How to Find Community While RVing with Boondockers Welcome
A new lifestyle, new adventures — and new, like-minded friends — are waiting to be discovered!
One of the hardest parts about starting an RVing adventure is who you are leaving behind. If you are full-time RVers, this can be the biggest roadblock to longevity — and end your dreams of adventure early. But whether you’re a full-timer, part-timer or weekend traveler, with Boondockers Welcome you can start to alleviate those fears by making new lifelong connections with other RV enthusiasts! Boondockers Welcome is a like-minded community waiting for you — and it’s a terrific way to meet people on the road. And once you meet them, here are some great tips to help take that community with you.
Change Your Expectations
You’ll have fewer days, but more minutes. Because you don’t have the responsibilities of everyday life, you can spend more quality time together cementing lasting connections.
A short visit doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it. It could be tempting to not put yourself out there. But once you create an initial friendship, it could end up in years of connecting over and over — which will be worth it in the end.
A different lifestyle has different values. You may have great friendships back home, but on the road things work a little differently. Once you join the ranks, you will soon realize bonding over travels and experiences will drive your friendships and bring new energy.
Friends from home might not understand. Life is different out there. Friends from back home won’t be able to relate, and not as many things happen in a week for them. That is ok. It doesn’t mean you aren’t friends — it just means life is changing for you!
Utilize Technology
Stay connected without conversation. Social Media is a tool. It is not great as your only way of connecting — but it is a great way to stay up to date with your new friends. Comment, Like and Message them little words of encouragement. Let them know you are aware of them — and their adventures.
Zoom, Skype and Facetime are helpful ways to grow and maintain friendships. Your significant other can have bi-weekly Zoom calls with family members. You can use use video calls to talk with friends from all over the country. It’s easy today to stay connected. While on the road, you can sometimes miss seeing friendly faces — but these technologies have really helped us all with nurturing those important relationships.
Sometimes you need a laugh — and online games can help with that. Because of the pandemic, there has been a major boost in online games. We know someone who has been playing Words with Friends for three years — with the same person. Want other ideas? Check out these 9 online games that help people connect all over North America and beyond.
Plan Meetups: Rinse & Repeat
Plan a time to reconnect. If you are both on the road, there is no reason those roads can’t still intersect. Plan it out, and make it happen. It isn’t a big commitment — but does show a desire to maintain and grow what has started.
Use anchor dates. If you make a great connection, keep developing it. Create a date and location that lets you stay in touch physically. This time together can be a celebration of your travels and adventures.
Use an anchor location. Consider using your Boondockers Welcome host site as your anchor location. Pick the same site you first met — and even include your host in the process. This could encourage your host in understanding how valuable their hospitality has been in your life.
Hosting Has Its Own Rewards
Grow your network. When you host, you will grow your network exponentially. Depending on your location and accessibility, you could meet people from all over the country. This new network of friends can pay dividends as you begin your travels.
Host to learn about the lifestyle. Intrigued by different aspects of RVing? This is a great way to learn about locations, rig setups, accessories and pitfalls. By becoming a host with Boondockers Welcome, you will gain a valuable education in RV life.
Become a host — and pay it forward. After you stay with several hosts, you will learn what makes a great host yourself. Consider opening up your home as a host location. With this opportunity, you will be able to help your guests make their dreams come true.
What are Boondockers Welcome Members Saying?
With 3,000+ host locations across North America, there is so much to see and so many people to meet. Boondockers Welcome is a group where locals invite travelers to spend the night, share their stories — and save their money for real adventure. Don’t just take our word for it — look at members’ love for Boondockers Welcome in these reviews below:
Just imagine the places you’ll go and the people you’ll meet with Boondockers Welcome! Join today and start exploring tomorrow.
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