The rest of 2026

I know it’s been a while since I posted a blog, but we have been busy. Last time I told you about how Brian took a job where he was gone for 30 days! While he was gone it got COLD in Florida and I was NOT a happy camper. It was 17 degrees two nights in a row, and before you all from up north say anything, Florida cold is different than up north cold. Plus we are right on the lake, so wind and cold, not a good thing for me. I get angry when I am cold. When he got home he had to fix everything that broke while he was gone. Our water pump froze, the sink drain as clogged, propane line broke… It was nice to have him back. It was very stressful without him here. Below is a pic I took when he first came home. I love him so much! I think him being away strengthened our marriage and we communicated better.

I’ll start from the beginning. We came back to this campground for our third winter because we love it here and the people are more family than friends and agreed to stay until April of 2027. We were not expecting everything to change this season, but it did. We agreed to come back to work the office and store. When we got here the property manager left for another job, so the property manager job kind of just fell in our laps and we did not really sign on for that, at least I didn’t. I just wanted to work the store/office. When Brian was gone, everything fell on me, which was a lot. I actually got a rash that I am pretty sure was shingles because I have scars now.

We were also fully aware that the campground was up for sale when we agreed to come back. It went under contract in February, meaning someone was very interested in buying it. I went through a company sale over the summer at my other job and it was stressful. They said that the new owners would not make any changes within the first year and changes happened within the first week, so when I heard this again, I instantly got stressed out.

The job that Brian was doing was just a “try out” so to speak, so if he didn’t like it, he didn’t have to continue, but to continue, he had to get his CDL. So over the the last few months, Brian has been working and studying to get his CDL and I am excited to say that he got his CDL on March 31! This new job is pretty good money, so good that I don’t need to work, which anyone who really knows me knows how I would LOVE to be a stay at home wife, but I know I will get bored not doing anything. I would love to work just a few days a week and I could stay here and do that, BUT I know if I stay here without Brian and I both working, that the new people working will still depend on me to help when needed and I don’t want that. When we first started this journey, I left a job where I was in management and I did NOT want to be in management anymore, ever again. I know I can handle it, but I don’t want the stress. If it was MY campground, I would be ok doing that type of work. Long story short, we have decided to leave this campground.

I have made an agreement with another campground not too far from here to work 3 days a week in the office (Fridays 10-5, Saturday and Sundays 8-2), host Bingo twice a month, and organize one event a month. I will work in exchange for a free site, free electric, free propane, and free ice. The site that we will be in at this new campground is right by a dog park, there is a vineyard behind, sheep, and turkey. There is no lake or amazing sunsets, but there is no one on the camp side of our camper and I will have trees to surround me. I think it will be good for me to be there while Brian is out on the road. A few pictures of our site. There is a blacktop pad, a paver patio, charcoal grill, and a huge “backyard”. We will be moving over there May 17.

I agreed to stay at this campground until May 1, 2027 because I plan on being back in Pennsylvania for exciting news… my niece got ENGAGED!!!! She set her date for May of 2027 and I plan on going up there for the entire month of May, but not sure how that is going to happen (whether I’m taking the camper or riding up there and getting AIRBNB, ect). Congratulations Gabby and Sal! Look at how happy they are!

Our future plans are for me to stay here in Florida and still be frugal so that we can save money to get a new camper while Brian works. We are hoping to get a toy hauler so that I can keep the golf cart. The model we are looking at has an 11 foot garage with washer dryer hook-ups (which we already have the washer/dryer combo), a KING sized bed, my DREAM refrigerator, and a patio on the back. I hope that we will have a great down payment for this camper by next year. We will more than likely need a bigger truck to haul this new camper as well, so we have a lot to think about and consider.

As always I am excited for this new adventure, but I will miss this place and all the people that I have been close to for the last three winters. I will keep in touch with them all and miss them bunches. I have been thinking a lot about my Oli’s Trolley friends too and I can’t believe that I wont be back there this summer, but we knew going into this lifestyle that nothing was permanent or long term.

I won’t let months go by before keeping you all updated on the move, so keep checking back!

~Happy Travels!