Some of the most interesting people we meet are fellow bloggers as well as fellow travelers.   Brian and Leigh are a great example.   Although they aren’t on the road presently, they did nearly two years in a 1963 Airstream Flying Cloud, working the whole time, just like us.   Although we never crossed paths while they were traveling, the commonalities of our experiences are amazing.   We’ve had the same challenges, the same questions, the same answers.

This evening we were hanging around the kitchen with mugs of tea after dinner, and inevitably the talk turned to things that happened in the trailer.   We’ve both had the spice rack explode onto the floor while towing, and the concerned friends who advised us against doing what we were doing.   We’ve both faced the challenges of living with others in a small space, and survived that acid test of a relationship.

Photo by Emma  

But still I am surprised by the little things.   At one point, Leigh pointed to her black socks and Brian’s black socks.   When they went out on the road for the first time, they bought 28 pair of identical black socks so that laundry would be easier.   No worries about whose were whose, or which pairs matched up.   Her size 6 feet and his size 8 were close enough for shared socks.   That’s a great idea that never occurred to us.

For the past three days I’ve been working in Brian and Leigh’s office with them.   All three of us are very busy at our tasks, and yet it was no big deal to share an office.   Being roommates, and negotiating space, and working with others comes very naturally to someone who has lived in an RV for a couple of years.   It was almost instinct.   We got a lot of work done and yet still had time for a 2 p.m. “poker break” yesterday.   (By the way, we haven’t been playing for money, just chips.)

This experience reminds me how ironic it is that so many companies that are phobic about their employees working outside of the office, even when it saves money for the company.   Many of us have proven that working at home or even on the road not only works, but it can increase productivity and satisfaction.   It is even possible that living the RV lifestyle helps people learn good self-motivation, time management, and organizational skills.   Yet so many people still feel that all of their employees need to be sitting in a cubicle in an office building … even when they have no real need to be there.

As this attitude changes, there will be more opportunities for people to work and travel at the same time.   That means more opportunities to exchange ideas, think creatively, and find new talent.   That’s how I use my working days on the road, and it has paid off many times over.   “Black socks” are just a tiny example of the dozens of great ideas I’ve picked up along the way.

Airstream Life magazine would never be nearly as good if I was not out here in the world, meeting new people and hearing their ideas. Although we are a “virtual company” (meaning we have no office space or permanent physical location), it is still critical to regularly interact with people on a one-to-one basis.   This binds relationships, promotes brainstorming, gives me new perspectives, and brings me in physical contact with the lifestyle.   After my laptop computer, the Airstream is the most critical business tool I have.   The collection of “black sock” ideas I have implemented in the business during the past two years is the proof.