Get our book

Read all about our adventures on the road - available in paperback and Kindle editions. Check out our book here - http://www.amazon.com/Napkin-Dreams-Marty-Martin/dp/1481242644

Marty and Patsy Martin have never lived life in the way some people may describe as the normal way. When they decided to take their five boys, a small dog and a large python snake on a two-year trip across America in their motorhome, they really broke out of the normal routine for most American families. In this book, Napkin Dreams, they recount their amazing adventure of faith, discovery, growth and extreme family bonding!

Tanner turns 12

You can now read this post and much more in our new book Napkin Dreams! Click here http://www.amazon.com/Napkin-Dreams-ebook/dp/B00AZR24LG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358194928&sr=8-1&keywords=napkin+dreams.

 

 

Steeles on Wheels

The second book I read on living in an RV fulltime was Steeles on Wheels. This is another story of a retired couple, kids all gone, taking to the road to enjoy their life together as husband and wife.

Even though they are at a totally different station in life than us I did appreciate their stories. Some of them were very educational for me. They talk a lot about life on the road with their big dog, who is a bit nervous and high strung. We have wondered a lot about pets. We have a cat who will most certianly not be going with us (anyone looking for a cat to house for a couple of years?). However Tanner wants a corn snake for his birthday and we are fairly certain we are going to get him one. He had one a few years ago and loved it. His little brother, who was two at the time, let Slidey out and we never saw him again.

It might be fun to report on Slidey the Second's life on the road!

The book also talks about all the ins and outs of finding a good RV park, pulling into a gas station, trying to find adequate cell and Internet coverage. This book was written a few years ago and technology has changed dramatically for full-timers though, as it has for everyone. Wifi is offered in most campgrounds and several cell phone companies carry national plans, so it will be a bit different experience for us.

All in all Steeles on Wheels is a good book for anyone dreaming of the fulltime lifestyle!

The Ride of our Lives

The most recent road trip style book I read is The Ride of our Lives. The author, Today Show correspondent Mike Leonard, took a month long trip in two different motor homes with his 80 somthing parents and 20 something children. If you can stand the constant swearing in the book (its amazing how people air thier dirty laundry), this was a humorous and touching story of a real American family. I loved how his parents never mentioned anything about the natural beauty around them but had to point out every Cosco, Burger King and misc. national chain they saw on the road.

This is definetly not a story of full timers and also not a story to sit down and read with your kids. The book does start with a great cautionary tale on making sure you have enough room to make wide turns in places like gas stations!

Get out of debt

Before we set off on our journey one major obstacle that we felt we wanted to overcome was our debt. There was no way we wanted to have the hassle of paying of auto and credit card loans while trying to realize our dream. So a big step for us in achieving this dream is to rid ourselves totally of debt. We are over half-way there in less than five months (plus we are taking a Disney world vacation next month)!

One of the keys that I felt we needed in this debt elimination battle was a plan. I had heard of Dave Ramsey from friends and on the radio, so at a conference I picked up his book The Total Money Makeover. If you are thinking of this lifestyle or have any other dream and find a wall of debt standing in your way, I highly recommend this book. I have never taken his Financial Peace University Course, but I have friends who highly recommend it as well. Check out Dave's website at http://www.daveramsey.com/!

Recommended read - First we Quit our Jobs

I want to pass on a few good books for those of you who are considering the full-time RV lifestyle or an extended RV trip of several months or more. The first book I read was First we Quit of Jobs by Marilyn Abraham. I found this book at the public library so it fit my budget nicely. The highlights of this book for me were: 1. It was told from a personal standpoint detailing the personal journey of the author and her husband as they decided to take an extended RV trip and the process they took in getting to that decision. It also touched on the reactions of friends and family to their idea. 2. It really ignited a desire in my heart to go to Alaska. This couple spent a good portion of their trip in Alaska. This has been a life long goal, but it crystallized for me as I read their account.

The one thing with this book is that it is written from the perspective of a couple whose kids are grown. They were younger she wrote this book, but still no kids with them. Someone needs to write about an RV journey with kids! We will have to do something about that!