This Year Has Been Complicated.

[Buzzy]

I know I am stealing a line from a Nick Jonas album, but it best describes 2017 for me.

 

2017 has been challenging, so I have not been able to stay connected with the Oliver Forum community.  In February, my beloved dog Buzzy died.   In June, my spouse died.  So, 2017 has been a year with no camping.  Sad, but those things happen. Fortunately, my new dog Buddy and I plan to help each other as we camp in Ollie in 2018.  He is not yet a camper, but will be!

 

I still have many estate issues to resolve, but should be able to reconnect with our community toward the end of the year.

 

Meanwhile, I hope everyone continues to enjoy camping in the best camper on the market, an Oliver Travel Trailer!

 

Buzzy

[geokeg]

Buzzy,

 

We are so sorry to hear of your losses.  Thank you for the update, albiet a sad one.  We pray that you will be able to once again join us on the forum and hopefully somewhere out with our Olivers.

 

Best regards,

 

George and Gretchen

[Monlezun]

Buzzy,

 

You have Ursula's and my sincere condolences. We are so very sorry for the loss of your two loved ones. Our thoughts are with you as you process and grieve. Hopefully, time itself will work its magic, and we hope many good memories will sustain you.

 

Be well, my friend!

[Mike and Carol]

Buzzy, we have missed you and I've often wondered how you were doing.  I'm sorry to hear of the loss of little Buzzy and your spouse. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.  Mike

[ScubaRx]

During a phone conversation with another owner today, your name came up and we wondered how and what you were doing.  I commented that you hadn't posted on the forum for some time but you were probably busy with life.  I'm so very sorry the disruptions were tragic.  When things are sorted out, please come back into the group.  We've missed you!

[SeaDawg]

Buzzy. I never know what to say when someone has lost the live of his life. .so, I will tell you the truth. I would like to reach out and hold you.

Better yet, God will reach out and hold you.

Our lives here are intertwined. However, only those closest can be the ones to hold you up.

I an deeply sorry for your lost.

Love,

Sherry

[KarenLukens]

:) Hi Buzzy :)

 

A smile here, a smile there, and a big hug from all of us :)

 

Reed & Karen

[Buzzy]

Thank you everyone for your kind words, thoughts and prayers.  It is true, time heals all wounds however the journey is forever changed.  My goal in returning to our community now is to learn from those among us who enjoy solo RV camping.

 

A wise person once told me, “If you make good decisions in life, you will be happy, healthy and successful.”  Since I adopted that philosophy, it has been valuable to have a “copilot” in life to gain deeper insights into my decision making.  My new dog, Buddy, is a good listener, but is one of those strong and silent types.

 

For the first time, I sense vulnerability.  I have always believed RV camping is very much a series of decision making actions.  For me, those actions translate into a feeling of accomplishment resulting in relaxation and joy.

 

How do solo campers deal with the decision-making aspects?  I do see value in utilizing checklists, keeping the scope of the travels manageable.  I also like the idea of having numerous “safety net” supports, whether they be AAA towing, friend/family who are aware of my travels, etc.  Despite those logical actions it still feels like flying a 747 from New York to Paris with no copilot.  Spooky at best!  Do those feelings change with time?

 

Although this discussion thread may not have any immediate value to those who have a “copilot” for your RV camping, you never know when your journey may change.  What would you do?  Hopefully many would continue your camping.  Would your camping style change?  Perhaps a seasonal camp site, so you have less traveling alone?  I welcome all insights.  My goal is to utilize the next three months to craft the plan so 2018 is an outstanding year to be an Ollie camper!

 

Buzzy

[topgun2]

Buzzy - Even with the bad news it is good to hear from you.  Certainly it is good to see the picture of Buddy.  What a fine companion he has grown to be.  Both Buzzy and your spouse may have left you in the physical world, but, they will always be with you in your heart and mind.  Listen to them and keep your heart open to them because they both still have much to tell you.

 

I travel in Twist alone 85 to 90 percent of the time.  That doesn't put me in the same league as Boskar who is really alone virtually 100 percent of the time - I know Pete is there in physical form but the mental side is lacking a bit.  Yes, I miss that extra set of eyes and ears and the sharing of simple things.  But you will develop your own routine for the routine things.  It is when that routine is changed that things can and/or do go wrong.  In these times - listen to your inner self, listen to those hairs on the back of your neck telling you that something is not right, listen to that sixth sense, listen to your spouse and Buzzy telling you that something is not right.  All will be OK - if you let it.  I'd pm Pete and Boskar - Pete can be bought with a bottle of cheap white wine but Boskar will probably cost you considerably more.

 

Let me know if there is anything I can do for you and I'm sure the same goes for all of us.

 

Bill

[Buzzy]

Bill,

 

Thank you for reminding me the picture of Buddy is out of date.  He has turned into a true rascal of a boy.  He goes to Doggie Day Care each week so he can play with his doggie friends.  I am way too boring for the little guy seven days a week.  At Day Care he is known as Muddy Buddy since he absolutely loves rolling in mud puddles!  I support his activities as long as he understands a bath will follow each day care day.  He understands and perhaps he is too tired to complain.  The pics below capture the transition.

 

This is prior to his haircut.  I naively thought maybe a haircut would help him stay clean.

 

Here we have Muddy Buddy after his haircut.  He just seemed to get dirtier!

 

Buddy in his bath.

 

Buddy after his bath and a good brushing.  He cleans up well.  Here he is looking at me with the question, "So Dad, when do I go back to Doggie Day Care?"  The little rascal!!

 

Buzzy

 

 

[KarenLukens]

For the first time, I sense vulnerability.

