. “Don’t hold things in,” advises Erik. “Talk about any issues, concerns, building resent ments, etc. (respectfully and rationally) before they become big problems. Also, both parties must be willing to compromise by considering each other’s needs and possibly making changes. Talk about fi nances openly and make fi nancial decisions together, just like you should in any station ary sticks ‘n’ bricks situation.”

Erik and Jeanne Anderson #129446 Originally from Long Island, New York, the Andersons have shared a life together for 19 years and became full-time RVers in 2020. Along with their dog, Hershey, the couple has explored 39 states and four Canadian provinces in their 2017 Thor Windsport 29M class A. In her previous life, Jeannie (age 62) was a registered nurse for over two decades. When she and Erik committed to full-time travel during the pandemic, she was ready to opt out of her career. At that time, Erik (age 61) of fi cially retired from his role as vice president of human resources for an assisted living communities company. But, as a valuable asset to the company for over 32 years, Erik’s CEO gently persuaded him into part-time remote work on the road. He happily agreed and, today, Erik monitors the company’s recorded marketing calls from his front passenger cab workstation. “Our fi rst two years of full-time travel with only me working part-time has been great,” says Erik. “Really, no issues or complaints. We’ve been very grateful that my old company gave me the opportunity!” Balancing two different work and play schedules might seem daunting, but Erik’s and Jeanne’s unique circadian rhythms determine the course of their days and nights. “I’m a night-owl, so I’ve always done my remote work after 9:00 pm, and Jeanne and Hershey typically go to bed by that time,” says Erik. “Plus, the work is completely fl exible and can be done at any time. That has worked out very well to avoid any con fl icts or missed time together!” Along the way, the only real issue they’ve encountered is the guilt Jeanne felt about not bringing in money. That was recently resolved when Erik’s company offered her part-time remote work, too. “She just

“In a perfect world, they would both be retired and spend their days together. But the Blounts know this is not a perfect world, so they enjoy the ongo ing full-timing journey as it is now.”

Tom and Tanya Blount #155120 As a retired director of engineering for a hospital construction fi rm, Tom (age 65) was ready to enjoy a new non-working life before Tanya was ready. Originally from Maryland, the couple got together seven years ago. Each had been RVing separately for about 30 years and leaped into full-time RVing in 2017. Since then, Tanya (age 50) continues working full-time at a remote online job, but the hours she puts in doesn’t pose any real problems as they travel around in their 24-ft. Leisure Travel van. “In my journal

51

November/December 2022 ESCAPEES Magazine