Ginny Tells The Hopeful RV Story Of How She Found Her Joy In Life Once Again After Losing The One She Loved
Ginny McKinney and her husband decided that life was too short. Why wait for retirement to begin doing some traveling and having fun? Little did either of them know how short. As Ginny and her husband were standing in one of the trailers they were looking at, deciding which of the 4 trailers they looked at would be their choice, Ginny's husband, who had not had a sick day in his life, died then and there of a heart attack at age 62. Ginny reflects “It is difficult to put into words what happens to you when the love of your life is gone in moments. The life you have planned....the life you are living...is gone in an instant. I was inconsolable, as you may well imagine. Yet, I knew instinctively I was going to need to put something joyful in front of me if I was going to survive this.”
In the days following her husband's death, Ginny was looking for anything that could bring her the joyousness she needed to keep moving forward. Books on grief didn't help, but she kept thinking about the camper. Maybe then she could have the freedom to grieve in her own way. So she decided that, after reading about the group “Sisters on the Fly”, as group of women who purchase and fix up vintage campers and caravan together, she “knew she had found her people” and began her search for, what would become her “sanctuary against the storms of grief”.
So, after the funeral, Ginny headed to Denver. Colorado to visit with her children. Not long after her arrival, her daughter and grandchildren announced that they were hers for the day, so what did she want to do? Without hesitation, Ginny said that she wanted to go trailer shopping. “This was our dream...and in that moment, I felt my husband nudge me and say “Go ahead, baby doll. You can do this!””
Two weeks after she buried her husband, enter “TOW-Wanda”...Ginny's first trailer. At only sixteen feet in length, this little gem was much smaller than the trailers that she and her husband had been looking at. However, at the time, it was all that Ginny felt that she could handle comfortably. Six weeks later, she left on a three month journey into the back roads and wilderness of Colorado. “When I emerged,” explains Ginny. “I was a changed woman. Encounters with wildlife, the solitude of the majestic Rockies, listening to the still, small voice of God was a deeply spiritual experience that helped mold me into who I am today.”
As much as Ginny found comfort in her little camper, she wasn't always able to spend the time in it that she wanted. The following year, her work schedule didn't allow for the long trips away from home. But it didn't stop her from staying in her cozy, safe little universe, even if it was only parked at the curb of her home. It didn't take long before Ginny realized that her actual home was becoming a “very expensive laundromat”. So, she made the decision to sell her home, trade her cozy little sixteen foot trailer in for a thirty foot (also called TOW-Wanda), bought a truck and became a full time RVer! Two years and 43,000 miles later, Ginny and TOW-Wanda have been to Colorado, West Virginia, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and every place in between. When she wants to take a bit of a break from the camper, Ginny spends time at her grandparent's house, on the family farm, fixing it up, but before long she would be back out in TOW-Wanda living her simpler life.
“I am a writer, speaker and gypsy,” explains Ginny. “I write a blog called Marshmallow Ranch that chronicles my experiences. I recently spoke at the International Conference on Positive Aging in Washington, DC, as well as writing a memoir of my experiences.” She continues,” I suppose you could say I'm retired, but I prefer to say that I am busy living this beautiful life I created once I walked through the fires of grief. I found the gems in the flames and picked them up along the way. Then...I traded my tiara for wings and a pick up!......I don't know how long this life will pull at my heart, but I am open for whatever God drops in front of me.”
Kim Pezza
A graduate of State University Of New York At Fredonia with a BA in Creative Writing, Kim is an author for Hatherleigh Press [Random House] and Seaside Publishing. She enjoys camping, cheese making and historic crafts.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Alpen Rose RV Park, where guests can enjoy the quiet of the Animus River Valley, along with fabulous mountain views, yet be close to Durango’s many attractions.