RVers – "How Do They Live Like That?"
FOREWORD by Kay Peterson
Author & Co-founder of Escapees RV Club
I have known Lou and Judy for many years, as they frequently present seminars
at the Escapees RV Club educational conferences (called Escapades) and both have
served on the prestigious Escapees Advisory Council for several years. I was delighted
that the Escapees RV Club was able to help the authors research their book by providing
them with plenty of RVers to interview and survey.
When my husband Joe and I started the Club in July 1978 there was no literature
on the RV lifestyle, so we set about to create some. In the first version of Home is Where
You Park It, I tried to include everything we learned in our first seven years as full-time
RVers. Included were many references to the friends and the family we left behind.
The authors of RVers – "How Do They Live Like That? Answers for Those
Who Wonder", have not duplicated that work – they have deepened it. The background
they share in the mental health field has given them a specific way of looking behind the
scenes to highlight the human side of RVing. They describe the "whys" of RVers more than
the "hows" that so many others are writing about. Lou and Judy have a style of writing and
subject matter that is unique.
The experiences Joe and I had during our years on the roaad, Judy and Lou describe
as predictable stages RVers go through as we all move along on our journeys. They show
the changes in marriages and describe the marital "tool kit" for RVers that allow us to grow
in our relationships, avoid the potholes and emerge with a form of marital pride that is both
appealing and a source of inner strength.
Another remarkable contribution is the chapter on the RV Career. They believe that many,
but not all full-timers actually achieve a career standing in the RV community. This is
accomplished through education, mentoring, apprenticeship and by acquiring a code of
road ethics they live by. They compare the RV career with tradtional careers of law or
emedicine, and describe a range of "specialties" that I think is a stroke of genius.
There is also a chapter on relating to relatives from the road. So many RVers curtail
their journeys to help adult children or an elderly parent. The authors give helpful suggestions
for managing this without getting worn out in the process. Too many people suffer with
family problems in silence. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
RVers – "How Do They Live Like That?" is a book for an RVer to
share with family members who are curious about this strange lifestyle, who sometimes feel
abandoned, or who are wondering if their loved ones have been indulging in some new type of
drug that robs them of their senses.
Whether you are beginning life on the road or have already been living it, RVers – "How Do They Live Like That?"
is a book for both RVers and their loved ones to enjoy reading together. I suggest that
whenever possible, you read this book aloud, one chapter at a time, and then pause to discuss
its relevance in your life situation.
However you decide to read it, I firmly believe this book will give readers a better
understanding of why some people have chosen a nontraditional life on the road. Since the
membership in the Escapees RV Club now exceeds 80,000, it seems that many folks find
that being a part of the RV community is an exciting, satisfying way to spend a significant
portion of their lives. I am pleased they asked me to write a foreword to this important book.
Kay Peterson
Livingston, Texas
www.escapees.com
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