When the Road Raises Them: Launching Kids Into the Real World Part 2

SPEAKER_00 0:04

So how's your week going?

SPEAKER_01 0:06

I I dropped my kid off in Maine. They're they're 20 hours away from where I am, Jen, and they've gone radio silent.

SPEAKER_00 0:15

That's not fun.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

No, no. They have not respond responded to any text messages since about 11 o'clock yesterday morning.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Right. So let's jump into it.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Yeah. Welcome to Learn to RV the podcast. I'm Tasha. That's Jennifer. And today we're going to talk about part two of launching your kids into the real world. And it's been about a year since we kind of first talked about this on the pod. But now we're like in the thick of it.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

And and so much has changed since we, you know, the planning phase that we talked about on that podcast is so very different than what has turned into. And so I think that's one of the hardest things. And I say it all the time. And I know people get tired of me saying this, but I think it's way easier to raise toddlers.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

I agree.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

But you won't agree with that or us until you get to this stage in life where you're launching like young adults.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Yeah. I really miss the days of Rosewood not understanding how to suck milk out of a bottle and like having to syringe feed them. I would take that over going, are you alive in Maine right now? And getting no response. You know, that syringe feeding feels more comfortable to me than no response to, have you been kidnapped in Maine? Where where are you? And Maine.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

No, at the time, at the time. But at the time you didn't think that way. Like at the time, that was hard. And so I think that every phase of life that we go through is just a whole thing. And so I don't want to discount what people go through with toddlers. My daughter wanted to learn how to wash dishes. So she'd get out the stool and she'd come up and I'd be like, You're gonna die because it's gonna get slippery because you're gonna get it all wet. And you know, discouraging kids from helping around the house is not something you want to do because then when they're teenagers, they'll still help if you don't. And so, you know, I would learn that much later in life, you know, but and let toddlers help with dishes. But at the same time, when you're in the thick of it, changing diapers, chasing toddlers, it feels hard. And you don't realize, you know, there's so much that I don't want to say I wish my mom told me, but I mean like looking back, there's so much I wish I knew before my kids got to be adults and and what that looked like in real life. And then, you know, I never thought to look back at my life and where we were when we were raising kids and what adults looked like. And, you know, back then we didn't have cell phones when we launched. Oh, yeah. So, you know, my mom would go weeks without hearing from me because I didn't want to pay the the phone bill.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Mm-hmm. Yeah, I uh I keep remembering when I left Kansas City for Joplin. I I just keep remembering loading everything up into my little car and driving off into the unknown. I I that memory keeps coming back to me. And I kept having that memory as I was driving Rosewood to Maine, and I thought, okay, you know what? It's this is so different because I I literally went to Joplin when I moved to Joplin, it was, you know, three and a half hours away from where I had grown up to that point. And I I was literally moving to another part of the state by myself. I I knew some people there. I was going to Bible college and I I knew some people that I was going to be going to school with, but I didn't have a cell phone. I was really going on my own. I hadn't set up a job. I was really depending on like I've saved up money to pay for school. And so I I was just kind of like, I'm prepared for this little bit, and then I'll figure it out when I get there. And I went kind of like on a prayer and a like, you know, a hope and a whim. And but for Rosewood, like we did everything that we could to try and help them go prepared. And they have a cell phone and they have connections there with the company that that they've been employed with. The apartment has like two separate lock pads that they that you have to get through to get to their apartment. You know, so it's like it's very safe. It's a really safe town. So when I that kept going through my mind when I was dropping them off was like, this is a very different time. And yes, this is very, this is very much further away. They are going very much further away than what I went from in my first moving away from my hometown. But I feel like they are are set up more for success. And that made me that gave me some peace that I didn't.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Oh, for sure. And and you know it's a seasonal gig. So I mean, like, there's that. So, you know, if if at the end of the I mean, at the end of the season, it's not like that area stays open all year round. So chances are pretty good that they're gonna come back for a season and then maybe launch again next season and you'll feel better about next season because you've already done it once. So, you know, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

