R Is For RV & Cruising Communities

During April, we're participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Every day (except Sundays), we’ll be doing an alphabet themed post starting with “A is for Adventurous” and ending with “Z is for Zinc”. We've got a theme for every letter sorted except for Y. If you have any ideas for the letter Y, please leave a comment or email.

After living on a sailboat and cruising in the waters of New Zealand for a while and now living in a 13' Scamp travel trailer full-time and traveling around the States, we've noticed how similar the RV and cruising communities are.

They're incredibly resourceful people. There's a New Zealand expression about how Kiwi blokes have a "number 8 wire mentality" and can turn their hand to anything and fix anything with a piece of wire. I think that applies to cruisers and RVers too. When something breaks in the middle of nowhere, they can magic up a fix worthy of MacGyver. Or if they run out of a certain ingredient and are miles and miles from a store, they use their creativity, figure out a substitute and make an even better dish. And many folks find ways to do more with less so that they can fulfill their dreams of being out there on the road or the water.

We've found RVers and cruisers to be helpful beyond belief. I cannot tell you how many times other folks have saved our bacon. Like the couple at Jolly Rodger Travel Park in the Florida Keys who lent us an extension cord and water hose so that we could hook up our RV. Or Scott's racing buddies in New Zealand who told us all the best spots to anchor in the Hauraki Gulf. Then there's the folks who help you try to figure out your battery problems with your RV or show you the ropes when it comes to doing bottom paint on a sailboat for the first time. 

RVers and cruisers are a friendly bunch. There are plenty of potlucks, impromptu gatherings and stopping by just to say hi and check out your rig or your boat. There's a built-in conversation starter, "I love your RV! When did you get it? How many slides do you have?" or "Great looking boat. Where are you planning on sailing to next?"

Curiosity about the world around them seems to drive many RVers and cruisers. People that are eager to hit the road (whether literally or a road made of water) want to see what's out there. They want to experience new places, meet new people, try new foods, learn about history and different cultures, see how many birds they can spot, explore nature etc. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it certainly seems to inspire these folks.

It really isn't a surprise that RVers and cruiser are interesting. And why wouldn't they be. They've worked hard to make their lifestyle happen and they're out there exploring the world. They've got great stories about the places they've been to and the experiences they've had.

Maybe that's why we enjoy both lifestyles so much - because of the resourceful, helpful, friendly, curious and interesting people we've met along the way!

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