RT23: The Bonding Power of the RV Lifestyle

No matter where or how you roll, the one thing all RVers have in common is the way the RV lifestyle seems to bring people together - literally and figuratively. For snowbirds, full-timers, near full-timers like Jennifer and me or weekend campers, it's the sheer joy of getting out and meeting new people or simply spending quality time with your spouse or friends. For families with younger children or grandchildren, it means bonding time away from the distractions of day-to-day living, TV, video games, and iPods. Take Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi, for example. Together with their three children, the Puglisis spend almost 50 nights a year RVing with their children and say they have it down to a science by now. They document their adventures on the RV Family Travel Atlas blog and podcast and join us for episode 23 of the Roadtreking RV Lifestyle podcast with great lessons for parents and grandchildren who RV with childern. In this conversation we learn: How to have a balance between scheduled activities and “down time” Kids never get bored once they are out there, just introduce them to the outdoors Families/grandparents should splurge for kid-friendly campsites, with swimming pools, playgrounds and games Take your kids/grandkids on hikes, challenge them, use it to teach them about the nature and geography You are building amazing memories for your kids and grandkids that they will treasure their entire lives Have a campfire every night. It’s a great family bonding time Kids naturally will gravitate to outdoor activities over screen time in front of a TV or computer Recognize that things will go wrong but “we will get through this.” Learning that when things go wrong, we will solve the problem and then we’ll have great stories to tell makes for a well-adjusted kid. Each night at an RV park, a neighborhood springs up and kids need all of about five minutes to make friends with a pack of kids. Besides the interview with the Puglisis, we take questions and comments from listeners about: Recommended RV-related audiobooks The Roadtreking Song of the Week submitted by the band Swift Creek Talk about getting all of that salt - regardless of source - off of your RV Plus we have tech tips, a bucket list destination of the week and a whole lot more. [spp-player] First Things First: Prayers for Living the RV Dream's Kathy Huggins We kick off the show with a special call to action - pray for Kathy Huggins from Living the RV Dream. Kathy and John Huggins were on the show last week. Kathy began complaining about severe abdominal pain Friday night, and she was transported to Thomas Hospital in Fairhope, Ala. Doctors there discovered a hernia which impeded blood flow to her upper intestines. Surgeons removed 95 percent of her small intestines. John Huggins told our friend Greg Gerber of RV Daily Report that Kathy is in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Thomas Hospital, and on ventilator support. When she is awake, she can recognize those around her and squeeze their hands, which he said is encouraging.  Although she is expected to recover, the road ahead will require major adjustment on her part, John explained. “I don’t think either Kathy or I realized just how many lives we have touched,” said John. “The outpouring of support has been humbling and highly encouraging. We really, really appreciate everyone’s prayers and concern.” Check-in of the Week: Roadtreking Fan Jose from Spain A listener named Jose calls from Spain to check-in and let us that our fans definitely are not limited to the United States and Canada. Any other international fans out there? Record a quick message by clicking the tab on the right. We would love to hear from you! Roadtreking Song of the Week: "Wake Me Up to Drive" by Swift Creek Listener and Musician Kevin Brown, of Raleigh, N.C., leaves us a message in response to our recent and ongoing discussion over best songs to listen to while RVing. You can hear it on the podcast.