They're not they are not right now, they're not they're not talking about coming back for a season. They but they've only been gone a week and they're like, Yeah, no, I think I think I'm gonna stay gone. I was really like, you know, I was really looking forward to them coming home like for Christmas, but they're like, I'm I think I think I'm gonna stay gone. I'm like, okay. But it's only Mama loves you.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Yep. Well, you know, I mean, when we hit the road full time, you know, I I don't talk about it much, but my 18-year-old didn't come with us. And so she did not have a plan and she moved in with friends and she did that for four years. So I mean, you know, then she came home for a season and then she launched back out, and now she's, you know, living successfully in North Carolina. So I mean, you know, sometimes things happen the way they're gonna happen. Um last year um we were talking about our kids going off together, and that didn't happen. Right. So I still have a kid at home this season that we didn't expect to have at home. So 19 and you know, not sure what to do with life. So um right now the plan is to still travel with us this summer. So, you know, that is definitely a shift from when we first introduced, you know, launching kids into the real world several months ago. And they had applied together initially, and then they chose different paths. So and that happens, you know. I mean, like on the road, I think that that's just something that we don't realize. And launching teens into the real world, and I've done it several times, and they weren't teens, some of them by the time they launched, but you know, my two boys that are so I'm just gonna go numbers here because we have seven. So number two child had moved out at the age of 18, and he's married. Last year he convinced his two next brothers, so you know, the next two in the line, so three and four, to move in with him and his wife in Texas. And um a month from tomorrow, they have to be out of that lease because some things have changed and it didn't it's not a good fit for everybody. The oldest son had a baby and um well his wife had a baby, and um you know, the boys didn't sign up for living with, you know, a baby. Right. So life shifted. So now we're trying to h we're we're back in Texas right now trying to help them navigate some of those hard decisions and what to do with it. And so, you know, rent is hard and stupid, expensive, no matter where you are in the country. Yeah. So we're just trying to help them figure all that out. Yeah. So, you know, it's it's not I don't I don't think it's an easy topic to talk about, but you know, I mean, there's things you can do to prepare for it, you know. You know, you can you can have your kids dual enroll a lot of times in college courses, and so they're getting ahead of the game while they're still school age, and a lot of times that's free, you know. So that's one of the great things that you can do as a homeschooling, road schooling family. But you know, I don't think moms are ever prepared for where that takes us and just the whole other side of that. And yeah, I've done it a few times now, you know, we've done it four times, and I don't think you ever stop worrying. Right. And I don't mean that in like I don't mean that though in like a oh my gosh, I I don't panic when I don't hear from them because I know that they're busy, they've got their life 360. I can see that they're on unless they go under five. I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_01 9:03

I forgot about life 360. Oh yes, I'm gonna make sure my child is.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

See, and I didn't put life 360 on my phone, Georgia. My kids put life 360 on my phone because when I'm at a rally and I'm busy, they want to know that I'm still alive. So they check on me kind of differently in some way.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Well, I my problem is that I listen slash read slash watch way too much true crime. So when I have text messages that go unanswered for too long, my brain goes someone is in a trash bag on the side of the road.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

I know in the car with you.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

I know. So, you know, I I'm I'm freaking out, but I forgot about us downloading Life 360 this last winter. But Matt just gave me the thumbs up that they are still in the town that they're supposed to be in. So we've at least got that going for us, you know, big win for the for the Life 360 there. I feel like I can breathe a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

We did find that Rosewood is just busy, you know, doing things like learning how to do the job that they're doing and work camping with them.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Today, today is their first day off since they started work, and so they were going to go explore the other side of the island that they live on.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

So I, you know, but didn't didn't so let's talk about your trip there because that was a thing. Yeah, like you did this whirlwind trip and actually dropped them off personally, right?

