Let’s start with some frank honesty. Many of us ladies are intimidated by the thought of taking the RV out on their own. This is especially true if you have always only gone RVing with your husband and the kids.
If your situation is anything like mine, as the wife and mom, I am responsible to pack everyone up and be sure that we have a meal plan before every trip. Once we arrive at the campsite, I am the one who gets the RV situated inside and start the evening supper in the crockpot. Keith goes outside with the boys to handle the exterior RV connections.
Yes, everyone has a job and since our maiden RV voyage in 2014, we have perfected this process and I must say it goes off without a hitch…most times.
What if I took the RV out with a couple of my girlfriends for the weekend? An RV trip without the husband and kids sounds interesting. But Am I able to do this without my trusty life partner? I have seen my husband hook up the RV many times and I am very comfortable with driving it. So what do I really have to worry about? That’s it. I am doing this!
Let me set the record straight before you start thinking about hiking and the all the awesome possibilities of the great outdoors. Thats nnot what I had in mind at all. You see, I have never been that outdoorsy type of gal. Don’t get me wrong! I love to go hiking and exploring with my boys, but this was a girls’ weekend. As such, my girls and I were determined to be pampered, relaxed and dined.
Now since this was our first “Girls Trip”, I firgured I needed to set a few ground rules.
• No morning wakeup alarms
• No reservations, no time schedules to keep.
• No discussions about husbands, kids or work.
• No phone calls with the above parties. (except for emergencies)
• MOST OF ALL, HAVE FUN!!!
Okay, so the groundwork has been established let’s go!
Time to Relax
The first item on the MUST DO list was to simply relax. Many ladies will agree that this is easier said than done. But remember the ground rules that were set in place prior to leaving on our Girls Getaway?
In order to relax you have to be able to allow your loved ones to handle the day to day responsibilities at home. You have to be able to unplug and just be.
Time for alittle Pampering
The next thing on our list of MUST DO’s was to find a spa where we can enjoy a nice massage. As women we play so many different roles during the course of the day.
We are a wife, mom, daughter, sister, confidant, therapist, nurse, cook and household CEO and that is before we ever step foot outside of the house. Therefore, it is vitally important to take some to rejuvenate oneself periodically. Heading to the spa for a full-body massage and foot reflexology was the best decision that we could have made for ourselves, as it set the tone for the remainder of the getaway.
Here is where RVing makes it’s most influential impact. Being able to sit outside and just enjoy nature is so peaceful. The girls and I were able to just talk about things that were important to us as women and sometimes just be plain silly. It was our time.
DINE
Last, but certainly not least on our MUST DO list was to eat some good food. Being able to go out with the girls to a trendy food spot in the city that did not offer a kids menu, was priceless!
Our RV has given us so much more than we ever intially thought it would. This getaway would have cost us twice as much if we had to reserve hotel rooms. An we certainly would not have had the peaceful and homelike atmosphere that we enjoyed at the campsite. Yes, our RV has proved to be very instrumental in improving the quality of our vacations and ultimately the quality of our lives.
*Confession…As the day approached to begin this trip I was nervous and unsure of myself. I am so happy that I soldiered through my apprehensions, because it was so worth it. Not only am I more confident in my abilities to travel solo, I am so happy that I was able to share some much needed girl time with these incredible ladies.
Tia Sims – CFO of Soulfulrvfamily
Tia, great article and it’s good to see you being independent. You did however leave out some of the key details like how far away from home you traveled and how long was the getaway. Also did you tow your towed and what, if any issues you had during the trip. Either way, it’s still damn impressive that you even decided to go out without your family! Glad you enjoyed.
Since it was my first trip without my hubby, I stayed close to home, about 30 mins away. No tow car, since one of my girlfriends met us at the campground. I wanted to take it slow for the first time, but I’m definitely ready to try it again!
Loved this article. I could have been written from thoughts on my mind. This past summer, I drove our motorhome up to the membership campground an hour and a half away. By myself. For the first time, since we had gotten it about a month before.
It was a blast to drive and if the dog and my husband hadn’t been still at home, I would have driven right by the park and yelled, “Okay, America; BRING IT!”
P. s. I did the sewer hook up by myself when I got to the campground. Yes. I am a stud.
Because of your article, I’m going to arrange a girls’ weekend in our motorhome, close to home but not too close.
P.S.S. I taught writing in a homeschool co-op for 11 years and loved it. Yell at me for any writing ideas for kids.