Life on the Road during a Pandemic

I was sitting in my RV in Alabama while the world as we know it shut down.

I left Ohio on February 29th to begin what I hoped would be the start of my 2020 adventures. I was bound for a dream event in Alabama, something I had heard about 2 years ago and knew that as soon as I got an RV, I was going to attend.

When the RVE Summit 2020 was announced in 2019, I bought the tickets and booked the stay at the RV park in Lake Guntersville State Park as soon as they were available. I was pumped, excited, and couldn’t wait for this event. It is a gathering of people that live and work from the road. A convention of like-minded individuals that share stories from the road, discuss working remotely, a place to network and meet new friends.

It was my official launching point for the next stage in my life. I discovered my “tribe” of fellow travelers. #rvlife #digitalnomad

I spent a few nights in Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio, and a few nights in Kentucky, I made my way to my aunt and uncle’s in Tennessee when the email came through; the in-person part of the event was canceled. 

My heart sank, along with the heartfelt email from both Heath and Alyssa, it was a difficult choice to make. This was an event they had been planning for a year.

With spectacular organization and efficiency, they began sending out emails of making the event virtual. We would be able to watch the live event through our computers, phones, or iPads. They pulled off one of the greatest pivots in less than a week.

Still making it an event worth attending.

Still being able to find my tribe, become friends with others that also travel.

I made the choice to still drive to Alabama and keep my reservation at the park. If I was stuck inside, or keeping my “social distance” why not do it at a state park. Why not do it in a beautiful location? 

Right?

Since I was arriving early, I was able to meet a few of the others that have been at the park since the beginning of the month. This was all prior to the #socialdistance trend.

Living day-to-day during a Pandemic

Every day things are changing, the first few days here, park after park began closing. State parks began shutting down. Residents in RV parks were given 24 hours’ notice to vacate. Restaurants changed to pick-up only. Businesses began to close their doors.

Then the run on toilet paper, paper towels, water, bread, meats (literally no fresh chicken in the grocery store). If this is an apocalypse (which IT’S NOT), why are people buying perishables? 

Many RV parks have full-time residents, which means their home is a permanent fixture of the park. Telling them they needed to leave, where do they go?

Why close the one place where people are NOT on top of each other?

Sites are spread out, literally surrounded by nature.

You can easily keep your distance from others. Just looking at the https://ncov2019.live/data map, shows that the largely populated areas are being impacted more.

I understand that the government and most people do not get this lifestyle. The idea that a person or family lives in an RV full-time to explore our country. Exploring state historical sights, National Parks, locations that most do not know exist. 

Many of us that have met, talk about the ”what next”. When you live full-time in your rig and parks consistently change their status; it can be a bit tricky. Some are finding a friend’s driveways, private RV parks, heading back home, or continuing their journey. At this point, no one knows what’s going to happen.

What’s up next for AYJ Adventures?

I have a few videos I will be posting in Youtube, a couple of blogs, lots of photos to publish, and after constantly debating internally, talking with others, and knowing that my mom’s business will probably not close. I am heading back to Ohio on the 24th to help operate the laundromat (https://laundryexpresscanton.com/).

FYI, she does offer a pick-up and drop-off laundry service. If you are scared, if you do not want to venture out, just contact us.

While she is healthy, the idea that she could come in contact with someone that has the virus and then pass it along to my dad who is not as healthy is a bit frightening. 

Some may not feel this is an essential service to remain open, but those that do not have a washer and dryer will.

After the pandemic, I will once again begin to travel. I’ve decided not to make plans, not to determine where I will go quite yet. While I have a few events
(May and June), they are thankfully on this side of the Mississippi and hopefully, (fingers crossed) life will be back to normal by the time they take place.

Until then, can we at least recognize that this event, this GLOBAL life-changing, unprecedented, event will impact everyone? Every human.

We will get through this, life will continue but we have to work together (at a distance) to make this a reality.

• So stay home.

• Be kinder 

• Remember what life was like before social media. 

• Read a book.

• Write a book.

• Learn a new craft.

• Try out a new hobby.

• Finish those projects you’ve been putting off because you “have no time”

• We have the technology to provide virtual teaching.

• We have the ability to video chat.

• Stop panicking.

• Breathe.