Making a living

I am a workamper.    I live in a travel trailer and work at the campground where it is parked.  I've always loved camping and have had numerous different kinds of rvs.  when I left my job at the veterinary hospital two years ago it was to fulfill a lifetime dream of traveling the country.  It hasn't quite worked out the way I planned but I am seeing the country, just a little slower than originally planned.
  My first workamping job was in Tamworth NH.  I admit it was scary to leave a job I'd had for five years, all my friends, and a nice apartment.  I had never seen the campground and knew no one.  I was hired as a doggy day care attendant so I knew I'd enjoy the work.  Cricket and Gable came along of course and spent their days with me in the half acre fenced dog park.  Some days were chaotic but most of the dogs were great and I loved all the social contact.  Chico was pretty much blind and spent most of his day inside my 17 foot travel trailer growling at everybody who came near.   It was a great job and became even better when they asked me to fill in as Rec director two days a week.  I invented treasure hunts for the kids and we did all kinds of crafts.  We even put on a simple version of  the play Annie with me playing Miss Hannigan and Gable as Sandy.  The audience loved it for all it's mistakes.  I traded my 17 footer in for a larger 33 foot trailer and set about remodeling it to suit my needs.  I also picked up a grooming job nearby on my days off for extra spending money.  Life was good.  There was a major dispute between owners and managers and that changed a lot.  I was pulled into the office to work as the season ended and was asked to stay on for the winter.  Winter in NH is no picnic let me tell you but I learned a lot about winter camping.  I drove down to Florida to spend the holidays with my family and came back to find my office job gone.  The owners said I could stay rent free but I could not make enough to pay for living expenses and propane with just my part time grooming job.  When my SUV burned up in a fire, it was time to move on.
   I had kept in contact with the former managers and they offered me a position in the Pocono mountain area in Pennsylvania.  I signed on as rec Director and had a great season doing crafts with the kids, hayrides, and all kinds of outdoor activities.  I also pitched in with housekeeping and painted murals on the bathroom walls.  Once again times were lean when the coldest winter this area has had in a hundred years was upon us.  Luckily I made a few trips to New York to do some grooming and picked up a lodge maintenance job at the nearby ski resort so  I'm able to get by.
  I've signed on for another season here and then we'll see what happens.  I have a high top van that I'm converting into a camper and would like to do a little bit more traveling.  That bucket list trip to Alaska is going to happen but it might take me a while.

Gable with our first Workamper home