Top 5 Newbie Lessons Learned About Workamping jolenemac455, September 13, 2019March 14, 2020 Mom and I were just discussing how long we have been doing this workamping thing. Turns out we have been doing it for over 6-1/2 years now. So, I thought I would relate the top 5 things this newbie learned about workamping. Some of them are good, some bad and some are just about life and taking chances. We hope you enjoy our walk down memory lane. Number 5 Lesson Learned is to make before you leave one assignment to go to another that you have filled out all their paperwork, collected all your personal items, returned ALL the materials, supplies and keys given you by the manager/volunteer coordinator. There is nothing worse than going over 100 miles away just to realize that your forgot to turn in your training manual, you left your favorite work tools in the shop or didn’t complete the last job requested prior to leaving. https://etceterasstore.jolenesbooksandmore.com/product/the-pelican-brief/ Number 4 Lesson Learned is to make sure you have enough funds to keep you going for the time period you have agreed to work. That includes emergency funds for repairs, all your bills lined up and paid in advance or able to pay online as you go and to make sure you have enough food and supplies to keep you going. We have been in a few spots that were so remote that we were unable to go into town but about every two weeks to a month to get food and supplies. We have even had to use our food funds to make repairs to get us from one assignment to the next. When volunteering at any public land area they will not provide you with food, gas, laundry services, extra refrigerator to store extra food, pay your bills or even access to the internet. Unless they state specifically that they offer these services to their volunteers you will have to locate and pay for them yourself. When the description states you must have a “SELF-CONTAINED” recreational vehicle they really mean you will provide your own shower, refrigerator, propane, and some even need you to bring your own electricity. https://swconlinestore.com/product/black-and-dark-teal-sparkles-crocheted-brioche-style-8×20-inch-hat Number 3 Lesson Learned is that if you want to volunteer your services for a year or more you will need to start looking for assignments more than a year in advance, try to get those assignments within 50 to 75 miles of each other and assigned back to back with a week or two off in between. Getting assignments all year long is really not all that hard especially if you start during the summer months. That way you can pick your assignment area and then be able to get the more plush assignments during the fall, winter and early springs months from there. Those are the ones you will probably end up in the more remote areas. We had a summer assignment at a beach state park and the fall assignment was over 300 miles a way. We ended up broken down on the side of the road almost halfway there and the RV was in the shop over 2 weeks. The fall park was extremely nice and allowed us to still come later but we didn’t plan for any emergencies or even a break between the two to be able to do maintenance and decompress. https://jbmstore.jolenesbooksandmore.com/downloads/wicca-and-the-occult Number 2 Lesson Learned is to try and visit the parks or public land areas prior to accepting assignments there. You just never know about a place until you have been there yourself, looked around, talked to the visitors and staff. You will want to go once during the week and again during the weekend. There are entirely different people coming during those times. You will want to check out how clean the park is, the bathrooms are clean and in good repair, the personnel seem friendly and helpful, etc. You can read reviews about different places on the web through RVillage.com, Workamper.com and even Work for RVers websites have some reviews and information you can use as well as quite a few of the RVing Facebook groups. Number 1 Lesson Learned about workamping is that you cannot take it too seriously folks. It is just a temporary job that you have “VOLUNTEERED” to do to help out the park, give you a great place to camp and to experience and learn about the area you are visiting. Till next time Workamping Dos and Donts Becoming a Volunteer WorkamperFlorida Public Land Areas WorkampingLearning About WorkampingLessons in WorkampingTop 5 Newbie Lessons Learned About WorkampingVolunteer WorkampingWorkamping in Florida