Destiny Unbound

Since we met in 1991, Monica and I have always loved traveling and being outdoors. Our kids have the same sense of adventure so we’re always looking for new places and experiences to enjoy together. That’s not so easy with school, activities, camp and two working parents. Or maybe it is….

During COVID we wanted to visit my parents in Florida. Flying wasn’t an option, so we planned on making the drive and looked into renting an RV for the trip. I had never operated an RV before and didn’t intend to make this a regular thing. But we were in a pinch when do the only option was cramming 5 people and our luggage for a trip down 95.

I had to drive 45 minutes to pick up the RV next to Newark Airport. Convenient for people flying in but far from ideal for NJ locals. Besides picking up and dropping off in Newark, we loved everything about RV travel. We were hooked from the start.

Over the next 6 months we rented several more RVs using apps like Outdoorsy. Each time we rented, we had to travel 30+ minutes (in one case nearly 3 hours) to pick up and drop off the RV. There just weren’t any RVs in northern NJ (45 minutes outside of NYC).

When our 3 kids all started going to sleepaway camp a few years ago, that opened the door for me and Monica to really hit the road. Luckily, with some good planning we can both work remotely.

During the summer of 2022, we set out on a 3-week trip that took us through Michigan and Ontario. The only thing standing in my way was an important client meeting in NYC right in the middle of our trip. No problem. We mapped our route to land us near Detroit so I could fly to New York for the day.

I brought my suit and tie with me, started my day at 5am, was in Manhattan by 9am, and back to the RV at 8pm. The next morning, we crossed the border and headed to Honey Harbor.

We quickly realized that RV travel gave us the freedom to do what we enjoy – travel and be outdoors – without sacrificing the ability to work. In fact, both of us feel like we’re able to be more productive and creative when we’re on the road.

People ask how we get around when we both have to work. After a lot of trial and error, we figured it out. First, during the week I do most of the driving in the evening when traffic is lighter and calls and emails simmer down. We try to avoid driving more than 4-5 hours a day, usually more like 3-4 hours.

Second, each night we quickly run through our work schedules for the next day. We figure out when we need to be anchored and connected to reliable wifi. We determine if either of us has a 1-2 hour gap to do some driving. There are times that Monica takes the wheel while I get some work done or take some calls in the back.

From a professional standpoint, starting each day in a new place with new possibilities is a great mindset for the workday.

From a personal perspective, RV travel has given us so much quality time together as a family that otherwise wouldn’t have happened. It’s also nice spending time on the road when it’s just the two of us. I’ve also had amazing times traveling with friends. I’ve taken the kids and their friends on fun camping trips.

 It has been the gateway to memorable times with special people in our lives.

I’ve traveled alone (with Wilson), I’ve traveled with Monica.

We’ve traveled together as a family.

We’ve traveled with friends.

We’ve visited friends and family we haven’t seen for years.

We’ve traveled to places we otherwise wouldn’t have visited.

We’ve met people we otherwise wouldn’t have met.

We’ve experienced things we otherwise wouldn’t have experienced.

We found the perfect way to have it all – new places and experiences, quality time together, freedom to “roam,” all while having the ability to work remotely and stay energized.

We’ve learned a ton about RV life over the past few years. As we’ve shared our experience with others, and they’ve jumped on board. To share our passion, and given the lack of RVs in the area, we started Downtime RV a few months ago.

With no marketing or advertising, we were booked 85 percent of the summer – without renting it to anyone we know. We have a website (time2rv.com) but every booking came through one of the three main RV rental apps: Outdoorsy, RV Share and RVezy. Within a month of being listed on those apps, we started showing up at the top of local search results.

As the weather gets colder, we’ll bring the RV down to Florida for the winter where it will also be available for rental. We store it near my parents so my dad will be helping to manage the rental business in Florida over the winter – it’s a team/family effort!

Conversion Marketing continues to thrive and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have a work/life balance that opened my eyes to new possibilities. If you love what you do, the rest falls into place.

The most rewarding part of this new venture has been talking to first time RVers when they come back. I’ve heard everything from “it was an amazing trip” to “we are going to look into buying our own RV.” They talk about how much their kids loved it, the places they visited, and how comfortable and convenient it was.

With the summer coming to a close, kids back to school, and a chill in the air here in New Jersey, it’s the perfect time to start planning a fall getaway. Our plans? September: a concert in Saratoga Springs and the Adirondack Balloon Festival. October: Peace, Love & Pumpkins at Bethel Woods. November: Florida for Thanksgiving