This has never been our strong suit, and now we find ourselves having to exercise the flaccid muscle of our patience. Forget the agony of waiting four years; it turns out simply waiting a month-and-a-half is more excruciating. That’s when we expect an update from our financial advisor, TJ.
I’m trying to stay positive and patient, focusing on what we can be doing right now to make the best use of our time. Poor Chris, struggling through another five-day stretch of nightshift, is having a bit harder time of it. Right now, it feels like an impossible dream. It feels like living in a limbo that has sucked a little of the color and flavor of today when held up against the dream of tomorrow. This is where we need to be really careful lest we drive ourselves, and everyone else, crazy.
I know that it will serve us best if we do this right, but I’m also not afraid to draw a line in the sand and declare our own timeline – regardless of what TJ says! Let’s say, hypothetically, that we challenge ourselves to be ready to go October 2021. That’s 12 months from now – we can do A LOT in 12 months. Squeeze down on spending. Snowball the heck out of debt. Build our savings. I think we would be AMAZED at what we can do when we put our minds to it.
We can also be spending this time researching, doing our homework on camper size, memberships, etc. We’ve already told TJ that we gave him the top-of-the line numbers when we first met with him, but we’re prepared to adapt as we need to, depending on what the numbers say. We could go with a smaller camper, which would mean a smaller truck, which all mean smaller monthly payments, less cost in fuel, and more availability in camping sites.
When I feel this level of anxiety, the best thing I know to do is to build a plan. I already have a notebook started, which has always been the first step to making things happen for me. It’s a methodology that has never failed us, either. At a high-level, these are the areas where we need to plan and prep:
- Alternative Proposals for TJ – end October
- New camper set up– determining the best camper and truck at the best price
- Debt Reduction/Elimination Plan – what can be reduced or eliminated in the next 12 months
- New budget projections and planning – what will the new normal look like, don’t forget about health insurance!
- Memberships, tips, and tricks – what does it take to successfully full time RV
- New job planning for Jody – what options provide consistent income, at the right level, with flexibility of location
My head is swimming with thoughts and schemes while my chest is tight with anxiety over what is and is not possible. One of my favorite phrases is “I gotta get the crazy out” [of my head]. I’ll just ask for forgiveness up front for all the crazy you’re gonna read here until we start moving forward.
Jody
