Retirement and the Travel Trailer

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We hated our jobs! So immediately after finishing our dream house - a small off-the-grid home high up the side of a mountain in Northern New Mexico - we opted for early retirement. No, we really didn't think everything through the way we probably should have, but we retired anyway. There were a couple of years where we didn't do much of anything. That works for a while.

But eventually, we wanted to actually do something other than sit on the deck, drink wine, and 'watch summer' flow across Sunshine Valley. And the arrival of a granddaughter just 300 miles away in Southwestern Colorado gave us an additional incentive to travel back and forth. Their house was relatively small and finding a place for us to stay in their town became a rather difficult and expensive proposition.

So, we bought a travel trailer. It was an impulse buy - we didn't waste any time. We bought the third trailer we looked at on our first day of shopping. I know, who does that? But I knew this was the right decision. It's small, a nineteen-footer, but it is a lightweight design, easily hauled by our SUV. And it seemed like it was designed just for me.

You see, I'm a big man - almost 6'5" and coming in well over 300 pounds. So not only do I require a trailer that is well built, but also one that accommodates me. I don't have to duck in this trailer - I can stand upright (OK, I have to bow my head to get through the door, but that's it). No, I don't fit in the shower, so I have to bathe elsewhere. But, and this was the clincher - the toilet is not stuck in some corner, but sits in the middle of the back wall. If you have to ask why that's important, well, let's just say that us big guys don't do well in the corner.. Additionally, it was December and they were having a sale. So there you have it - We bought a trailer.

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