 

Buzzy

You need to give yourself some time to mentally recover and most counselors will say take 3 to 5 years after losing your spouse to stay single and recover. Basically, you want to take enough time to let you feel good about your life and get back to making good decisions again on your own. I solo camped for 7 years in many places, thru many states and I have plenty of friends to visit from coast to coast. A lot of the time in the beginning, I preferred to be alone and I spent much of that time watching others so that I could learn how to feel normal again. The emptiness was tough at first and right now for you, it's a new beginning where you will be second-guessing yourself, while thinking about the ways that you would have done things together.

 

You make movies, and for me, this was a big part of my recovery. You know what it's like now being alone, you know how it feels at its worst. I would sit out in the woods for hours, swimming in emotion and regaining control of my life. A lot of the time I spent just talking to myself in front of the camera just so that I could go back and see how far that I had come. Because you will always remember just how you felt at that time, when making that little clip, I recovered, then remarried 7 years later. In that time I put out a bunch of movies that to this day, continue helping others, but many other hundreds of hours never made it to the public because it was for my recovery, for me to be able to see myself and know exactly where I was.

 

Honestly, you don't need much when solo camping and for me, the first thing that I noticed was that it didn't need to cost anything to camp. In those first few years of being alone, I rarely ever stayed in campgrounds, only if I was visiting a National Park and you will be shaking your head at how much it costs for you to live now, compared to when you were a couple... :)

 

There's so much more, but don't sweat over details, just set up your Ollie your way now, for you and you alone. Then set out and don't look back. Find new friends on the road, enjoy your new beginning. It really helps to have a network of friends and you have made a bunch right here, so start visiting everyone when you feel ready :)

 

Reed

[Overland]

Buzzy, I'm terribly sorry to hear about your loss.  I wish that I had a wonderful piece of advice for you, but unfortunately I don't.  Just know that you have friends here and elsewhere that you can lean on whenever you need.

[donthompson]

Buzzy,

 

So sorry to learn of the passing of your beloved spouse and pet. I hope your interest in camping in your Ollie will bring you some comfort and joy in 2018. I have always been a solo Ollie camper. I retired at the end of 2015 and my wife continues to work. We travel together, but not in the Ollie. I love the solitude of solo camping and have not had any regrets about purchasing my Ollie for solo camping. I spend a lot of time in the west and have camped and hiked in some pretty remote places. I've developed some strategies to make me feel more secure. When I'm camped and hiking in bear country, I try to find hiking companions at the trailhead or on the trail. I've met some wonderful people doing this at Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Big Bend National Park, etc. I also purchased a Spot Gen 3 device that allows me to send an SOS signal if I get in trouble while hiking alone. I purchased it after spending some time in Guadalupe Mountains National Park where I was the only person in the campground for 4 nights and the only person hiking in the northern part of the park during that time. I was a little spooked by this so now I carry the Spot when hiking. I love to read and find the solitude conducive to my reading binges. I think being solo actually helps me be more precise in managing my checklists, etc. There are no distractions when you are setting up or breaking camp alone. The only time I've forgotten something at a campsite was when I was distracted by conversations with people I had met at the campground while I was getting packed up, etc. My parent were RV campers and one of the things that caused me to buy my Ollie and begin traveling with it was how much they enjoyed meeting new people while traveling with their RVs. They made many friends while traveling and I've done the same. The Ollie draws people to me wherever I travel, making it easy to strike up conversations and begin friendships where appropriate. There are some downsides. I do get lonely, but rarely. When I'm really enjoying myself (which is often) I feel bad about not being able to share my experiences with my wife. So, I keep a journal while traveling and post photos and parts of journal entries on my Facebook page. Many friends have commented about how they enjoy these posts and they encourage me to continue to share.

 

Buzzy, I hope your Oliver and the experiences you have in 2018 camping and traveling bring you joy.

 

Don

[HMD1056]

Oh, Buzzy, I am so very sorry for your losses.   A wise friend once said to me after I had too lost a loved one..."Give time time to do its work".  It does take time to soften the wounds of loss into wonderful memories.  Life would be so bleak if we didn't have the memories of loved ones who moved on before us.  Hugs!

 

Now, that Buddy Boy---he is one handsome fellow!!  That bath and brushing has shown his heartbreaker side!

 

Thank you for sharing your losses with us all.  Be well.

[Kayrae51]

Buzzy,

Clair & I are thinking of you as you go thru this very sad time in your life. I, personally, can not imagine losing my sweet Emma or my loving husband as you have experienced. I lost my father in April so I do understand all of the estate issues involved. They can be very trying when you are dealing with grief.

 

Please take your time as you go thru the healing process. Buddy will be a great comfort. You have many friends here, sending hugs & prayers your way. We are all anxious to see you out enjoying your life again and posting your words of wisdom here.

 

Best Wishes,

[dedroll]

Sorry for your loss, Your postings and videos  have been very helpful for Jane and I in making the decision to purchase our Oliver.  thank you

 

 

[routlaw]

Just saw this post Buzzy, very sorry to hear about your losses this year, terrible stuff indeed. Wishing you well as you move forward and adjust.

[MikeandGerri]

Buzzy, Gerri and I are sad to hear of your losses.  We cannot begin to imagine how you feel and the emptiness you feel.  We are glad you now have bissy and will bring him into the camping lifestyle.

 

Please know our hearts and our prayers go out to you.

[Free2Roam]

Thoughts and prayers to you!  My husband and I are picking up our trailer in 2 weeks and have enjoyed your videos.  Hoping that getting back to camping will be healing for you.  Our best to you and Buddy!!!    -Angela and Kyle