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Yes, I did. So we left from Kentucky. We we are staying at Firefly Hills um at Troy and Tanya's beautiful park, and it was kind of wonderful because this has kind of become like a um home away from home for us, right? And so it gave Rosewood like a nice launching pad, it was a place that was familiar for them, and that was also nice because it came off of the kind of heartbreak of having to say goodbye to our cat Edward after 17 years. And so it was like a nice comfort before having this big major life change, right? So it was like, let's take a breath for a week and now let's load up into this car and drive for 20 hours. So we got a rental car and Rosewood and I left Lexington, Kentucky on a Thursday evening last week, and we drove about four hours into West Virginia, and we got an Airbnb, and we stayed overnight. We got up the next morning, and then we drove 11 hours into Massachusetts and got there at about midnight. Well, a little bit earlier than that because we we went to a Wendy's, so it was before midnight at a in a town called Awagama. I I probably butchered that, but I had never heard of this town before. But we stayed in an Airbnb. And what was wonderful about this Airbnb is that they had two cats, and the cats welcomed us with open paws, and they were like all ready to curl up and cuddle whenever we got there, and it was like the perfect end to a very long day of driving. So we stayed there. We got up the next morning at 5 a.m. And I was just like, this is horrible. But we had a plan. We drove to Salem, Massachusetts, which is like one of our favorite little towns to walk through and explore together. And we stopped there and we had breakfast at the Ugly Mug, which is this little diner that's they serve like the best breakfast. Their breakfast is so good. So we had a really good breakfast. We walked down and got coffee at our favorite coffee shop. We went into a bookstore. We just walked around and smelled some candles and just did some things. So we had like a nice morning together before we went the rest of the way into Maine. We got there, got checked in with Emily. She's managing all of the employees as they're checking in. And Rosewood is working with a group that is they have on-site housing for employees. And it is through it, they are part, they're fans of Acadia National Park. So I have my Acadia National Park t-shirt on today. I also have my main necklace that I bought. I'm all dressed up for Maine. Um, and um, so they have on-site housing. Emily showed us the apartment, gave us like a tour through. We stopped by, forgot to mention, when we first got there, we went to a bike shop in town and they were selling their old rental bikes that they had like refurbished. So we bought Rosewood a bicycle so that they can ride through town and everything. It's a very walkable, rideable little harbor town. And then we went and then got in there. They were the first person, they're still only the first person in their apartment. There will be three more roommates to come over the next couple weeks. And they got to choose their bed. We had to carry all of their stuff up a lot of flights of stairs. They they packed all of their books in one suitcase instead of separating things out. So I have footage of I was like, I'm gonna let you take this suitcase up these stairs. So I might put that on Patreon for all of our lovely subscribers to see. But yeah, we it was it was a long trip, but it was a good trip. It was a lovely time being able to go up there together. And then we got there on Saturday, and we spent Saturday and Sunday getting them settled in. We went to the grocery store. Then um Monday morning, they started their first day of work, and I got in the car and drove back 20 hours by myself to Kentucky.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

So I have questions. So the first question I have is when you left Kentucky, how warm was it?

SPEAKER_01 15:28

When we left Kentucky, it was in the high 60s, low 70s.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

And when you left Maine, how warm was it?

SPEAKER_01 15:38

I drove through snow. And when we got when I got back to Kentucky, it was in the 80s.

SPEAKER_00 15:43

So I so did Rosewood pack for snow? That's the real question.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

Yes, yes, they did. They packed for the full gamut of weather, took their snow boots, like they were very responsible, took everything that they needed, and I pulled my winter coat and all of my gloves and stuff out before we we drove up there because I knew like okay, so you at least buy it with you.

SPEAKER_00 16:08

You didn't have to go to the local store and grab anyone.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

No, I was like, the high is 42 the whole time I'm there. I need my coat. Yeah. So we we went prepared, but it was it was a stark change in temperature from one place to the other. It was it was they have not, and it it was kind of um when you're driving, you know, we were like, we leave Kentucky, everything's very green, things are blooming, we are in the throes of spring, and then you start going north and things start getting brown and brown and brown. And Rosewood was like, Oh, wow, it really has not started spring yet up here. And I was like, No. So they have a really beautiful view from the front window in their apartment. Their apartment has two stories, they've got an upstairs, downstairs. The downstairs has a window seat that they can read from, and it looks out onto Main Street and onto the harbor. And we were talking, and I was like, Mouse, you should take a picture every day that you're here out this window of this view, and then you can stream it all together into one video of this is how the seasons change the whole time that you're here. And you would get winter all the way through to the beautiful leaves changing in Maine, and it's a gorgeous view. So they have started taking the pictures, and I'm I'm really hoping that they stick with it because I think that's going to be a really nice compilation by the time they get to November.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

