Returning to work for a few months was a requirement, and it had perks. But I quit my job yesterday; honestly, it was the most relieving thing I’ve done this year.
I’ve spent most of my life working. I started at 12, babysitting. Later that summer, I began “walking beans” for a local farmer. Not my father, mind you. No, my father’s philosophy was, “Of course you can walk beans for us, but you won’t get paid for it – your payment comes in the form of a roof over your head and food in your belly.”
Walking Beans: For those of you who weren’t raised on a midwestern farm, let me explain. Soy beans grow in huge fields in Iowa. Despite all farmers do, weeds inevitability spring up in these fields, and some weeds can destroy bean fields. Back in the early 80s, farmers would hire local kids to walk each row in the bean field and cut out the weeds using a large machete. Generally, you’d get started just after sun-up, around 5:30am and work until Noon to avoid the hot, humid Iowa afternoons. It was grueling work – especially for a 12-year-old.
Consequently, productivity was the only way to gain any amount of respect or praise in my house. As such, I developed workaholic syndrome early in life.
Career Choices: My Path to Freedom
I got my first real job with a time clock and taxes at the age of 14 working for a grocery store in 1988. From that point forward, I worked two, sometimes three jobs at a time. In 36 years I’ve been a…
Grocery Clerk
Retail Salesman
Newspaper Intern
Sales Coordinator
Hotel Night Auditor
Telemarketer
Coyote Bartender
Graphic Designer
College Receptionist
Marketing Secretary
Country Club Bartender
Food Server
Mutual Teller (Horsetrack)
Model
IT Hardware Analyst
Smartphone SME
Project Manager
Mobile Tech Consultant
IT Manager
Budtender
Administrator
Some of these jobs were part-time, some full-time, some were short-lived and some I used to build a career. And, throughout all these jobs, I put myself through college and climbed the corporate ladder for nearly 20 years before leaving it all behind to start a freelancing career in 2015. Ironically, I thought I was “semi-retiring” to become a writer.
I can actually laugh now about my excitement for that transition. because Oh how delusional I was… Freelancing was one of the hardest, most demanding jobs I’ve ever had. I spent 16 hours a day hustling, creating, researching, searching for new clients, interviewing, editing, and trying to stay ahead of algorithms and SEO.
So, last July, exhausted from trying to make ends meet as a freelancer, I broke down and went back to work.
Returning to Work – An Eyeopener
Working as a freelancer for nearly eight years, through the pandemic, I got a little spoiled working from home. Therefore, one of my biggest concerns in going back to work was simply: working with people again. The world has changed and I knew this was going to be a completely new environment.
Plus, at 50, I knew the dynamic was going to be much different than it was when I was younger.
Boy, was that an understatement.
I knew, going into this job, that it would be temporary and that I would eventually quit to pursue bigger plans. However, nothing prepared me for what I experienced.
To keep things professional, let’s just say, I’ve never been so excited to quit my job.
It Felt Good to Quit My Job
Granted, the rural area where this business is located is remote. They have one of the worst education systems in the state and the average age for this community is 62. Thus, the talent pool here is more like a mud puddle. But I’ve never in my life worked with so many people who simply didn’t want to work or who were too ignorant to keep a job.
Basically, working with other people is an opportunity for someone else’s lack of responsibility, lack of motivation, and lack of any discernible goals to impact your day. I am thankful for the chance to quit my job again.
However, there was one shining star from my excursion back into the working world – meeting my boss. While I won’t name him, he was one of the most honorable, respectful, ethical men I’ve ever worked for… and that’s a gigantic compliment coming from me. I learned more in 8 months working for this guy than you can imagine and I will always be grateful for that.
Despite how much I enjoyed working for him, it felt good to walk out today. The chaos, the drama, the constant conflict that surrounded that building was toxic. In fact, I believe staying there any longer would’ve likely had a negative impact on my health. I’m looking forward to spending the next two years focused on living, exploring, staying healthy, being active.
Vibe (as we imagine it):“Southwestern soul with desert magic — where art, aliens, and ancient wisdom meet under impossibly big skies.”
Planned visit:We’re heading that direction at the end of April.
Why We’re Heading to New Mexico First
Truthfully, we’re only going to New Mexico for a few main objectives.
Visit a few friends
Get used to the RV (New Mexico is mostly flat.)
Get to Arizona
I can’t honestly say I’ve ever thought, “New Mexico sounds like a fun place to visit.” But we aren’t traveling through Utah, and you can’t get around the Rocky Mountains without going south out of Colorado.
