A question we have always asked ourselves do we need a home base? Charlotte and I have spent a lot of time travelling in an RV of some sort, mostly in truck campers. Although we have had everything from bumper pulls to large fifth wheel units. We have travelled extensively either for pleasure, a year on the road publishing our Pure Country Magazine or our photography and marketing business taking us all around the western provinces of Canada. Below just a few of many RV’s over the years, the campers may have changed but we still kinda look the same a testament to a relaxing nomad lifestyle.
So it was only natural after retirement and wanting to continue to see this beauty of Canada and the USA, we questioned do we really need a sticks and bricks home base. Well in Canada and in our province of Saskatchewan one needs a fixed address to a residence to have access to our health care, auto insurance etc. We have a postal box but that would not cut it, so we decided we could rent a small room or apartment to qualify. Having spent so much time on the road in small RV’s we realized to be happy and comfortable we required very little and could easily live without our house (big by our standards not so much in today’s standards) and a whole bunch of stuff.
It was decided the nomadic lifestyle won out. We went through three truck campers before deciding on a four season Northern Lite 9.6 model. More camper than needed for an occasional trip to the lake, we were going to live in this for a period of time. We put our house up for sale and started getting rid of a lot of stuff, quads, snow machines, pontoon boats and more stuff than one could imagine. We just did our kids a big favor on our passing.
That’s when the “home base” reared its ugly head again during one of our many, many garage sales. A small cabin just up the lake from us came up for sale and the location overlooking the lake got the best of us and for a small price we purchased it for cash. Our home base was established and worse yet we now owned two pieces of property and a truck and camper, so much for downsizing. Going back to the garage sale I pulled all my wood working tools off the tables, the cabin now needed work. After having just renovated our home totally we were now back in the game doing it all over.
Well it took nearly a year and a half to sell our primary residence and we were completely renovating the “home base” from roof to floor. Luckily I was able to take a contract and continue working in between so we were able to pay cash for our renovations but there was definitely no travel during that time. Our home base had become an anchor not to say a money pit for a while, but we felt it would be the perfect retirement condo someday. Being not independently wealthy we knew this nomadic lifestyle would not work unless we were totally debt free and that happened the day we sold our primary residence.
All things work out in the end as I was encouraged to retire from our contract as no one wants a 70 year old these days doing their marketing, even if I did know what Twitter (X) was. Now I’m happy to be out of marketing as every time you pick up your phone you are bombarded on every medium by ads for stuff no one really needs, yes marketing has changed. Now it was time to hit the road.
As you know from my past posts, we have travelled and lived as nomads on the road renting our small cabin for a period of time and totally enjoying the freedom and experiencing the beauty of our country. Do we regret the decision to purchase a home base….No as the upkeep taxes, insurance and utilities when we are not there are cheaper than renting and if we are careful we can continue travelling. This winter we are hunkering down in minus 40 Celsius Saskatchewan weather and that’s minus 40 for our American friends as well. Now you know our pain, but our wood stove and little cabin are very warm and cozy. We planned on being in Arizona once again at a truck camper rally but with our low Canadian dollar and expensive health insurance we decided to wait and see what our governments on both sides of the border did to our dollar. Well we waited now we wait 30 more days, the one thing we have learned as nomads is, if it does not feel right trust your gut either stay put or move. Well, we at this time are staying put as our politicians all have their moment in the media. We have been very fourtunate to have travelled almost every highway in Saskatchewan as far north as we can go. Also as far north as we could drive in Manitoba and Northern Manitoba and time in Northern BC. The end of the road in the Yukon and Northwest Territories. South in the USA to Arizona and the Mexican border and in between. And yet there is still lots we left to see. Sharing some of our travel images with you.
There is a comfort in having a home base, admittedly more so for Charlotte and as we get older we know we have a place without a high overhead at this time and a bunch of stuff to maintain. Time and freedom become very important, free to move when we feel the need with our home on wheels, and freedom to hunker down in the frosty winter in a cozy home base. We are so fortunate by shedding more space than required, more utilities, more taxes and more stuff we can still afford the semi nomadic lifestyle we both enjoy. The downside is while we are gone the base expenses remain and it’s something for me to worry about while on the road. Even with either good tenants or a great neighbour checking it constantly it’s still on my mind.
When I mentioned freedom remember, the bigger the fire you build for yourself, the more time you will spend hauling wood to keep it going. A lesson I wish I would have leaned many years ago. We love the simplicity of our Northern Lite truck camper, it’s a complete home on wheels, is it a four season?… maybe in British Columbia, it’s good but we will be testing it during two weeks of minus 40. We have found what we appreciate most is the freedom to move when we want, finding a quiet spot in nature, the places we have seen and the great people we have met on the road, not the stuff we own that would tie us down.
May my next post be about someplace down the road either camped in a snow bank or desert…freedom 75 stay tuned and thanks to those who have subscribed you make editing worthwhile. If you want more information on some of the areas we have traveled you will find them in the travel menu. Thanks again.
Hope we can meet up down the road take care ya all and safe travels.
Gerry &Charlotte