6/2 marked the one year anniversary of our life as nomads. We have seen some of the most beautiful places in the U.S. and learned so much about ourselves while living in a tiny space and being a nomad. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned:

It turns out we didn’t need all that stuff. Selling our house and most of our belongings didn’t negatively impact our standard of living. In fact, this summer in Michigan we’re going to be getting rid of everything we had kept in storage that we might want if we ever settled down into a sticks and bricks house again. The sentimental things like photos and heirloom china were too hard to part with initially, but who really needs china anyway? Although there are some folks we met living full time who take their best stuff with them and use them daily. No worries about them not going in the dishwasher!

Another lesson is that going from National Park to National Park can make them all blur together. It’s kind of like a steady diet of desserts. I look forward to continuing the Parks visits as we travel in future, but probably with more space in between.

I was surprised to find that I enjoyed staying at one place for 6 months. There are some real advantages to sticking around long enough to make some friends and establish a routine, especially when that included so many fun activities.

We learned that it’s incredibly expensive to be on the road. Gas alone averages to around $.50 a mile for us while hauling the trailer, and that’s even with the relatively lower prices we’re seeing these days. And overnight RV sites with full hookups average $50 a night. While we’re in Michigan this summer we’re taking advantage of our Outdoor Adventures membership that gives us 3 weeks free, then we have to be off site for the 4th week and can come back again for another 3. Work camping in Yuma gives us a free site altogether. Next summer we will probably try to find a work camp gig somewhere near National Parks in Utah or the Pacific Northwest to continue getting a free site while we see more of the country.

In spite of a little too much togetherness we didn’t kill each other. Tripping over Olive on the daily and dealing with each other’s bad habits didn’t make us regret our decision.

So I am looking forward to what the next year brings us as nomads. This summer is about visiting family, with our daughter’s wedding a few weeks ago and a family reunion and baby shower coming up. We’ll leave Michigan sometime after Labor Day to head back to Arizona. I am determined to see the Grand Canyon, and we are also planning a dive trip to Grand Cayman. And more fun with bands, choir, hikes, bikes, swims, kayaks…

I would say the nomad life agrees with me.