Thoughts After My First Season as a Snowbird

Are you wondering where I’ve been?  Sometimes I’ve wondered the same thing, what with some of the challenges I’ve faced.  Losing my dog was the worst.  Adjusting to the life style was a daily challenge.  The thing that worked for me was realizing that this is my first year/season and I have a HUGE learning curve to overcome.   At least the learning curve is huge for me.  I can’t speak for the rest of you. 

Now that the season is behind me, even though I’m still at the Voyager in Tucson, I can look back on it and reflect on what it’s been like.  Of course, I wish I knew then what I know now.  I’d probably do it quite a bit differently, but that’s the old “hindsight is 20/20” talking.  I didn’t have any experience when I came here and it’ll never be (I hope) as difficult as this first season.

The people I met made the whole thing worthwhile.  I met people from Calgary, Alberta, to New Mexico.  The people I hung out with were the partiers so there was a whole lot of eating and drinking going on.  Which translates to weight gain, but that’s enough on that subject. 

If it weren’t for Sandra, from Michigan, I think the story might have been quite different.  She knows a ton of people at the Voyager and my space was across the street from hers.  She’s a much more outgoing person than I am and I was fortunate that she liked me and I liked her and so she introduced me to all the people she knew or just met.  If I choose to come back here next year, it will be a lot easier because of the people I met this season.

But I haven’t decided whether to come back here next year.  I’m thinking that six months in one place is too long.  Even though I learned a new hobby, glass fusion, I found myself bored a lot of the time.  I missed the projects I came up with in my house.  Not that I miss my house, because I don’t.  I love the house I’m in, my 40’ Alfa, and that’s all I need right now. 

I heard more than once that if I got bored, it was my fault, because there wasn’t any reason to be bored at the Voyager.  I beg to differ.  I know that I’m searching for something and I haven’t found it yet.  I also know that if I keep doing what I’ve always done, nothing will change.  Glass fusion, pickle ball, bingo, to name a few, are not how I want to spend the rest of my life.  Wait…I forgot about Mah Jongg.  That I enjoyed, it really used my brain power.  The “real” Mah Jongg is so different from what I’ve been playing on the computer for years.  There’s no comparison. 

Maybe I’m done with Tucson.   I’m know I’m done with the brown.  Give me some green…please!!!  My Northwest side is coming out. 

I think the Voyager is too big for me.  Kind of like the Del Webb communities I checked out were too big.  I find them overwhelming.  This is good information for me.  The only way to figure out what I like and don’t like is to keep trying new things. 

I know that I would never recommend this park to anyone.  Someone in charge here has too many control issues and I don’t like being controlled.  I don’t like having to wear an identification badge.  I did that when I worked but I’m not working anymore.  

My latest negative encounter here was when they parked a Class A motorhome next to me.  Four days ago.  The park is almost empty, I’m loving the extra breathing room and they park a motorhome right next to me.  A smoker, no less, so when I go outside the first thing I smell is cigarette smoke.  AARGH.  With much difficulty, because they said I couldn’t leave that space until the 24^th because I’d paid until then, I was able to move to a different space and now I don’t have anyone next to me, behind me, or across the street from me.  Aaaah, it feels so good. 

Living in a 33.5’ x 50’ RV space, surrounded by RVs, just about did me in. I felt hemmed in many times, hence the reaction to the motorhome debacle I just went through.  I’ve learned that I probably need more space, more privacy, and fewer barking dogs.  I was in the pet section so I shouldn’t complain too much.  After all, pets do live in the pet section, most of those pets are dogs and dogs bark. 

Pardon the rambling.  I realize I’ve missed writing in my blog so I think I’ll be writing more often.  Now that the partying has ended I have a lot more time on my hands!!!