We are part of a very small but thriving group that are living this lifestyle on “A Wing and A Prayer”. There is no retirement fund to depend on, we are not independently wealthy nor did we have the sort of work we could take on the road with us but being out here is worth all the challenges we go through just to stay out here. It is not always easy…there are times when we are so prosperous and enjoying the “Good Life” and then there are other times that we are not sure where our next meal will come from. But with every mile we travel and are able to see places that we would not have had the opportunity to see otherwise, we are grateful for being healthy enough to be able to continue working our way around the country.
Retirement Only?
For many years this lifestyle was mostly for the retired that only needed to work to supplement their retirement fund or even just volunteer to work a few hours for a site to park their rig in an area to explore. Through the years this has changed drastically and now there are many younger folks out here that need to be paid for full-time work. It’s a continuous process changing the employers attitudes towards this idea and many parks still have the mentality that we do not want to be paid so not to hurt our retirement fund. That is why many of us are branching out and using other avenues to find employment. It’s a golden opportunity to find work at a campground that includes a good salary, your RV site or housing, and other perks to make it enticing enough to stay for a few months during their peak seasons. But, it’s not always the case since there are more people now looking for this and rarely finding it and that is where creativeness comes into play.
What Kind of Work Would You Do?
We have held many positions in the past few years, cashier, stock person, server, maintenance, reservations, front desk clerk, managers of a campground, running a Christmas Tree lot, independent contractors, holiday light decorating, ticket sales, ticket stubbers, security at race tracks, and the list goes on. The opportunities are endless, but you must be open to doing and trying new things. Here are just a few places that we know offer work that you can do while traveling. Christmas Tree Lots…Holiday Decorating…Campgrounds/Parks…Firework Sales…Truck Driving…Vendors…Amusement Parks…Traveling Nurses…Race Tracks…Retail Outlets/Stores…Independent Contracting…Home Based Businesses…Writing…Photography…Temporary Agencies…and so many more! There are only a few websites that are dedicated to advertise work for people in this lifestyle, who are referred to as Workampers but if you can think of seasonal help then you are on the right track. Also, staying creative and open to all options is a certainty for finding work anywhere and everywhere to help supplement your fuel fund and continue traveling your dream life as we are doing. There are also the “lucky ones”, they are able to take the jobs they do in their stationary life and make it work while on the road. Think about your own career, is it possible to take it on the road with you? Be open…you never know until you try it…the more creative you are the more opportunities there will be for you.. We had a tile installation company and whenever possible we contract ourselves to do a tile job when requested but for full-time work this was not an inviting option for us.
Always Keep The Faith
The possibilities are endless…with your imagination…you can work your way across the country without having any other means for support, we are living proof that it can be done. We just know from our experience you will need to be adventurous and really trust in your faith and always remember why you are doing this. There have been a few times we have been discouraged but as we headed out that morning and looked around at the new sights we were viewing…we knew that we were on the right path after all.
