The Day We Stopped Rushing and Started RVing

There was a time when RV travel, at least for us, looked a lot like our old life, just on wheels. Tight schedules. Early departures. Long driving days stacked back-to-back. Destinations dictating decisions. Miles measured like accomplishments.

We were moving, but we were still rushing.

Somewhere along the way, we realized something important. We had changed the vehicle, but not the mindset.

That is when the RV lifestyle quietly started teaching us its most valuable lesson.

Slow down, or you will miss the whole point.

Today is a good example.

As I write this, we are holed up about 100 miles north of the Tampa RV show, tucked into a campground in central Florida. After breaking camp at the Florida RV Supershow, we did not point the rig toward the next big stop or push for maximum mileage. We drove a manageable distance, set up, and stayed put.

Here is what we did instead.

We wrote, recorded, and edited the Wednesday podcast. We caught our breath after long, full days at the show. And then, very intentionally, we decided to stay an extra day.

No rushing.

Today is a decompress day.

There is nothing on the agenda. No must-see attraction. No tight checkout-to-check-in math. No pressure to move just because we could.

Jennifer will head to a gym and get a good workout in. I will take Bo for some long, unhurried walks. The kind where you are not counting steps or checking the time. Just walking. I might even take a nap, a real one, not the kind where you wake up guilty and disoriented.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will move on.

This is what RVing finally started to look like for us when we stopped rushing.

It did not happen overnight. Like a lot of RVers, we began with a checklist mentality. If we were near something, we felt obligated to see it. If we had daylight left, we felt obligated to drive. If we were not moving, it felt like we were wasting time.

The irony is that this lifestyle promises freedom, but rushing steals it back.

When you rush, every campground becomes a pit stop. Every drive becomes a chore. Every day turns into a negotiation with the clock. You start planning your life around reservations instead of letting your days breathe.

Slowing down changes everything.

You notice how your body feels after a long stretch of travel, and you actually give it time to recover. You work better when you are not constantly packing up and setting up. Conversations get longer. Mornings get quieter. Even the road feels different when it is not something to conquer.

Most importantly, you start listening to yourself.

Sometimes that voice says, “Let’s go explore.”

Other times, like today, it says, “Stay put. Rest. Do nothing.”

The RV lifestyle gives you permission to do that, but only if you take it.

We have learned that some of our best days on the road are the ones that would look boring on a highlight reel. A gym visit. A long walk with the dog. A slow cup of coffee. A nap taken without apology.

Those days do not photograph well, but they feel right.

If you are new to RVing, or even if you have been at it for years, this is something worth thinking about. You do not have to see everything. You do not have to maximize every mile. You do not have to prove anything to anyone.

Sometimes the most meaningful progress is standing still for a day.

That is when you stop traveling and start RVing.

And tomorrow, rested and ready, we will roll on.

This post was originally published in our RV Community Space called Mike's Daily Drive. You are always welcome to join us over there and enjoy the company of your RVing peers.