Workamping

“Workamping” is not in the dictionary, but it probably will be soon. It is a gerund that describes the work situation of a full-time RVer who is employed by the campground in which he/she is residing. The word describes what Jett and I are doing this summer at Apple Island Resort in South Hero, VT. Jett is working in the resort office and I, believe it or not, am working at the marina. I don’t know that there is much to say about the office work, but I will have plenty to say about the marina work. This is a totally new experience for me.

The weather, not surprisingly, has been very cold and mostly gloomy. It is, after all, early spring in northern Vermont. It is nothing extreme and nothing we haven’t experienced before, but it is a bit of a shock after leaving sunny, balmy Ft Myers just one month ago. We are using a lot of propane trying to keep warm. The water was shut off the night we arrived, to keep the pipes from freezing.

We are working nearly full-time. Because we are the low men on the totem pole, we get to work weekends. Our days off are Wednesday and Thursday. This is not a real burden for us as, being retired (on paper anyway), the days all look pretty much the same. Besides, we expect to be making frequent trips to Boston (nearly 4 hours away) and would rather travel on weekdays than weekends.

The jobs don’t pay a lot, but in addition to the pay we also get the campsite at a dramatically reduced rate. That boosts our effective pay rate up to a level that we don’t scoff at. Besides, doing something new is, at some level, an adventure. But a six-month commitment is a bit risky. We can only hope that we enjoy the work and, at the end of the summer, feel that our experience has been rewarding.

Time will tell.