🎯 Our Must-Do List
Here are a few hot spots we plan to visit!
Taos:Good vibes, hiking trails, healing spirit.
Very Large Array:One of my favorite movies of all time, “Contact,” starring Jodie Foster, was filmed here.
Bosque:Reconnecting with long-lost friends!
White Sands National Park:Who doesn’t want to see 275 square miles of white sand?
🛻 Our New Mexico Home (where we’re parking)
Honestly, we don’t know yet. We’ve found a few RV parks around Taos, but haven’t actually set one in stone yet. We also plan to take advantage of Harvest Hosts for a couple of overnight stays.
Once we hit Bosque, we’ll be staying with our friends, Tim & Amanda for a few days.
We will also be looking for an RV spot closer to the White Sands area, maybe on BLM land or a state park. We plan to use the RV traveler’s rule of 3 and stay wherever we land for at least 3 days.
🧠 What We’re Curious About
Although we’ve never been there, New Mexico has always held a bit of a mystic vibe for me. From its deep Native American history to the Mexican roots that lie underneath, there’s a deep sense of culture. Who knows, maybe we’ll take a little peyote trip and ask the spirit guides to choose our next destination.
New climate, new wildlife. I am an animal whisperer, and live for discovering new animals, seeing new bird species, and checking off new experiences. I want to see the scorpions glow in the dark under a UV light, and I want to see a rattlesnake (from a distance, of course.)
FOOOOOOD. Okay, I may try to stay healthy. But food is a delicacy of life that we can all enjoy. We love foods with a southwestern flair, and I have no doubts that New Mexico is going to provide some culinary surprises.
🛍️ New Mexico Businesses We’re Excited to Support
Coming Soon!
Follow Along!
We’ll be rolling into New Mexico on April 27th — follow our stories for first impressions and roadside weirdness, and hit us up if you’ve got a favorite dive bar, dispensary, or disc golf course in the area!
💬 What We’d Love to Know From You
Got a destination for us? Hit us up on Facebook and tell us the can’t miss stops along the way!
🧭 See You There
We’re heading in with open eyes, a half-full gas tank, and a belly full of overnight oats. Let’s see what New Mexico has in store.
Choosing an RV and preparing for a life on the move is not as easy as it might sound.
When we put our house on the market 18 months ago, we never imagined it would take this long to sell. However, after months of window shopping, we finally have the green light to take things more seriously.
Downsizing from a 2000 sq. ft. house into a camper takes deliberation. It’s probably a good thing we had extra time to think it over. Our decision changed about ten times since then. Choosing an RV was one of the hardest parts of this whole process.
When Choosing an RV: At First, We Romanticized Luxury
Thor Motorcoach
Living in a lovely house on 20 acres of land, we feared the loss of the “creature comforts” of a sticks-and-bricks house. As our first option, we considered a gigantic Class A rig. These are the big tour buses that celebrities and rock stars travel in—and they are huge.
The original one we picked was 45 feet long and over a quarter of a million dollars. It had a kitchen with an island and an entirely enclosed office space. It was beautiful. But we learned a few things as we continued to search…
Many RV parks cannot accommodate these large tour bus rigs.
We would need to buy a secondary vehicle to tow behind the rig.
These bigger RVs are difficult to drive, and if they break down, where do you go while your house is in the shop?
One Vehicle, One Engine to Maintain
After ruling out the tour bus, we started looking at RVs that could pull behind a truck. But we still wanted something luxurious and spacious, something comparable to a traditional home. We wanted to be able to disconnect the truck and drive around when we wanted to go explore, so we started looking at fifth-wheel campers.
Alpine by Keystone – a fifth-wheel RV
Again, we were looking at trailers that were 40+ feet long, plus the length of the truck, so still, we are talking one significant footprint on the highway. With beautiful master bedroom suites and full-size kitchens, these campers ranged from $75,000 to $150,000.
But fifth-wheel campers also tend to be incredibly heavy. The added weight only means additional fuel expense, and we want to keep our travels as economical as possible. Not only that, but they require additional installation in your truck bed, which reduces your truck’s hauling capacity.
Pulling It All Behind You
If there’s anything I can tell you about my husband, it’s that he can drive anything. Although we understand the burden of hauling a trailer with you everywhere we go, I have all the faith in the world that Gary can handle the task. However, before spending thousands of dollars, I needed to know what he was comfortable with.
Looking at campers online and comparing floor plans is one thing. But until you actually SEE them in real life, you just don’t know. I spent months looking at different RVs, but fortunately, we decided to go to a dealership to make the final decision.