Give you a beautiful picture of what that looks like. So, like, you know, reminding them to set an alarm so that they do it at least once a week. Oh, yeah. So don't forget to take a picture, you know, or you set an alarm and send them a text message. Don't forget to take a picture. Have you taken your picture? Maybe every Thursday or whatever their day is off is each week. Maybe, you know. So maybe that's just one way, one way one way you can connect with them. One of the things that I've done this year, especially with the boys in their headspace and making sure they're okay. You know, I have a the Hezekiah loves building Legos. And so, you know, when I need to check on him, I don't just like send him a text message and say, Hey, how are you? I say, Can I see your latest Lego build? And so, because I know he's gonna send me a picture. And so he'll respond to that pretty quickly. So, you know, it and that goes back to knowing your kids and who they are and you know what that looks like in real time, and you know, just staying connected. Absolutely world. I mean and and you know, I if I text him at nine in the morning, chances of him responding are pretty low. And uh, you know, so yeah, yeah, he's just not a morning kid.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

Well, so okay, so I know you have questions for me, but I have questions for you because you did mention that you are in Texas and you are you are working with the boys and you're trying to help them get ready. But what people don't know is that part of helping them get ready for the end of this lease is that you guys pulled your old rig out of storage and you guys have been doing work on the rig to try and like make that available for any future work camping adventures that may come up. But how has that been going?

SPEAKER_00 19:29

So, I mean, you know, I am the girl with the backup plan to the backup plan. Yes. And so that was originally the thought process behind going over to the RV. It had sat in Indiana for an entire year unwinterized, and we thought we were doing great. Then we brought it to Texas last summer when the boys actually moved here. That was part of the process was moving, you know, the camper here and putting it in storage here. So no one's been in it for almost two years because this summer it will have been two years. And um, so they went over to start, you know, kind of assessing things. There's some work that needs to be done. We need to take apart, well, that it's already been started. The bunk room has, you know, just the slide in it now. The beds are all down where the kids all were in one room at that point. You know, so you know, they took a generator the generator that was sitting at my son's house, you know, they moved it over to the unit so that we could open up the slides and make sure everything was working. And they hooked up some water and found out there's a leak, which they found two days ago. And so that was a new new expedition. So now we have to find the leak, but it was not winterized in Indiana that winter, so chances are there's probably more than one leak in there. And we knew that deep down. Yeah. So there's some work that's gotta get done. The carpets needed to get pulled. So the goal now this month is to literally like get her, you know, get into it, you know, fix the things that need to be fixed, have a backup plan with it, and you know, maybe help them launch somewhere with it initially so they don't have to worry about another year somewhere. They they didn't really want to move to Texas. They moved to Texas because Justin said it was a good idea. And it turned out that it didn't work out. So, you know, if they get somewhere and they love it six months later, um, we want them to have the availability to have a camper and figure that out, you know, so that and it's not ideal. Like, you know, I mean, they've lived in the camper most of their life. It's not something they don't know. But the real question now is are they moving out together or is one of them staying here to manage the home office? So we're still working the details out on that. And that might be have to be a third part in this series at some point because we just don't know the answer to that question quite yet. So Yeah. May is gonna be very interesting for us because we're here. So we did something we've never done before. I love when I get to say that, and I've said it so many times this year. After thirteen years on the road, I keep thinking there's something that I've not had to do that I I'm never gonna do, and I've done it again. So we actually we went down to South Texas to do some rallies last week. And then we're back up in the Conroe area this week. And then we'll go to another rally for a week. It's not a week rally, but I have to be out of this park for a week. And then we come back into this park for a week because thousand trails. And so if you know where I am, say hi, wave, send me a message. But two days ago, I called the manager and paid retail for a site so that we paid for June. So we are in Conroe through June right now with no plans to leave before that. And so there's a whole seven, eight weeks in Conroe that is all one solid spot. Yeah. So I mean the manager was great. So we we got our three free weeks and then they booked us for a month of retail, which is technically not bridging in Thousand Trails. Right. We paid retail for it. Um, it was a little more expensive than the local parks in town. But Frank has a business trip he has to go on. So we needed to be in a situation where once he finishes with the camper, he can just leave and then not have to move us from one spot in the park to another spot. So she made sure that happened. So we we have stayed a long time in a thousand trails campground in 2020 when we were in Orlando and COVID happened. And you know, they just extended you wherever you were, but we've never had to do it this way. So this is a brand new one. And here's the kicker we still have to be at the FRVA event in Sedalia, Missouri, the 4th of July. Well, the first of July, technically. So, you know, as soon as we finished that reservation, we got 700 miles to climb to Missouri.

