Workamping

When we retired in 2012 the thought of returning to work was laughable. After all that's what retirement was all about - not having to work! However in the 4 years that we have been retired we have learned some "truths".

1. Just because your income becomes "fixed" doesn't mean that your expenses also become fixed.

2. Even though you have paid into SS and Medicare your entire working career, contrary to what you might have thought or have been led to believe, health care does not become "free" upon retirement. Money is deducted each month from your SS check to cover the premium for Part B of your Medicare insurance. Supplemental medical insurance is needed because Medicare doesn't cover everything. And you need a prescription drug plan to cover all your "old age" drugs.

3. For maybe the first time in your life you find yourself owing federal income tax because you no longer qualify for all those handy deductions.

4. Having an RV and the freedom to travel is great until gas jumps to nearly $4 a gallon. Thank heavens it's now lower!

5. And the most important one - maybe we should have paid closer attention to our financial advisor! Lol!

So, when we started hearing and reading about something called Workamping we took notice and that's how we ended up at Amazon last September. It was an interesting experience. The work was physically challenging and fast paced. Our job involved walking 10-12 miles a day and up and down flights of stairs.

What was the hardest part for me? The time frame. I had never been away from family during the fall/winter holidays and I was so homesick for all the preparations, decorations and festivities. Bob didn't seem to be as bothered about those things.

The best part for me? The people that we met! Workamping is a way of life for these people. They go from job to job and from one part of the country to another part as the opportunities present themselves. Some people are fully retired like us and are adding to their income. Some are retired from their jobs but not old enough to receive benefits so they are supplementing their income. And some are young, without children or a multitude of possessions and are relishing the freedom to work their way around and explore our wonderful country. Social media has allowed me to keep in touch with many of the people I met and follow them on their next adventures.

And that's why we are at Darien Lake NY this summer. Beating the heat, exploring unfamiliar territory and earning some money.

Absent way too long!

I have blogs that I follow faithfully. I am always a bit disappointed when I check these blogs and someone hasn't posted for several days. Yet I haven't posted for almost a year and a half. Shame on me! The best excuse I can come up with is that home is about the only place that we have unlimited internet and we have been on the road a lot. Good excuse? Probably not!

So first up a brief synopsis of 2015.

In January Bob, two of his sisters and myself painted the exterior of his mother's house.

In February we spent a few days at the beach with good friends. We welcomed a great nephew to the family, watched the Daytona 500 from the infield and enjoyed our granddaughter's Winter Guard performances.

March saw us at Bike Week, welcoming a great niece to the family, making a day trip to Disney and I found time for some canning.

April was another RV trip with friends. This time to St Augustine and North Beach.

June saw us heading north to escape the heat of the Florida summer. First stop was PA to attend the graduation of two nephews. Then on to upstate NY to do some genealogy research (mostly cemetery visitations) and to visit our niece and her husband at Fort Drum. Next stop Lake Ontario and Niagara Falls. We hadn't been there in years. Then on to Ohio to visit an aunt.

Since attending an RV show in January and listening to some Workamper presentations we had been toying with the idea of working at an Amazon Fulfillment Center during their peak season. In July we  visited the Murfreesboro TN and Campbellsville KY facilities. We were not impressed with the Murfreesboro area but spent a week near the Campbellsville facility. Campbellsville is in the middle of the Kentucky Bourbon trail so of course we had to tour a distillery! We also visited Lincoln's birth place.

Next stop was Murphy NC to visit some very good and long time friends. We always enjoy spending time with them! Because we were so close to one of our favorite places, the Great Smoky Mountains, we had to spend a few days in Cherokee NC and revisit Mingo Falls and Clingman's Dome.

August was spent back in PA visiting with family, enjoying the view from our campground site and canning as much yummy produce as I had time and room for. We also made the decision to apply to Amazon for work at the Campbellsville facility and we got hired.

The beginning of September saw us back in Deltona getting all of our semi-annual doctor and dentist appointments completed and repacking the motorhome for our extended stay in Kentucky. We had to report to Amazon the last week in September.

October, November and December flew by. It seemed that about all we had time for was sleep, eat and work!

We finished our stint at Amazon on December 20th and we were back in Deltona on the 23rd. Unfortunately Bob entered the hospital on the 24th and was there until the 28th. They never did figure out exactly what was wrong with him. Christmas was kind of a bust!

And that was 2015!