When we arrived at the dealership, we were completely sold on the 29-foot model—smaller, easier to tow, more options for campsites, etc. But once we walked through the different models, we realized what a difference an extra six feet can make in terms of living space. We’re going to be living in this thing for a minimum of two years, and although we’ve downsized tremendously, we’re still going to need a little storage along the way.
Choosing an RV – The Necessities
Now, besides just the basics – such as living space, length and towing weight, you also have to keep the necessities in mind. Things like water capacity, solar power, battery capacity and safety features. We wanted to make this trip as worry-free as possible; our goal is less stress, more travel.
Again, when choosing an RV, we wanted simplicity and off-grid capability because we don’t always want to stay in RV parks, and we want to be entirely self-contained so we can get lost in the wilderness. We got upgraded solar and an additional generator for those cloudy, rainy days.
We are scheduled to pick up our new rig on March 14th, and we’ll be sharing our excitement through our social media channels and going live during the trip up there.
We are Too Happy Campers—and no, the name isn’t just a cute pun. It’s a whole mood.
After months of waiting (and second-guessing, decluttering, and dreaming), the day has finally come: we’ve sold our house, packed our lives into a travel trailer, and we’re about to officially hit the road.
Why “Too Happy”?
Because somewhere along the way, we noticed something strange: people often use the word too like it’s a bad thing.
Too ambitious. Too adventurous. Too emotional. Too loud. Too old. Too… happy.
Well, we’re flipping the script.
Because being too much for some people just means you’re finally being enough for yourself.
How It Started
Eighteen months ago, we made the life-altering decision to sell our “forever home”—a breathtaking, 20-acre mountain property in Colorado—and trade it in for a life of mobility, minimalism, and momentum.
We called it our dream home, and for a while, it really was. We hosted guests from all over the world through Airbnb, built and managed a disc golf course on our land, and poured our hearts into creating a peaceful, off-grid mountain oasis.
But over time, what once felt like freedom began to feel like a beautiful cage.
As much as we loved our guests and our space, the commitment to hosting left us tethered. Summers became a blur of check-ins and chores, and little by little, the hiking boots collected dust while our dreams of travel got pushed to “someday.”
Suddenly, we started to feel stuck. And that feeling? It was our cue to evolve.
Letting Go to Make Room
Downsizing wasn’t just about square footage—it was a spiritual cleanse. After clearing out Gary’s father’s lifetime of clutter, we knew we didn’t want our lives to become a museum of “stuff” that no one else would understand.
We began shedding the weight—physically and emotionally.
Souvenirs, furniture, clothes, forgotten hobbies… everything had to answer one question: Do we really want to carry this with us for the next 30 years?
Spoiler: most things didn’t make the cut. And it felt incredible.
So What Now?
Now, we’re rolling into our next phase with wide eyes and open hearts in our Rockwood Ultra Lite 2906BS, powered by a beastly Chevy Silverado 2500HD and fueled by equal parts coffee, wanderlust, and pure gumption.
We’ve got:
🗺️ 12,000+ miles of travel planned 🥏 A wishlist of 400+ disc golf courses (Gary’s baby) 🎶 A year of concerts, festivals, and good vibes on the calendar 🍴 An appetite for local eats and offbeat foodie gems 🌄 A thirst for iconic landscapes and hidden gems 🌿 And a few elevated, wellness-inspired stops for the more discerning traveler
Along the way, we’ll share stories about the places we visit, the people we meet, and the inevitable surprises that come with living life on four wheels. Some will be heartfelt, some hilarious, and some will involve minor disasters and questionable decision-making.
All of it will be real.
Why Follow Too Happy Campers?
Because this isn’t just a vacation—it’s a reinvention.
We’re not trying to be perfect. We’re not out here pretending RV life is all sunsets and s’mores (though let’s be honest, there will be plenty of those). We’re here to explore, experiment, and embrace the chaos with joy, honesty, and a little edge.
If you’ve ever felt too stuck, too tired, too old, too over it—this space is for you.
If you’ve ever wanted to run toward joy, curiosity, or change—even if it means being a little too much—then you just might be a Too Happy Camper at heart.
Come With Us
We’ll be updating the blog regularly with:
Travel guides & destination highlights
Disc golf reviews & recaps
Food finds worth a detour
Our favorite gear & road hacks
Life lessons from the road
And a few secret stops for those in the know
So pack your sense of humor and hit the road with us. We’re out here chasing the sun, chasing our joy, and redefining what it means to feel truly alive.
After months of waiting for our house to sell, the day has finally come – and we are Too Happy Campers!