SPEAKER_01 23:38

Girl.

SPEAKER_00 23:39

Because we have an install there.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

That is not a short hike.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

Well, but it's not as long as Maine.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

It's not, but I also didn't have to pull my rig to Maine. I was in a rented Nissan road.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

So if we do it, if we do it, you know, by way of a 333 rule, it would take us two to three days to get there. So because we try not we try not to pull out too early. Uh it was funny. I was talking to Dave at RV weather this past week, and he's like, Yeah, well, with my weather model, you can, you know, know that you need to be on the road by five in the morning. And I probably rolled my eyes on camera. And I was like, Oh, that would be bad. But you know, you know, we might have an early morning when we have to get the kids up and rolling out earlier than normal to get up to Sedalia. Um, it'll be worth it, you know. And then, you know, we can't stop rolling. Like ultimately, that's what I would say is, you know, we don't we don't just do a podcast. We don't we own a nationwide RV roofing company. So there's rallies that we've been committed to that we still have to roll to. So we do have a timeline crunch here.

SPEAKER_01 24:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

You know, I I I got to Texas and I I had the sinking feeling that now I live here, but I don't think that can be true for us. I mean, yes, there's our domicile, but I don't I don't think right now that's even in the cards. So, you know, we've got things on the radar. We got to be in Hershey this fall. You know, there's things we've committed to that we can't say, oh, we're not gonna do that. So, you know, and that's life, right? You know, so I mean, whatever that looks like. So what I've recommended for the boys is, you know, let's get the camper up to par, put it locally in a park here by June 1st, and so we can make sure everything's working and running, and then they stay in in the Texas area at least through part of June. And then if they find a work camping job, you know, move it to that work camping job, or who knows, there's lots of ideas on the table right now. And again, that might take a part three to come back to because you know, having adult kids, uh, you know, when you are traveling, you know, I see so many of my friends that come off the road as their kids hit college. It's kind of backwards math because they wanted to travel with their children. And then we, you know, have businesses in this I don't want to say the podcast is a business, but it is in some ways. You know, we're asked to be at events and stuff. And so, you know, it's it's a fun business, I guess is what I'm saying. You know, we're not yeah, it's not like you know, it's not like we have to sell something to do the podcast appearances. So it's it's more fun, but at the same time, you know, we can't stop, you know, working at the same time. So, you know, all of those commitments that we've made with RV roofing solutions still have to be honest. And so, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:25

Yeah. So do you think that I mean, I I'm gonna ask this question and I already know the answer, but do you think that raising your kids in the RV community shaped how they approach their independence differently from like I don't want to say traditional kids, but sticks and bricks kids?

SPEAKER_00 26:44

You know, maybe. Um that's a really good question, actually. You know, they've had tons of experiences. Some of them would tell you it was the best thing that ever happened to them, some of them would tell you that they would have liked to do it differently. I think looking back on it, those experiences as they've aged have changed their perception. Um because they have a life that a lot of kids don't have, and I understand that. But at the same time, you know, we did what we felt was right for our family at the time. We are very intentional about meeting up with other families. I mean, you know that because we spent most of the winter with you, like physically with you, but booking reservations and making sure that the kids had connections. We are choosing to stay in the park we're in right now because there's more families that are here than at another park. So it's very intentional. And they include the electric, so you know, it kind of is a watch when you look at it that way in June and Texas.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

