If you've read this blog recently, you know I/we have a not-so-secret dream of full-time R.V. life. Earlier this year, when we toured Elkhart County, we spent a decent amount of time at a dealership, figuring out what we liked and what we didn't. Who knows when and/or if God will ever open the door for us to transition into that lifestyle, but I do love to learn all I can in the meantime! You know...just in case.
I follow a handful of full-time R.V. folks on Instagram, but I actually have real-life friends who have done this for a year and a half now! They were kind enough to help me out with this week's Walk-A-Mile post. Hope you find it as fascinating as I do!
The Eckart Family
Today I'm introducing you to the Eckart family. Fun fact: when I was little, Matt's family moved in next door to us. When you live in the country and only have one neighbor within walking distance, it's exciting to learn the new family has kids your age! Matt and I are just about the same age, but his younger sister and I spent a good number years playing at each others' homes.
And they had a pool for a while, so that was fun, too.
They eventually moved, and Matt and I grew up and went our separate ways, but I connected with him again through the beauty of social media, and that's been fun! Matt's wife, Nadine, is a total sweetheart. I am pretty sure I want to be just like her when I grow up. They have five children (four girls and a boy) and a year and a half ago, Matt left the church he had pastored for years to take on a new role in traveling ministry. Nadine explains a bit more of the story below, but they made the decision to move into an R.V. and stay together as a family!
We run into them every now and then, when they're based in this area - like when we were both having pictures taken the same night at the same park. Yes, I saw that above photo shoot live and in person! (But I digress.) I just want to pause to commend them as a family. They do a great job of being a team together and representing Christ well! I appreciate them so much.
So Nadine was kind enough to share some of her thoughts on full time R.V. life. Here you go! Walk (or maybe in this case, drive) a mile in their shoes!
1. Living in an R.V. forces you to decide what is really important.
Matt and Nadine's family consists of
seven people living in a 35 1/2 foot R.V. with three total closets for clothes, one shoe cabinet to share, and one drawer for each family member. Before they moved in, they figured out there was enough room for 15 hangers per person (which can each house one pair of pants and a shirt). That means they have to be very selective about their clothing. Nadine says it has been pretty wonderful, though, because she doesn't buy clothing as often. When she's out shopping, she asks herself if she loves the item more than what she has in her tiny closet at home. If the answer is no, she doesn't buy it. If the answer is yes, then something else from the closet has to go. As a result, she really loves the clothes in her closet!
Nadine says the same mentality applies to every item in their little home, actually. She doesn't have much in her tiny kitchen, but everything that is in there gets used almost daily (or at least weekly). She said they found it very freeing to go through every room, every closet, every cabinet of their old home and reevaluate each item to determine if they truly needed it. They got rid of about 80% of their possessions. Everything they kept had to fit in the R.V. or the 10x15 storage unit they have. She said surprisingly, she doesn't miss any of the stuff. She decided it wasn't that important after all.
(Side note: I remember seeing pictures of their house sale on Facebook. I can't call it a garage sale or a yard sale because the house itself was literally filled with all they let go of in order to take on this lifestyle. It was impressive!!)
2. At some point, they had to dive in without knowing how to live this lifestyle.
Nadine says sometimes you won't know how to do something until you just jump in and do it. You know: riding a bike, swimming, raising kids...amen? Experience becomes the teacher. She and Matt did research other families who lived on the road full time, but it wasn't until they dove in that they learned to how fill up and dump their tanks. (And by "they," she says she means "Matt.") They had to learn how to find reasonably-priced campgrounds in places they'd never visited before, how to logistically home-school five kids in an R.V. and more. (I might have to pick her brain on that part for another week's post. That intrigues me, too!)
Nadine said they've learned the most by just getting out there and living the life, and they've found themselves adapting to new challenges. It's been a great adventure for them!
3. They have everything they need inside the R.V. It is comfortable and homey for them.
Matt and Nadine always enjoyed camping, prior to this adventure, but she says for their family, this isn't camping. This is home. She also said their kids would get irritated if she slipped and called their motor home a camper. It is
home. She says she knows it sounds absolutely crazy that seven people would be comfortable in that small of a space, but they are. She says even
she is surprised by it sometimes!
They all have their own beds, a refrigerator, sink, stove, coffee percolator (
now we're talkin'!!), T.V., shower, and toilet. Everything you need, right there at your fingertips. Nadine says even when they're visiting relatives, they would rather sleep in their own beds in their own little home on wheels.
4. Spontaneity is a big part of this life, but routines and traditions are also important.
(I loved what she had to say about this one, by the way!) Nadine says they still have Family Night every Friday. The kids look forward to getting a pizza, renting a movie or playing board games, and staying up late. Even on nights when they're at an amazing destination, the kids still want Family Night.
"Hey kids! We're at Niagara Falls!"
"Cool! Are we doing Family Night?"
(THAT is what I mean about this family doing something right!)
Nadine said Matt has also started a new tradition with their son on Mondays. They call it Manly Monday, and the two of them go out and do something together. Since Caleb has four sisters, Matt wanted to be sure he got some focused attention from his dad! Nadine said while they're gone, she and the girls try to do something girly, but really every day is a girl party, since they dominate 5-2.
5. You don't have to be independently wealthy to live in an R.V.
Obviously they can't speak for every full time traveler but for them, life in an R.V. just made sense. Nadine already home-schooled their kids, and she didn't want to stay home alone without Matt while he traveled. Likewise, Matt didn't want to leave his family behind and travel alone. So they made the decision to move into the R.V. and stay together.
Nadine says a miracle happened and has happened every single month since they left behind their steady, regular paycheck. The miracle is that all their bills get paid. For over a year and a half, they've been paid every single month. Before they made this transition, Matt received a promise from the Lord:
Go where I tell you to go, say what I tell you to say, and I will provide.
They have, and God has! She admits sometimes it has been terrifying, but they have been able to go from church to church, survive on love offerings that are generously given toward the ministry, and Nadine says God has provided all of their needs according to His riches in glory!
So there you have it! A peek into full time RV life! Thanks, Nadine, for letting us see what your adventures are like! :)
(P.S. - if you want to know more about their ministry, you can visit their website
here!)
To read all the "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" posts,
visit this page!
