Our Happy Little Desert Community

We just finished up four weeks of boondocking in the Arizona desert near the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. A whole month! We almost never stay in one place that long, so you know it was good. Not only is this area absolutely gorgeous in the way that only a barren piece of land full of prickly plants and jagged mountains can be (my fellow desert lovers will understand), but we also had the pleasure of spending this time with a truly amazing group of our fellow RVers.

Barren & Beautiful

Aside from all the cool places we go and the new experiences we have, my very favorite thing about this lifestyle are the wonderful people we meet. It seems like such a cliche to say that we’ve “found our tribe”, but that’s really how it feels. There’s just something so magical about a group of people coming together and forming an instant community.

I think what enamors me most about full-time RVers is that this is a group of people who are living their chosen life. It’s very refreshing to be surrounded by people who have made conscious decisions and sacrifices to ensure that life is all it can be. These choices lead to a general sense of well-being and satisfaction — which is a pure delight to be around.

Sure, we all still grumble on occasion about the demands of work, the tire blowouts, the breakdowns, the window that won’t stop leaking, and that stinky black tank. But the feeling of despair and constant stress that seems to hang over so many in the traditional world is noticeably absent. Instead of feeling stuck with a dead end job, a too high mortgage, or a family that sucks up all our time and energy, full-timers revel in the freedom of a house on wheels, a new backyard whenever you choose, and the ability to surround ourselves with new people and new experiences.

Of course, I’m not saying that the only way to be happy is to live full-time in an RV, or that I only enjoy spending time with other RVers. But I have noticed that the happiest, most content people in my life are those who live in an RV. Hmmm…I guess there’s something to this sell everything and travel around the county thing.

With that said, on to the photos. As per my usual, I took nearly zero pictures of people, and lots of pictures of the sky, the mountains, the cactus, and of course, our beautiful home.

Dust storm

Group hike to the palm canyon

Fire + friends + music = happiness

Perfect windsock weather

Cactus friends

Castle Dome City Ghost Town & Museum

A tiny fraction of the artifacts at the museum

Castle Dome Rock

Sunrise over the Kofa Mountains