"So, what do you do all day?"

As I stated before, this is the most common question I get when people hear how Jaren and I live on the road and travel in our RV for his job. Well, as I sit here unexpectedly at the Chevy dealer in Cedar Rapids Iowa, I can assure you, it is certainly not "nothing"!

Most people are really unsure how I spend my time on the road since I am unemployed, and Jaren's job is the only employment and commitment we have. And honestly, I was unsure at first too! But after having several months to settle into a rhythm and find my way, I think I get it now! It wasn't easy by any means, and if you're curious about the difficulty and frustration I felt while transitioning from how I was used to contributing to how I contribute now, feel free to read my future blog post "The Mental Load".

But, to answer the question directly, my new "job" is to take care of everything that is not seen, (moms, wives, caregivers, you KNOW what this life is about!) and support Jaren and his ability to get to the show the best way I can. Currently, we had an unexpected truck issue which turns out is going to be $6,500+ worth of work... thank GOD we bought the warranty, and it's covered!!!

ANYWAY, Jaren has no choice but to be on time for the show. So, that is my NUMBER ONE priority - making sure he gets to the show on time. Without his job, we can't live and do what we do, so he MUST get there! What that looks like varies from city to city depending on our campground location, parking situation, public transportation, etc... (And in this case, it required getting him a rental car to get to St. Louis, MO while I took care of the truck) but that is number one first and foremost. So, sometimes I will find myself being his chauffeur, dropping him off and picking him up at the theater. I also tend to do more "housekeeping" duties since we do have our home and it does require typical care like cleaning, running errands, meal planning, food prepping, maintenance... you name it. And speaking of maintenance, the truck is a BIG one. Oil changes, tune ups, alignments, cleaning, and in this week's case, taking care of unexpected engine issues! Which leads me to my second role: Behind the Scenes.

But it's not just to be behind the scenes. If necessary, it's to be the (Wo)man left behind. Since Jaren has to be at the show when he is called, he can't always take care of things that take time, and that's okay! That's why I'm here! And it is also why I am specifically here, in Iowa, by myself, for a week, while he is working in St. Louis, MO opening the show. Now, this is the first time this has happened, but we knew it was only a matter of time <Insert Back to the Future song here>. THANKFULLY we prepared a few weeks ago (unknowingly) by him teaching me how to hitch and tow the RV by myself! But it often is me staying behind, waiting all day in a dealership or office for things to be repaired, or staying on the phone for hours making multiple calls, to take care of the bigger issues. I usually did these things back in Lancaster too, but it wasn't as much.

It's an unusual thing, following a tour but living in an RV. Most people think we camp a lot and just hang out. But really, we are living a normal life with normal responsibilities, just in a different state every few weeks which presents its own challenges. We don't have our "usual" doctors or places to go to, so often times, we have to do a LOT of research just to do normal things! Which leads me to my third role: Researcher.

Most times, we know little to NOTHING about our next city location. And not only that, but we are responsible to find our own housing, which means research, research, research. Finding campgrounds and booking them at least 3-6 months in advance is at the top of the list, especially since finding camping in close proximity to a city is sort of counterintuitive. Also, the RV lifestyle has significantly increased since Covid as many people know, and finding a place to stay, especially for as long as 2-4 weeks at a time, can be difficult to find if we don't do our searching in advance! I mean, we wouldn't be "homeless" but, we would be "land-less" and I don't exactly want to experience that either! Having "laptop" days are crucial for us to find where we can stay, the limitations of each place, proximity to the theater, things to sightsee, and places to make our appointments for vehicle maintenance or even simple doctor checkups. There is nothing too small to research or plan in advance that wouldn't help set us up for success, and that is the main thing I want to do - set us up for SUCCESS!

Living RV life has been really challenging, especially in the first 3 months. And there is honestly PLENTY more I can elaborate on that I do to help set us up as best as possible for each city. But at the end of the day, aside from identifying my roles and "what I do" every day, I've learned that there are SO many more ways one can contribute. There is so much more I have to offer beyond the roles I've learned and the roles I've taken on, knowingly or unknowingly. I'm sure as I grow as a person, these things might even change, but that's what I'm excited for - I'm excited to finally have the capacity and ability to be open to the ever-changing roles I will face, not only as an RV Wife, but as me.