December 6, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie
And don’t kill each other!
Living in a small RV space with a spouse can be a rewarding experience, but it can be frustrating at times and requires some adjustments and compromises. The following tips have worked for us.
1 Share the recliner. We only have one recliner in our RV and we both like sitting there so we can put our feet up and face the TV. We do have a footstool in front of the couch but you still have to turn your head sideways to see the television.
2 Allow each other to have their indulgences. Rich smokes cigarettes and drinks Diet Mountain Dew. His vices could be a lot worse so I try not to say too much. I don’t have any vices that I need daily so he just has to remember that sometimes when I want a treat I am owed it.
3 Be polite by always saying excuse me, please, thank you, and you’re welcome. It is a small living area and our burps, farts, and other bodily functions are bound to cause some stink. There are times when we get on each other’s nerves and that is when Rich goes for a walk around the campground and smokes a cigarette. Be patient, understanding, and willing to forgive.
4 Share the television. Listen to each other’s music and watch each other’s favorite shows. Rich and I like a lot of the same things but sometimes he wants to watch a fishing show or a car show. And sometimes I want to watch a good romantic comedy or a Christmas movie.
5 Share the chores. Take turns doing the dishes, the sweeping, and go to the laundromat together. When my knee was hurt I couldn’t walk to the laundromat with Rich and after a few weeks, I could tell he didn’t like having to go alone all the time.
Rich and I have done extremely well living in a small RV for the last two years. We wouldn’t trade this time we are spending together for anything. We haven’t killed each other yet and have no plans to go back to a house anytime soon.