SNOWBIRDING – OTHER THAN THE WEATHER, WHAT MAKES IT ENJOYABLE?
February 15, 2023
After graduating from university, I spent many years working with a land developer. As he became wealthy and his children grew, he and his wife frequently took trips to a wide variety of locations around the world. Her idea of the perfect vacation was lying on a beach with headphones on, listening to classical music and reading a book. He, on the other hand, wanted to spend time engaged in activities that challenged him. What to do?
Eventually they settled on a time-share in Cancun, which they visited for a couple of weeks several times each year. She was able to spend her time laying in the sun, while he explored pre-Columbian archeological sites, went on ATV and zipline adventures, explored diving caves and coral reefs while snorkeling with sea turtles, frequently rode a Sea-Doo or catamaran, and went horseback riding.
Such divergent tastes would be almost impossible to satisfy when traveling in an RV because, of necessity, you are together almost every minute of every day. If you don’t enjoy the same things, you’re in constant conflict and/or you run the risk of one person feeling and perhaps being treated like someone whose sole purpose is to accommodate and satisfy the other person’s desires.
Gary and I have no such problem. Unlike other snowbirds, who as soon as they are parked put out their awnings, lay down a mat, set up their BBQ, and pull out their lawn chairs, there are many days when neither of us even looks out the window, never mind leaves the RV. We have had our awnings out just once, to make sure they work, and set up a lawn chair only on those occasions when Gary needed me nearby to hand him things while changing the oil in the motorhome engine. Both our bodies are intolerant of either high or low temperatures (20 to 22 C or 70 to 75 F is ideal), and neither of us like fighting with wind and bugs while eating. Moreover, we are both avowed couch potatoes. And that’s a good thing, because it would be problematic if one of us were a Doberman. Instead, we are highly compatible. It doesn’t mean we’re lazy; it just means we like a relaxed lifestyle. We have both been driven to work hard since we were 15 years of age, but at this stage of life we just want to take it easy. There is nothing we need to prove to ourselves or to others.
We also like the same things: watching sports and movies; binge-watching television shows, especially British dramas; reading; preparing tasty meals; playing games; keeping the motorhome clean; riding our electric toys around big RV parks; staying in touch with loved ones; laying in bed and talking for hours. Well, not necessarily talking.
That doesn’t mean we don’t have differences. He refuses to watch foreign movies with subtitles, but I find they are often far better than American films. His favourite game to play is poker while mine is backgammon. I like to solve word puzzles; he prefers numbers. I read novels; he reads the news. My feet are always cold; his body is like a furnace. I love my e-Scooter; he prefers his e-Bike. I love to plan a route; he is content to drive wherever I choose to go. He firmly believes that if you have nothing good to say you shouldn’t speak at all; I struggle to keep my mouth shut.
If we liked to hike, fish, or play golf, there are plenty of RV parks located close to such activities. In any case, there are numerous golf carts in use throughout most RV Resorts. There is also usually a long list of activities to participate in on site, such as afternoon bingo, game nights, swimming, pickleball, tennis, horseshoes, basketball, shuffleboard, dancing to live music, potluck dinners, visiting a variety of food trucks, exercise classes in the pool, and watching sporting events on a wide screen. Sometimes concerts are scheduled at the larger parks. There are people who live there year-round, and they like to keep busy.
We have found everyone at the parks to be very friendly. Some uncomfortably so. While Gary was still hooking up to services at one park the woman who lives in the RV that was next door rushed over to welcome him and ask if he is married. He told her he is, and she could see that he wears a wedding band. That did not deter her. The next day she knocked on our door and asked Gary if he would like to go shopping with her. Gary said we didn’t need anything but thanked her for asking. It was then that she saw me for the first time and perhaps realized she was not going to get lucky.
We enjoy discovering places that are new to us, on scenic drives and walks. But Gary rarely has any interest in visiting tourist attractions, which he views as a waste of money. He’s usually right and even if he’s wrong, I have learned that dragging him along will result in neither of us enjoying the experience. Sadly, that appears to be a trait common to most men. So, when I’m determined to see something, I do it alone and later punish him with a detailed description of everything he missed out on. Like most men he is very skilled at tuning his wife out. I talk anyway.
Another thing we both love is studying the Bible together. In addition to Sunday School and church services we watch online, we participate in a weekly Bible study via Zoom. Unless we’re fighting road conditions that require his full attention, whenever we are traveling to a new destination Gary asks me to turn on sermons I have downloaded by John MacArthur, a trusted Bible teacher. We are currently learning what the book of Revelation tells us. In today’s world it is easy to understand how all that the Bible says, will come to pass before Christ’s return. It seems the stage is being set. Being ready for what happens next is the most important thing we can do.
