Madison High School was lucky enough to have Mrs. Prill, who retired at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, as a teacher for nearly 30 years. Even though she only taught in the math department, the whole school felt the effects of her kindness. Now, in her retirement, she will get to introduce her bright personality to many more as she explores the country in an RV.
Mrs. Prill and her husband, inspired by full-time RVers they knew, had been thinking of traveling across the country in a motorhome for nearly 10 years before finally making it their reality. So far, they have made quite the trek across the country, traveling from Pennsylvania to Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and finally Florida, where they are staying for the winter. And they don’t have a plan to stop anytime soon. They will continue exploring the country until they decide it’s time for a change.
Let’s hear more about life on the road from Mrs. Prill herself:
- How long had you been planning the trip before you left? What went into planning it?
We had been RVing for 12 years in a smaller motorhome and knew that we needed something a little larger to live in. We purchased our current motorhome in 2021. From there we had to downsize from a 3 bathroom/2 bedroom house of about 1700 square feet to our motorhome of about 400 square feet. That took almost 2 years to do by having yard sale after yard sale, donating items to charities, and throwing a lot out. While we were doing that we were deciding where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see.
- Was it a hard adjustment moving to this lifestyle? What do you miss most about your life in New Jersey?
It was extremely difficult to leave our son behind. He is 24 and has a great job and apartment but he is still my baby. It was also difficult leaving all of our friends. What we miss most about life in NJ are our neighbors who were more like family to us, and I miss teaching my students.
- What has surprised you most about your time living in an RV?
That we are not driving each other crazy. After 35 years together, we still enjoy spending time together. Also, how many dirt roads there are in the Midwest.
- What have been your favorite and least favorite places you’ve visited and why?
Our least favorite was Jacksonville, Florida, because where we stayed was crowded, noisy, smelly, and the people were not very friendly. Our favorite was the two weeks we spent in Vero Beach volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. We had a great time meeting so many new people and giving back to people who need a hand up.
- What is a typical day like?
There really isn’t a typical day. Each day we wake up and decide what we feel like doing that day. Some days we hang out, do laundry, clean, watch movies, or play games. Other days we go for a bike ride, a hike, or shopping. And then still other days we go sightseeing checking out all of the tourist attractions nearby.
- How have you been keeping in touch with friends and family as you are moving around so often?
Keeping in touch has been fairly easy. We started a Facebook page we called the Mothership and the Toad and posted pictures, stories, and videos quite frequently when we started, less so now that we are staying put for a few months. The name of the page comes from calling our motorhome the mothership and then we tow our car which is called a “toad” as a play on words by most RVers. So we leave and get messages on the page. Of course phone calls and texting are a big part of our communications with family and friends. We also have a spreadsheet for our son and a few close friends so they know where we are supposed to be and when in case they don’t hear from us because we don’t always have cell service or internet.
- Where are you headed next? What are you looking forward to?
In the middle of March, we will slowly travel north to Indiana where we will meet up with Ms. Carlson (another MHS teacher who recently retired) in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on April 8. I am so excited to be able to be in the path of totality. It is definitely a bucket list item. Then we will be in NJ for about 10 days. I am looking forward to seeing friends and family in April. The trip I am looking forward to most is our trip to Alaska. We postponed it to the summer of 2025 so friends could join us on that once-in-a-lifetime adventure through the mountains of Canada and Alaska.
- Do you have any advice for others thinking of following in your footsteps?
Make sure you like to RV. We always recommend renting one first before buying one to anyone who asks. Plan. Decide if you can keep your residence and travel for months at a time or if selling your residence makes the most financial sense. Anyone can do this; there is no need to wait until retirement. More and more younger people are RVing and working remotely from some beautiful locations. We’ve also met a bunch of single RVers. I’m not sure I could do it, but they love it.