Last winter, we stayed home. We didn’t want to miss the birth of our newest family member. So, we remained in cold, bleak Missouri instead of traveling to sunny, warm Florida for the winter. I’m glad we stayed home to welcome the new baby, but it isn’t easy when RV snowbirds leave you behind.
Left behind
Perhaps your snowbird friends are leaving you behind this winter. You may already be missing your daily walks together, campground activities, and joint explorations. Want to know how to cope when you’re left behind? I’ll share what I learned last winter. Perhaps you can try a few ideas to feel better when RV snowbirds leave you behind.
Stay connected
Maintain communication with your friends via phone, email, or video calls to stay in touch and updated about their adventures. I call it, “living vicariously” and it helped me to feel less lonely.
Explore local attractions
Take the opportunity to visit local museums, restaurants, and special events nearby. Yes, you might need to bundle up and find your boots, but there are probably more places to explore than you’d imagine. (Note: Call ahead for winter hours of operation.)
Pursue hobbies
Invest more time in your hobbies or explore new ones. YouTube has tutorials for almost every hobby you can think to do. Try painting, woodworking, or even playing a musical instrument.
Volunteer
Give back to your community by volunteering at local organizations or charities. You might be missing snowbird friends, but so are many community organizations. The same folks who helped at the food pantry and nonprofit resell shops have left for warmer climates. Perhaps you can fill in during their absence. It’s difficult to feel lonely or left out when you’re busy helping others.
Plan upcoming RV trips
Use this time to plan your future RV vacations or short getaways. I discovered that planning for next year’s trips renewed my enthusiasm for RVing and gave me something to look forward to doing.
Home improvement projects
Tackle some of those home improvement projects you’ve been putting off, or research ways to change up or refresh your RV’s interior. I found cute fabric and made new sofa pillows for our RV using this tutorial.
Stay active
Exercise regularly by going to the gym, participating in outdoor activities, or joining local fitness classes. Bonus: Exercise is a good way to get warm, even on the coldest of winter days.
Host gatherings
Invite friends and family over for dinners, game nights, or other social events to stay connected. When an unexpected March snowfall dumped three inches of snow on us, I invited friends over for a winter luau. It was a big success and helped me miss Florida just a little less.
How do you spend the long days of winter when your RV snowbird friends leave you behind? Tell me in the comments below.
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Gail- I speak for many I’m sure when I thank you for joining the writing staff & presenting so much new information. May your Xmases be bright. Oh, My Xmases are always bright, I’ve got Florida sugar sand where ever I go!
Thank you, Gail! Safe travels if you are snowbirding this winter. Thank you for the great ideas. We never snowbird; too much work around the farm for that. But, your ideas remind me that we can sprinkle in something fun, interesting, or helpful amidst the manual labor. 🙂
In 2020, we got home from AZ just a week before the Covid shutdown. So, 2021 was our first year to stay home in winter since 2012. After 60 years in the same county, there weren’t many “new” places to visit. But we went to a LOT of hockey games that winter with one grandson on a high school team and the other on a club team.
How do you spend the long days of winter when your RV snowbird friends leave you behind?
Shovel snow.
Fortunately, my wife LOVES shoveling snow!