Seasoned RVLife

In a world where solitude and screens often steal our attention, the smallest gestures of connection — a shared meal, an open chair, a simple hello — can still change everything. RVing teaches us that freedom is beautiful, but belonging makes it whole.

The Warmth of Welcome

For years, the best compliment we ever received was when someone would say about our home, “I can’t explain it — I feel good here.”

Refrigerator Friends

Tim and I always opened our door — whether it was to a bunch of college kids helping with youth group, to co-workers far from family, or to anyone who needed a holiday table or a place to hang out. Often we’d tell people, “You’re refrigerator friends now — please help yourself.” I don’t even remember where I first heard that phrase, but it stuck.

That, to me, was something indescribably wonderful. Not quiet or perfection — but the contentment that comes when people belong.

The Power of Doing Together

Some of my favorite moments in life aren’t over long conversations but during shared work. “Work” is a relative term — it might mean making a meal, washing dishes, volunteering, or building something side by side. I’ve always said: Busy hands loosen lips.

When we’re focused on a project, our attention isn’t buried in our phones or calendars. It’s on the task at hand — and on each other. Everyone there is part of something.

It’s just like childhood: the playground days of tag, spinning the merry-go-round faster together, pushing the swing for one another, gathering sticks for a fort. That feeling of being in it together.

The Missing Ingredient

When people reminisce about “the good ol’ days,” what I think we’re really saying we miss is connection and simplicity.

RVLife and vacation RVing, for all its freedom, can sometimes be a very alone activity. Please don’t get me wrong — I love solitude. Sitting or hiking quietly in nature renews and grounds me. It’s humbling, instinctual, and deeply belonging. But sometimes, a small voice inside whispers: something’s missing.

Even for introverts like me, that something is people. Two profound experiences have shaped how I now think about RV life and community.

The Subtle Art of Invitation

Our RV neighbors Wendy and Kent taught me this without a single word. When they set up camp, they put out not just a rug and a couple of chairs — but multiple chairs arranged in a semi-circle, open toward the drive. A quiet signal of welcome.

Then came the simple hello. If conversation lingered, they’d invite you to sit. That’s how we became friends. I didn’t notice the subtle choreography — the mat, the chairs, the openness — until much later.

Then there’s Bob, the self-proclaimed “Mayor.” He makes it a point to meet every neighbor. You don’t have to talk to him, but you will — because he’s so approachable and kind that you can’t help but smile back. He’ll say something like, “We’ll just be sitting around this evening — bring a chair if you’d like.”

And people do. Gratefully, we did and that friendship continues on today even with many miles and long periods of time between visits.

Gram's Roll Recipe Rising

The Recipe for Connection in RVLife

RVing, like life, is a lot like baking. You can have all the right ingredients — beautiful places, personal growth, the quiet renewal of nature — and it’s still incredible on its own.

But connection? That’s the salt. The leavening. It doesn’t take much, but it changes everything. Salt brings out flavor. Leavening gives rise. A pinch or two adds depth, texture, and life to the whole thing. That’s what human connection does for the RV experience — it adds dimension and meaning.

A Small Gesture with Big Impact

Everyone is going through something. We have no idea the size of someone else’s storm. But just like on the playground, when you see that kid standing on the edge, you can invite them in. Whether or not they join, the invitation itself matters.

Remember how it felt to be that kid — seen, wanted, picked for a team, included. We can be that for someone now.

The world is disappearing into screens, eyes fixed downward into palms. Genuine connection — being seen — is vanishing. But we can change.

Be the salt. Be the leavening.It doesn’t take much — only intention.

🪶 Sidebar: How to Create “That Feeling” — Even on the RVLife Road

1. Set the stage for welcome.Lay out two or three chairs — not in a perfect circle, but with an open side that quietly says, “Join us.” A small rug, lantern, or string of lights helps people feel they’ve stepped into a friendly space.

2. Keep the “refrigerator friends” spirit.When you meet someone kindred, offer them a small gesture of belonging — a seat, a cup of coffee, an extra plate, a story. The message is: “You’re welcome here. Make yourself at home.”

3. Replace screen time with shared time.Invite someone to cook or prep dinner together, help with a small repair, or take a walk. Busy hands loosen lips — and shared activity creates easy conversation.

4. Carry extra chairs and kindness.Keep one or two folding chairs in the rig,if weight and space are an issue maybe use an ice chest as a seat, or "the extra step" we carry for when leveling raised the first rung too high can double as a seat. The physical act of offering someone a seat is a powerful symbol of inclusion.

5. Be the first to wave.When new rigs pull in, step outside, smile, and say hello. You never know whose day — or week — you might brighten.

6. Keep it simple, but intentional.Connection doesn’t take grand gestures. It takes awareness — noticing who’s around you and choosing to invite them in.

Be the salt. Be the leavening.It doesn’t take much — only intention.

What makes a place — or a person — feel like home to you?