Right.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

You know, so it's a great question. I I don't know if we'll know that answer until 10 years from now. Yeah. So you do what you think is right at the time for your family, and you know, sometimes it doesn't align with what they believe after the fact when they look back on it, and you have to be okay with that because ultimately at the end of the day, you're a parent and you're making decisions and your kids are not always going to agree with your decision.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

Do you think they're more comfortable with let's jump back to you because I want to I want to hear how you felt driving away from Rosewood and what because you were you were radio silent for like six days. I was, you know, and I understood that and I respected that, but I was worried about you. And so, you know, because it's a big not having your oldest move away for the first time.

SPEAKER_01 28:29

I did a lot of audio books. I I literally did audio books the whole way back from Maine. Just I felt like I couldn't talk to anyone, or I just felt like if I started talking about it, I was gonna have to pull over and I was not going to be able to drive. So it was like, let's listen to this book about, you know, world politics.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

Let's listen to this book about it was well, at least it wasn't a true crime because then you'd even, you know, really right.

SPEAKER_01 28:59

Um it it was I was really proud of them. I was so enamored. They they just jumped in. And it honestly, I feel like didn't hit me in my core until maybe I was all the way back in Kentucky and a couple days in, that it was like, my my kid's not here, and it's hard when your oldest kid is your best friend, and people like we had this conversation one night at dinner when I was in Maine. You know, I I was like, no, I hope that we gave you experiences that you feel set you up for life. And I know that, you know, parents never do everything 100% correct because you know, people are fallible and we do the best that we can, and especially with your first one, because you know, your practice piece.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

As much as you don't realize it until you're much older and you're looking back, going, and they're saying you're a much different parent with your youngest than your oldest. Well, yeah, that's because I got better at it. You know, I learned something along the way. Yeah. We only had two tries. I mean, Judah, Judah's the product of seven. He has very different parents now than you know, yeah, than than Ariana had at the top of the show.

SPEAKER_01 30:21

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:22

So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:23

But I don't know. We had some really good conversations while I was there, and I feel like that set us up for it set me up for that departure. We did have a three-hour video call, not yesterday, but the day before. They called on their way home from work. They went and got ice cream, and then they called after they got ice cream, and they ended up talking to us um literally until they went to bed. When they when they hung up, they were laying in bed, and I was getting into bed. So we, you know, we had a good long talk, but I don't know, it's different. Like this weekend, there's a mushroom festival in the next town over, and you giggle because you know, A, um, Rosewood loves all things mushrooms, loves eating mushrooms, loves decorating with mushrooms, loves wearing mushrooms. If there is a mushroom in sight, rosewood is is there. So this is like a rosewood thing, and rosewood is not here for it. And then B, um, an outing like this, if we were to go to it, my kids, David, would be like, Yeah, no, I'm fine, I'll stay here. And Rosewood would be like, Yeah, let's go. Let's go five minutes ago. I'm ready to go. Let's go. And last night we found out about it, and I literally was like, David, you want to go? And he was like, You're asking me that for real? Do you do you know me at all? You know, it was like, oh, I wish Rosewood was here because they would be like, Let's go to the mushroom festival, you know.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

So it's so the real question here is this though, are you going to the mushroom festival?

SPEAKER_01 32:03

Yes, we're gonna go to the mushroom festival, and I'm gonna eat some mushroom life.

SPEAKER_00 32:09

You know, and it doesn't stop. You know, I talk, you know, I think we actually probably need to consider an episode on this whole conversation. But like I think it was so easy to find friends when my kids were little. You'd go to the playground at any campground, you'd sit there. And even as an older mom, people would engage with me. But as an older mom, first of all, with teenagers that don't want to go do stuff all the time, they'll go out sometimes, but they're not going to candy bar bingo every week. Let's be real. So, you know, it's harder to make those connections, you know. I mean, like, you know, I mean, if you weren't a stalker, you might not have made any connection with me. So I don't right.

SPEAKER_01 32:49

I mean, my stalking abilities, they've helped a few times.

SPEAKER_00 32:54

Yeah. But okay, so I mean, let's talk summer plans though, because I think that you know, there's a silver lining for you this summer. You are going to Maine, correct?

