Lately, I have been thinking a great deal about lifestyle. My writing projects are more or less planned out for a few months, but in my day and night dreaming, I've been thinking about how we, as humans, determine how we will live. How many of us don't have that choice, and we just get through day after day because thinking of what we might want seems out of reach? How many people even think of their own lifestyle or options they might have.
Thinking about my lifestyle is something I've thought about off and on through my life. I go through spurts of reading books on how to get the life I want-- or even decide what that might be. I've done suggested exercises and then forgotten about the whole thing as I go through times of just being where I am with no planning for where I might want to be.
Most recently I've been in one of those-- just get it done phases, but in August, my mind began looking ahead. Am I living life as I wish? I began much of my current lifestyle in my mid-30s, readjusted it in my mid 50s and maybe this is my cycle-- every twenty years reassess. Besides figuring out what I might prefer to where I am, I am asking what would I have to change if this isn't right for me now approaching my mid-70s.
This summer, as I was surfing with the TV remote, I got into watching a program on cable, GAC to be exact, on people choosing an RV. It has become one of the shows I try to remember as couples or individuals hit a dealership, look at assorted rigs and decide which would work for their needs which range from full-time living to camping trips. More people can work anywhere they want to live, which makes full-timing in an RV more feasible. Slide-outs and luxury RVs make them seem more like home on the road than the traditional image of a recreational vehicle. They have goals of seeing the country, home-schooling kids, going to trade shows, boon-docking, or just simplifying their lives ,with freedom to move on whenever they wish.
Going RV (on Wednesdays) has me pretty much addicted to checking in. Since they repeat some couples many times, I watch the new ones, leave it on mute or turn it off, come back in half an hour to see if it's someone new. It works well with my writing where I need breaks.
It's also a practical show for getting info on the cost of these rigs as we are considering trading in our travel trailer for a fifth-wheel because they supposedly tow better (Ranch Boss' goal for the change) but also they'd offer dividing the space better (my goal for taking the cats with us when they still are dicey for getting along).
Then there came a new show on GAC which drew my attention-- Living Big Sky. Each half hour show involved people looking for their dream home in Montana. It's a great advertisement for Montana (a state I love and unhappily haven't gotten back to since 2012!). The families varied for how much money they had to spend, which let the viewer look inside a variety of homes as well as learn something about the lifestyle the families/couples were hoping to find with their new home.
Since lifestyle interests me right now, I'll be exploring the topic for awhile in this blog. Some of that will involve pieces I wrote some years back on the subject but that seem good reminders today.
4 comments:
Having a daughter-in-law that works for television, I have come to understand how heavily edited these shows are. I watch the Alaska homesteader shows for fun, but also have been told by Alaskans that they hardly reflect the reality of the situation. As long as you watch with a critical eye, you can learn something.
One good thing about the Big Sky one is they were specific areas and with the price range that the people had to spend. Over ten years ago now, we spent quite a bit of time looking for homes in the Missoula and Hamilton area. We've rented vacation homes through VRBO in Livingston as well. I think some of the increase in cost is being seen in Oregon too especially in the cities that people want to be in.
These shows aren't about the people-- other than as customers looking to buy an RV on the one or a home in Montana on the other. More like showcasing a product than showing the people struggle with life. I actually did see an episode of the Alaska homesteading show and another about police in Alaska but they had no appeal to me. I am interested in these two because of the search for some item that will allow them to live the life they want (both items that I had thought I wanted at least at one time.
In Montana, so far they have mostly been in an area I'd never looked at living but I will stay with the show for awhile, when I can, and see if they have any in areas of the state which I'd prefer. I doubt we'll be buying a home in Montana as that would require selling one of the two we currently own; but a 5th wheeler is in our future, but likely not until we can spend more time traveling and living in it than we currently have available. I am looking for a folding desk for our current one that lets me use my favorite keyboard with the computer ;). As it stands, when I write in the trailer, I have to use the laptop keyboard where at home I use the ergonomic for wrist and hand health.
I like those shows too. The prices in Hamilton were a shock to me. Looked for a place there about 15 years ago and the prices were good. No more. For a feel for the people from afar I've added their local newspapers and others to my fb feed. I hope to go back to Sitka next year and I follow the Sitka Daily Sentinel and Raven Radio KCAW Sitka. Small town FB can be educational.
I agree, Celia. Some of the homes were estate level for their quality, but even the more ordinary appearing ones were over $300,000. I know it's happened in certain Oregon areas too-- maybe another bubble. The fun one was the guy with $3 million to spend. Now that would be fun ;). It's kind of like going to those street of dreams homes to look around
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