Simplifying to Maximize the Travel Season

I always thought smaller, less or better organized would make for the simpler life I always craved, and to a point it does. But it has taken me ages to realize that none of those are the secret. No matter how small the space, how much I decluttered, or how good my organization, I still found myself spending so much time doing the mundane tasks and not living life.

I found myself constantly thinking a different RV, organizing differently, or more stuff that had to work better had to be the secret. But I was so wrong.

This year, one of my goals has been to find contentment in what I have and where I am, and slowing down in the moment. It has been more of a challenge than I realized, but it has also shown me what my bandwidth stealers are that are taking my time and my joy. And that is what I need to solve.

My guys are great about pitching in, but they aren’t making all these micro-decisions. As a mom, and CEO of the household, I make many of the small decisions in our day-to-day routine, and I don’t mind–to a point.

I love planning the meals based on locations or weather, choosing homeschool lessons that will tie into the places or things we are doing with our time, coming up with travel ideas or finding ways to connect with friends or events on the road, or keeping our home running smoothly. But it gets to a point where sometimes, I just don’t want to get out of bed or put something away for someone else.

So what’s a gal to do with this epiphany? Well, I looked back at prior habits that worked well for us during our busy season, and the things I wanted to change. With that information, I was able to hone in on the areas to target and prepare for travel season and set my goals.

I want to have quick and easy meals, whether it is a travel day or adventure day, but still have variety for our palettes. And I want shopping to be simple so it’s easy to find, no matter the grocery store or prices.

I want to have less set up and take down for our RV, whether we are overnighting or staying for a couple of weeks.

I want to have easy access to the items we use on a daily basis in a fixed location, enter Velcro and gorilla tape!

I want to have an easy wardrobe for a variety of weather or activities that I don’t have to think about or worry about special care on laundry day.

I want easy laundry days–1 load per person (max) per week with minimal sorting, and a load of linens a week (rotating bath/kitchen towels and sheets).

I want to have medications and supplies on hand for at least a few months so I don’t have to worry about catching packages every month.

I want to have some sort of plan for the travel season, whether it is a region, a destination, or a theme.

With these goals outlined, a plan of action came together pretty quickly, plus I could tweak our budget to accommodate things where it was needed.

I can batch prep complex meals or ingredients and freeze them as well as create a base menu and shopping list. I can order needed items, then put some items in storage that we won’t use for the season. I can create a capsule wardrobe. I can find organization and storage items that will keep things readily available. I can travel plan a step at a time, but also in advance when the time comes–whether reaching out to friends and family about seeing them, or making reservations and finding boondocking spots.

So what goals do you have, and what strategies are you using to make them happen?

Happy Travels!

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Our Travel Planner an easy to carry resource for all your RV needs
Free Printables Page helpful tools and resources for travel and organization
Our Savings Page referral links to savings with brands we love (our links get us referral credit)
Our Travel Map links to blogs for places to see and stay
The Essential Guide to RV Life to prepare, live and transition through RV life (digital and print options)
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Thanks for being here, we’ll see you out there!