SPEAKER_01 33:03

We are going to Maine.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Get to see Rosewood in her new LEDs.

SPEAKER_01 33:07

Yes. We've got two weeks in Maine in July. Um, and so we will get to go up and and see them and um and then have to turn around and say goodbye all over again, which is gonna be miserable. But that will be nice to be up to the show.

SPEAKER_00 33:22

But you'll get to see them when the whole staff is there. Yes. And there's there's gonna be some benefits to that. They'll probably have some new friends to introduce you to. And so, like that whole lifestyle. Now, you know, I know you said they plan on staying, but let me say this after summer comes, I think that they're gonna see a totally different perspective because a lot of those people are either gonna go back to school, because I'm sure it's a lot of college kids that are coming into the season. The other side of it is, you know, when we worked in Yellowstone that year, there were a handful of people that there was housing on on the on the um KOA. And so a lot of the people that didn't have an RB went into the housing very similarly, only it was like dorm style housing. And a lot of them left together. They found ski resorts and winter type stuff like that, where they went and were camped. Um, one of them actually went to a dude ranch in Arizona and it was a brother and sister team, and then his sister went somewhere else. So, I mean, like there's different ways to do it. And so I think that even saying now this is what I want to do doesn't mean that, you know, come October or September or even August when they start looking at positions that that's gonna be the case, you know, it's it's an adventure of their own, and they get to decide what they do next. Yeah, yeah, and but that's the uncertainty part too.

SPEAKER_01 34:39

So yeah, yeah. And that that was something that we talked about this week was, you know, the particular area that they are in, there are not rental units there. So they would have to go. If they stayed there in Maine, they would have to go to another town. So there's a whole logistics that way. But then they talked about, you know, what about finding another work camping experience somewhere else and then coming back to the place that they're at now for next season. And so I think, you know, a lot of people do that. Yeah, yep. And I I think it's exciting to watch them imagine what the future can hold for them. And to have, I think for a long time they just weren't sure that there was anything out there for them. They couldn't, I don't know, they couldn't see where they fit in the bigger picture of things. They couldn't see how their interests came together to to make a path for them in this world. Everything in today's culture was saying you need to have this much money and you need to be this successful and you need to live this life. That those are not the things that Rosewood has ever been interested in. I have an art kid. I have, you know, I have a kid who's very empathetic. I have a kid who likes to explore, I have a kid who is very walks against the grain to their own drum, like every cliche phrase that you can think of, that is my kid. And they come by it naturally, you know, they get it from their parents. Um, and so I think that the exciting thing seeing them in Maine was that not only were they going, wait a minute, there is something out there that I might fit into, but they also met a couple people who were a lot like them that had those experiences that they were talking to. You know, there's not that many other workers up there right now because things don't open for another, like they don't fully open for another month. The national media doesn't open for like another month fully. And so even the shops that Mouse is working in, there are um they're not fully staffed. So, you know, the apartments um right now there's like the apartments that are right there where Rosewood is living. Rosewood's one person in a four-person apartment. There's four apartments in a row that there's just one person in each. There's only like two people and a manager in their store right now. And the store is not open full hours yet. It's on shortened hours. So, you know, they are meeting just a few people. They're getting like a slow entrance into it, they're getting a slow kind of introduction to that lifestyle. And I think that's probably best for them for it being their first job, their first apartment, their first time out. So it's kind of perfect, but I don't know, it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

