After my husband retired he bought a TV satellite dish and internet card boosters for our rig and we started traveling full-time. I wanted to see the country, hike, bike and live in natural areas like National Parks and National Forests. I am finding we are spending most of our time looking for campsites with good tower signals, few trees that can block the satellite dish, and little opportunity for hiking and biking. It takes him almost an hour just to get his dish pointed in the right direction.
Every time I want to do some sightseeing there’s a big game on or something he just can’t miss on ESPN. We might just as well be parked at home in the driveway. I need your help if I am to enjoy this lifestyle of travel. How do I approach this problem without alienating my husband? —Signal Problem in South Padre
Dear Sig:
This should be fairly easy. Your husband just needs a little bit of reprogramming. You should spend an hour or so getting him pointed in the right direction. There is nothing wrong with having good communications. In fact, that is exactly what the two of you need. Your husband likes his sports and in this day and age with satellite communications he can take that with him anywhere, as you well know. It is the addiction to it that seems to be his problem. I would go as far as saying his couch potato ways will eventually cause him health problems. You should approach it from that standpoint.
I’m sure you have a travel budget for your finances. You also need a budget for your time. You both should budget time for your personal interests and time for activities you both enjoy together. It is easy to get into the slow mode and get stuck. You have to take the initiative to let your husband know your expectations of the RV lifestyle and negotiate how to blend it with his. Once you come to an understanding, you both should find plenty of time for the activities you enjoy both separately and jointly.
You don’t want your husband’s retirement to become your full-time job, so be more of a spectator and less of a referee. This early in his retirement he is still enjoying doing nothing and not having to worry about getting caught. Give him some slack and a little direction and I think you will find harmony and happier trails. —Keep Smilin’, RV Shrink
The RV Shrink is not really a psychologist (or professional RV technician). But he does knows a lot.
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