RV Nation
Posted on Monday, September 24th, 2007
Everyone told us from the start – “Having a kid changes your life.” We knew it was true, but we were ready for the challenge. I mean, it’s a change for the better, right? A year later – with a one year old we adore – we get the picture.
Of course it’s a change for the better, but let’s not kid around – life isn’t the same, especially for the likes of my husband and I, living the “good life” here in Jackson.
Every weekend: skiing, hiking, backpacking, fishing, biking and traveling. That’s our thing, and like everyone else we know, that’s why we live here. That’s also where the kid thing starts changing things.
Sure, it’s easy enough to trade off kid responsibilities and still get out there, but that’s not really the point. We like to do it together and spend time with our kid too.
That’s when the idea of the pop-up camper came into the scene.
We’ve seen some other families toting them around and it always made us snicker. Camper … RV … sure seems like a slippery slope to becoming non-outdoorsy, middle-aged, overweight Americans who wear fanny packs.
But with summer rolling around and the mountains and rivers beckoning, we started to warm up to the idea.
Weekends away – out there, anywhere – the three of us enjoying what we love most about this place. And with the perks of pack & play space, a fridge for milk, a heater for the 30-degree nights and a “home base” for meltdowns or emergencies.
So we made a trip to the RV park in Shelley, Idaho to “check it out” and the next thing we knew we were proud owners of the “Flaggstaff” – a 10-foot pop-up, the smallest thing on the lot.
As I told everyone I knew – it fell squarely into the category of “becoming that which you never though you’d be.”
We’ve headed out in it about a half dozen times this summer and I can say definitively: no regrets.
Our weekends of choice are to drive maybe two hours north or two hours south of town and plop ourselves down next to one of the many amazing rivers of the area.
We fish together, hike around, play hide and seek in the camper, nap, check out the area – all on our own schedule without the logistical nightmare that goes along with doing anything with a kid.
On our last trip, our son interrupted a serious fishing session with cries of “Ba, Ba” (his word for everything), pointing to the sky. He alerted us to the presence of a massive bald eagle doing some fishing of his own from above.
Pretty cool. He’s a pretty lucky kid.
And we are happy new members of the RV nation. Go figure.
Here’s to the newest members of the RV Nation! Way to get out there with baby (and Flagstaff pop-up) in tow. My triplets and I love to get out in our camper.
You have eloquently summarized how many of us parents in Jackson feel who are trying to hang on to the life we led prior to children. I think the Flagstaff is awesome and it affords you the ability to enjoy the outdoors and expose your kids to some wonderful adventures. Here’s to the Mini RV’s!!!
Thanks for inspiring those of us who are soon to make the plunge into parenthood. See you in the campground!
And thanks for making the road ahead seem brighter for those of us who are still in the me.me.me Jackson Hole play mode (but may not be forever…).Keep it up!
If you can teach your kid to point to the cold ones in the cooler as well, you will be all set. Sounds like a blast…let’s caravan sometime. dd