And you guys wants to think through if she does move out into her own place, you know, having her have a savings plan and talking her through it. And you know, you still have that voice with your kids, which is wonderful. You know, I don't think most parents lose that. So, you know, yeah, but you know, at that point, she's still also an adult, so she's gonna make her own decisions. So, you know, ultimately, if the end of the season she doesn't have enough to move out into an apartment up there because it's expensive, especially to live on your own. Then everybody else leaves and goes back to school or goes to their next work camping job, she may not have that option. So, you know, just being, you know, a part of that conversation is important. And so, you know, if you're out there and you're having kids that are launching into the real world either next year or beyond, you know, we're here to help you navigate that. We're not professionals at this. I mean, like really, we're just doing it just like everybody else does. We have, we have work camped with our kids, like alongside them in different places, and that takes a whole new level of settling down for five months and you know, making additional plans. You know, we're fortunate in the fact that we own a company where we can pay the kids to go on installs with us and do some, you know, some work from home, but that's not always the case. But there's so many ways to do that out there in this world, and there's no one wrong way, but I do think you need a decent list of things that you need to have in your back pocket as guidance for those teens and young adults that are launching into the world because there are things they haven't thought about, like first and last month's rent. Do they have a driver's license? Are they comfortable driving in snow like you had to do? So, I mean, there should be a checklist of some kind for families that are navigating this. And and you know, it's not easy. You know, there's always that need for support. As your kids run off into the real world, that emptiness syndrome does it, it's real. You feel it. You feel it when you walk into a store and you look at something and go, I had that in a loves gas station on the way back. It happens in the weirdest places, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:03

It was horrible. I was like, Oh, yeah, I could get that drink for no one because they're not in the car. Right. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 40:12

So all those little things you used to do, you don't know what to do with that energy. And so there's something to be said for that. So care packages, you know, you have an advantage because she's staying still all summer and you can do care packages, but the advantage of being able to go visit them is amazing. And so there's that side of it. You know, it's nice being home seeing the kids, and you know, we're gonna enjoy Texas, even though it's hotter than blue blazes here, and it's not gonna get better. So, you know, the last time I did summer in Texas, my daughter was pregnant with my granddaughter, and we stayed here because we needed a place for her to have a baby. So we stayed in Texas through a good portion of the summer. So, you know, I haven't done that since 2017 on purpose. And so by July, I need to be gone because I just know that it's gonna get hotter and there's hurricane season. You know, it's there's and the company still has to, you know, make its appearances at all the places we've already committed to. So, you know, it's definitely one of those things where we have to think through all of that. So, all right, well, yeah, take a deep breath, Sasha. You've got this.

SPEAKER_01 41:17

Yes, yep, yes. I think right now it's harder for me than it is for them, which might absolutely make it even harder for me than it is for them.

SPEAKER_00 41:27

But it's gonna be a But you did a good job distracting yourself last night. I want to commend you. You know, you went out with friends. Thank you. I did. So, like way, that's uh that's a step in the right moonshine.

SPEAKER_01 41:38

I did I did it all the right ways. Pizza and moonshine in Kentucky. Well, if you guys have any stories that you want to share about launching your kids out into the real world, or if you have some tips for this mama who is just trying to make it day by day while her heart is trying to mend, you can share those at our Facebook group um or through our Patreon. Yes, how can I help you?

SPEAKER_00 42:05

And and learned something this week.

SPEAKER_01 42:08

What'd you learn?

SPEAKER_00 42:09

So on learn to rvthepodcast.com on the website, there's a little microphone in the right hand corner of the screen. Yes. Did you know people can leave us a voice note? We got our first voice note this week.

SPEAKER_01 42:21

We got a first note, a first note, a first voice. We got a voice. It was from me. We got a voice. It was for me because I wanted to see how it worked.

SPEAKER_00 42:31

But I was like, if you don't have time to type out an email or you don't want to join a Facebook group, you can just send us a message by hitting that little microphone and sending us a little voice note, and we can get those messages.

SPEAKER_01 42:42

That's awesome. I just thought it was cool. It was from you. You're such a goober. I was all excited. I was like, somebody left us a message. I was hook, line, and sinker. I was sold. So leave us a message.

SPEAKER_00 42:54

We're just gonna have to hope somebody actually leaves us the message now because they feel bad for us.

SPEAKER_01 42:58

LearnToRVthepodcast.com. Leave us a message, hit the microphone, or if you've got a story that you want to share with us or on the podcast for our upcoming campfire confessions. It is coming, I promise. And we will have really cute little stickers for the stories to get shared. You could also leave it as a voice message. Just let us know if we can share your name. Um, but thank you guys so much for joining us today around the campfire. We can't wait to sit down with you and share some more stories again next time. See you soon.