Eighteen months ago, we decided to sell our dream home and trade everything for the RV life. This is our story behind the decision, what led to it, and what we hope to gain from embracing mobility.
I believe life happens in phases.
We live, we learn, and we outgrow the skin we’re in.
As I look back on my life, my interests have changed, my standards have risen, and my priorities have shifted. Each experience, each job, each success, each failure shifts our perspective.
It changes everything… it changes me.
Dr. Ellie arroway – from the movie Contact (1997)
When we bought our property nine years ago, we called it our “forever home.” We were certain this was all we could ever want—twenty beautiful acres in the mountains of Colorado, because it truly was our dream property.
But that was nine years ago, and we’ve lived, learned… and changed since then.
Isolation Served Its Purpose
We absolutely adored our property—an hour and a half from civilization; visiting us took intention. We opened our home through Airbnb and invited strangers into our lives. We hosted guests from all walks of life, and we’ll forever cherish the opportunity to get to know our guests.
From birdwatchers around the world to city kids looking for a place to get away, we have had some incredible experiences hosting people. We took pride in our ability to be welcoming, friendly, and hospitable with all who entered our home, which led to us being ranked in the top 1% of Airbnb Stays worldwide.
We are proud of that accomplishment and will always cherish the experiences and memories we have from hosting our guests. Our guests taught us about ourselves and what we value.
However, owning a highly ranked disc golf course and an Airbnb on our property severely limited our ability to leave. We spent most of our summers hosting people, checking in disc golfers, and monitoring our property, which left little room for us to have the time to do the things we love—exploring, hiking, and traveling.
So, after seven years of opening our home and property to the public, we decided to turn the tables. We wanted to be able to leave the property and travel, too.
Downsizing for Simplicity
A couple of years ago, my husband had to clean out his father’s house, which was full of old junk that his dad thought was valuable. But essentially, it was a hoarding situation. Gary and I both agreed—we never wanted to do the same thing to our kids.
Humans tend to collect things. We save things, and then we attach sentiment to those objects.
Here’s the truth: in most cases, that sentimental value doesn’t translate to others. While that plastic souvenir cup from your 2015 Vegas trip might spark memories of wild adventures for you, to everyone else, it’s just a cup with no story attached.
Like losing weight, I began to look at each object I touched and ask myself, “Is this weight that I want to carry around for another 30 years?” Most of the time, the answer was no. In fact, each item I tossed into the dumpster felt a little more freeing than the last.
A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss
Something else we’ve learned through observation is that as people age, we tend to get stuck in a routine, slow down, and spend more time at home. For instance, Gary’s dad and step-mom only left the house to get groceries and go to scheduled doctors’ appointments. They forgot how to live life, and they became stagnant.
We don’t want to become stagnant.
Settling into a recliner with a blanket and a glass of wine might sound comfortable and inviting, but on the other hand, it’s likely not doing your health or longevity any favors. Staying active, spontaneous, fit, and flexible is key as we age.
Many health issues stem from a lack of adequate exercise and nutritional deficiencies, but sadly, taking care of ourselves often doesn’t fit into the daily grind. Then by the time we hit 50 – WHAMMO! – We’re smacked with bad knees, high cholesterol, and progressive lenses.
We want to enjoy every bit of life we can, while we can, and keep ourselves as active as possible.
Too Happy Campers Ready to Travel Hike Camp!
Too Happy Campers, About to Hit the Road
Despite loving living out here for nine years, we’ve realized we’ve limited ourselves. Our location made it difficult for people to visit us, and impossible for us to leave while hosting strangers in our home.
In summary, we are too happy to feel this tied down. We want to chase the sun.
That’s exactly what living in an RV can do for us. We could not be more thrilled about this new phase of our lives! Soon, we’ll be choosing our destinations and plotting our course. Stay tuned!
Please, follow along, as we become too happy campers! We are sharing our travels, adventures, and stories of adjusting to life on the road, and it will be a wild ride!
What Makes This Blog Different? Let’s be real—most blogs these days are a pop-up minefield. You won’t find that here.
No ads. No pop-ups. No auto-play videos trying to sell you socks. Just clean content and good vibes.
Yes, I have a few affiliate links. But only for products I personally use and love. If it’s linked here, it’s been road-tested in real life. If I wouldn’t spend my own money on it, I’m not sending you to it either. Any purchases made through these links send a little support our way—and we’re genuinely grateful.
This whole operation? 100% homegrown. Self-funded, self-built, and self-maintained. No team, no tech squad—just one woman (and her very patient husband) building something real on the road.
