By: Allen Mires, Sr. Health & Safety Specialist
If someone told me two years ago that I would have an opportunity to live in an RV and travel the country for work, I would have told them they were mentally unstable and unfit to operate heavy machinery. Yet, for the past 14 months, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. I’d like to say it’s been easy and effortless, but my parents raised me to be honest.
I started working for EHS Support as a Sr. Health and Safety Specialist in February of 2022. In April of 2022, my wife and I sold our house in Texas, along with most of our possessions, and purchased a fifth-wheel trailer and a truck to pull it! We made some minor modifications to the trailer to set up an office/desk where the dining table once was, invested in a pretty beefy internet setup with backup, and started our journey.
Our first stop allowed us to settle into the RV life and get used to living in 400 square feet, compared to the 2200 square feet of the house we sold. What we anticipated to be the hardest adjustment was actually easy. It’s amazing and liberating to find out how much stuff you don’t actually need! I traded a 20 X 30-foot wood shop for a world of forests, mountains, beaches, and a very comfortable lawn chair – and I have no regrets.
We started out slowly and made sure that an airport was always nearby, so I could travel to remote work locations on short notice. Limiting travel to the weekends allows me to focus on work during the week. While my days are filled working, we spend our evenings and weekends exploring the local attractions in each new city. We have experienced more in these past 14 months than we did before RV life.
Yes, there have been challenges. From water leaks in the middle of the night to RV repairs, and air conditioner maintenance – it has not been a vacation by any means. But the view outside of the window beside my desk features a new scene every time we move. My backdrops have included hills, forests, canyons, lakes, and rivers. This lifestyle has provided my family with the opportunity to visit places we wouldn’t normally see while allowing us to experience them together.
This lifestyle isn’t for everyone. It requires patience, flexibility, and curiosity. Sometimes it may not work out the way we plan due to unpredictable client schedules. But when it works, there’s nothing better than being able to do the job you love, with the people you love, with the freedom you love!
Stay tuned as EHS Support will continue to ‘ride along’ with Allen on his adventures in the coming months. Curious to learn more about the Work/RV-Life Balance? Reach out to Allen.
