MOOCHDOCKING:
Mooch: To get or take without paying or at another’s expense; sponge:
Boondocking: Staying in parking lots/natural areas for free.
…Urban Dictionary/Dictionary.com
When we decided to go full-time RVing, we had an extensive list of all the places we wanted go–Oregon, Washington, Alaska, the New England States, the Great Plains, and so many others. It was difficult to choose an initial destination. We decided to get our feet wet by taking a year and visiting areas close to family and friends while gaining experience and knowledge about living on the road, manhandling our budget to a comfortable range, and finding our daily groove with work/life balance.
Our adventure began in the parking lot of the Cummins dealer for repairs. We then moved on to Alabama to stay at a quiet little RV park where we met up with Patrick from The Paddy Wagon. It was sad to say goodbye to the new friends we’d made at each location. Our next stop was Houston, Texas, where we got to visit with long-time friends Bobby and Tammy. We were there to await a surprise cruise for Mike’s parents’ 50th anniversary and meeting people at the airport coming into Galveston/Houston for that special occasion. We stayed in a campground that was in close proximity to our friends and activities we wanted to do in the area.
Good friends are hard to find
ones that open their home and hearts
without asking for anything in return is close to impossible.
We did have a couple conundrums to work through. What would we do with our motorhome while on the cruise? Do we keep it in the RV park? Do we find a storage spot for seven-day duration? Here’s where good friends came to the rescue. Bobby and Tammy offered their ranch for storage that week and let us continue to stay until we departed for Austin. Not only did they extend hospitality for our RV, but they also opened their home to guests coming as a surprise for the anniversary celebration. Good friends are hard to find–ones that open their home and hearts without asking for anything in return is close to impossible. We are blessed, because our friends love us (and vice versa).
Below is a video of Mike pulling into Camp Bobby and Tammy:
Mooch-docking is distasteful to me–not to mention, mooching is just, well, not a very nice term. However, this experience was amazing because we got to spend time with friends and family. Tammy has decorated her backyard patio unto a sweet oasis with a fire pit and comfortable seating. It was peaceful to sit there with a morning cup of coffee and visit with Tammy and guests. We could watch the horses frolic in the pasture and the dogs scramble for a prime “mark spot” in the backyard. We also enjoyed the time of laughter and fun while playing board games and vying for first place in friendly competition. There were also short trips to Buc ee’s, shopping, and visiting local restaurants.
Bobby and Tammy were wonderful hosts and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts. It was a challenge to sneak around and find their favorite wine and liquor and small little things they would enjoy as thank you gifts, but that still feels inadequate. They made our time in Houston memorable and we can’t wait to visit again. (I promise it won’t be in your front yard, Tammy.)
This lifestyle is amazing–we can pick up and go to the next destination any time we want, but Houston was hard to leave. I’ll dearly miss my conversations with Tammy, relaxing on her patio, and deepening a lasting friendship.
Austin was in the front window as we left Houston behind. Although I’m not going to think about it now, it’ll be just as hard to leave Austin when it’s time. I guess we’ll leave pieces of our hearts wherever we go while we build these marvelous memories. The positive is the excitement of returning and picking up where we left off–without skipping a beat.
The best things in life
are the people we love, the places we’ve been,
and the memories we’ve made.
…Unknown
With thanks and gratitude,
Love, Dawn
You are always welcome at our “mooch-dock” although I’d prefer “safe haven.” My back porch is always open to you, Mike and of course Lexie. Sam and Piggy miss her. Scooter not so much. I’m always up for a Sorry rematch, or maybe next time we’ll have a few hours to spare for a Monopoly matchup. I still think I can take you. Come on back to Houston anytime and I’ll keep the porch light on for you to guide the way. Safe travels.
Love you, Tammy! Miss you so much. Will never be able to thank you enough.
Oh it is always so hard to leave dear family and friends. We always remind them-and ourselves, we shall return! It’s the hardest part of RVing. But we are always excited to get back on the road, though.
I love the new adventures, too. It’s a double-edged sword–but the memories are so precious!
Definitely agree about the difficulty leaving newly made friends. We are Canadian but made many new friends at the Jamaica Beach RV park, people from Michigan, Minnesota, Montana. Those friendships have remained over the years despite our distance apart. Yes, it’s good to have friends.
I love all my new friends and treasure the ones we’ve had for years. I hope we get to meet on the road some day! Dawn
I hardly think it is mooching. You would certainly reciprocate if the situation were reversed. That’s what friends are for. Besides, you just made them famous in your blog 🙂 Safe travels to your next destination!
We would definitely do the same for them anytime. It was a great time. Now for adventures in Austin. 🙂 Dawn
We so much loved the time we spent with Dawn, Mike, Tammy, Bobbie, and Joellen. I can not thank Tammy and Bobbie enough for the wonderful time! Love to all !!!
It was such a fun time! Miss Tammy’s porch and all the giggles!
Austin? Perhaps we can in fact meet for dinner! We’re in Lakeaway (NW side of Austin) until the end of the month.
We would love to meet for dinner! We are outside of Bastrop. Our weekends are pretty full with family activities, but if you’d be willing to meet during the week, I think we can arrange something soon. We are here until mid-April.
OK; I sent you a Facebook message to see if we can connect.
I love the term “Mooch-Dock” that is awesome!
I wish I could take credit for it and remember where I did originally hear it–we inundated ourselves with so much YouTube before we started that I can’t remember. 🙂 The term stuck in my head, though! Thanks for stopping by. Things got crazy in Houston and I never did get back with you about meeting up. I’m so sorry about that! Hopefully, we will have more opportunities in the future. Safe travels!
Haha! No worries Texas has been nuts for us too! Definitely, I look forward to it, safe travels to you too!
“Mooch-docking” is a very handy word to have in one’s arsenal… Although it does seem to have negative connotations, the way you describe the experience sounds absolutely lovely! It’s hardly considered mooching if you’re welcomed with open arms. 🙂