We spent the month of August in Texas, so I thought I would highlight five benefits of having a home base to go back to occasionally during our travels. As full-time RVers, we don’t own a “sticks and bricks” house anymore, but we still consider San Angelo our home town and we return a few times a year.
1. Keeping a legal domicile address
Since we were already Texas residents, keeping Texas as our domicile address was an easy transition. It is recommended that full-time RVers have a domicile somewhere so they can vote, register vehicles, have a driver’s license, get health insurance, pay taxes, and other things you need an address for when you don’t really live in one place all the time. Luckily, Texas is pretty centrally located and hasn’t been too far out of our way to return to. Going back to your home base shows a connection to your state for legal purposes.
We used Escapees RV Club’s services to set up our mailing address (see post here) and give us advice for meeting domicile requirements. There are many resources online detailing the hows and whys of establishing a home base, so each person has to evaluate what works for their needs. Some people want to keep their current state of residence, but others look for the lowest taxes or the ease of doing business by mail. Statistics show that Texas, Florida, and South Dakota rank among the top domicile locations for Rvers.
2. Health care and other services
Although you can do many things by mail or phone, there are some things that need to be done in person. While we are home, we visit our doctors, dentist, and optometrist as needed. Although we could do these things on the road if urgent situations came up, it is nice to have your familiar doctor or dentist to go to. We can also renew driver’s licenses and get our vehicle inspections done. In addition to medical services, I really enjoy the chance to get my hair done by my stylist who knows me and having a relaxing visit with my massage therapist whenever I am in town. (Thanks Gail and Pam!)
3. Familiar surroundings and time to relax
It is relaxing to be in familiar surroundings and in a place where we know where things are. I think we took that for granted before we started traveling. Each time we are in a new location, we have to research everything from grocery stores to sightseeing locations. You have to find what you are looking for, decide which options or locations might be best, and then find out how to get there. While not bad for one or two things, it can get old doing it for EVERY need in EVERY place! During our time at home in August we enjoyed seeing some familiar Texas nature sights as we relaxed and spent time outdoors.
4. Storage
Since we don’t own a home anymore, having a small storage unit in town is very helpful. It is a place where we can store the important things we decided to keep but do not need with us as we travel. While we are home, we usually take the opportunity to clean out our coach. Things that we no longer use can go to the storage unit and anything we changed our minds about in the storage unit can come back to the coach. We might rethink coming home in the hottest month of the year next time!
5. Family and friends
One of the best reasons to visit our home base is that it gives us the opportunity to spend some time with our family and friends. We enjoy calling, texting, and emailing with everyone during our travels, but nothing replaces actually getting to see your loved ones in person! We did some socially distant cookouts, enjoyed some outdoor art, visited a few of our favorite restaurants, and of course, our favorite ice cream parlor, Latest Scoop (on multiple occasions!).
Traveling over these past two years has been fun and exciting. However, having time to reconnect with your roots does a soul good after spending lots of time away. Maintaining a home base has served us well and allowed us to keep up with our domicile needs, our medical and other appointments, and our storage needs, as well as giving us time to relax and spend time with family. Now we are recharged and ready to hit the road for more adventures!
Now I know about how to establish a home base. You are so interesting, Robin and Mike!
Thank you, Pam. There is a whole industry out there catering to RVers and travelers that we didn’t even know about until we started this journey. We have definitely learned a lot!
What a very informative post! Having a home base sounds like it is essential for sure. Love seeing your home base photos too.
Thanks Sandi. I’d never thought about a home base until we didn’t have a home anymore! It does help a lot in getting things done when you are on the road.