Majnoon

Thanks Mike it was good meeting you and Carol. I hope to cross paths with you 2 again someday. Safe travels. Jim

Can be found here - https://www.campendium.com/hendricks-flat

1st night as an official Oliver boondocker. After spending 40 years in manufacturing, I felt like William Wallace screaming "Freedom!". Unfortunately it was 25 degrees that night with snow even though I stayed nice and warm inside, so I pulled up and went to New Mexico for sunshine and warmth. Aaaahhhh retirement...

Something like this perhaps?

Hey Justin, You sound an awful lot like me 35 plus years ago. When I got out of high school 40 years ago my father got me a job working in the same factory as him except a fairly decent job in Quality Control. I hated it from day one but made the best of it and actually worked my way up into a pretty good position today. I know the nihilistic angst you speak of firsthand. Looking back at this point, I'm glad I stuck it out but only because I'm less than 5 months from collecting a pension but if I would've come across something else, I would've left in a heartbeat. Sounds to me like you're actually in a pretty good position. You have a vocation that doesn't require you to be tied down too much. There are thousands of retirees out there living in RVs that would probably love for someone to show up at their doorstep and provide them with a nice relaxing massage and some youthful banter (thinking like Quartzsite in winter). Why not 'Have massage table will travel'? I bet if your energetic enough you could definitely make it happen. There are a lot of forums you could let yourself be known on and word of mouth travels pretty good as well. Seems like it'd be a pretty cool enterprise and as with any new enterprise you might want to have a nice cushion in case you land on tough times. Or you could find a town you like and stay long enough to make enough money and move on. Good luck, wishing you a 'Long strange trip'. Jim

Thanks Randy, good advice. I bought a van a while back and was able to live in it for several weeks out west hiking, traveling, adventuring and meeting new people. This was going to be my retirement (part timing) in a van. I guess you haven't lived until you pooped in a bucket out in the middle of nowhere... Anyway, I spent the last 3 years looking everywhere on Zillow in the US where I might want to settle down after retirement. Nothing ever really did it for me except Colorado was the closest I came to finding Shangrila but alas it wasn't until my van adventures that what I really wanted was to live 'everywhere'. I stayed in some of the most gorgeous places this past summer in that van, from Maine to Wyoming and down to New Mexico(using up all 5 weeks vacation plus weekends) convinced me I needed to do this full time. That's when I ditched the van and bought a truck. Wanderlust is my fuel. If I was in my teens today no doubt I would be diagnosed with ADHD. I live outside of Cleveland Oh, which has fueled my desire to get away. Just turned 58, I love my alone time but I also enjoy meeting and talking to strangers, or is it just strange people? Looking forward to meeting and talking to other Ollie owners in the future. Jim

Hi folks, My retirement date is coming up at the end of April and I'm getting ready to pull the trigger this week on a new Legacy Elite II. I started off looking at Airstreams but got very discouraged when I started reading about quality issues (floor rot, popped rivets etc.). Most of the other TT's I see out there are a joke with regards to quality and drab ugly decors. Then I came across Oliver on one of the forums (I think it was Airforum) and went to to the website. At first I wasn't too keen on the stark white interior but as I read more about them and how you all raved about them, I found myself yearning for one. Staring at the ceiling at 2 am the other night I made up my mind. Nothing else seems to come close. I love the ground clearance, ample storage and it looks like it's built to last which I need since I'll be giving up my apartment & full timing, mostly on BLM & NFS land. It actually reminds me of some of the Aussie caravans I was lusting after on Youtube. Are there any other full timers out there? I'd love to hear from you. Is it spacious enough? My tow vehicle is a new Ram 2500 diesel (remember the Airstream I was going to buy?) so I doubt if I'll even feel it towing back there. I've already used up all my vacation for the year so I won't be able to visit the factory but everything I've read and seen seem to dispel any concerns. Thanks, Jim P.S. (Majnoon - means 'crazy' in Syrian, my grandfather's name for me growing up)