Coddiwompling with Kristy Halverson
Kristy Halverson at Deception Pass in Washington State.
We’re joined by author and full-time RVer Kristy Halverson, who made the bold decision to leave behind a more conventional way of life and make her Airstream, Coddi, her home. The name comes from “coddiwompling,” meaning to travel purposefully toward an unknown or vague destination, and it perfectly reflects a journey that has taken Kristy far beyond simply exploring North America.
Her first book, Perfect Unfolding, chronicles one year of life on the road, from May to May. This is not a typical RV travel story. While the miles, destinations, campgrounds, and adventures are part of the experience—including her time exploring the Pacific Northwest and the beautiful landscapes of Oregon—the deeper narrative emerges when travel creates space for reflection and inner discovery.
Kristy speaks openly about love, loss, identity, starting over, and what it means to give yourself permission to live life on your own terms. Her story is intimate, honest, and at times raw.
Full-time RV living brings unexpected clarity when you are no longer just passing through places, but using the journey to better understand yourself.
That is the focus of this conversation.
For anyone who has dreamed of selling everything, hitting the road, living in an Airstream, or simply choosing a different path through life, Kristy’s story offers plenty to reflect on. This is a conversation about RV travel, full-time RV living, and the unexpected places the road can lead, both physically and emotionally.
Hit play and join us for a conversation about the journey behind the journey with Kristy Halverson, author of Perfect Unfolding.
Follow Kristy on Instagram at @Kristy.Halverson and learn more about her story and life on the road.
SHOW NOTES
Full-Time RV Living, Airstream Life & Finding Your Own North with Kristy Halverson
What if the life you were waiting for was never meant to begin “someday”?
In this episode of RV Out West, Brooks sits down with author and full-time RVer Kristy Halverson, who has spent nearly nine years living and traveling in her Airstream, Coddi. Her story goes far beyond RV travel and seeing new places. It is a conversation about leaving behind expectations, embracing uncertainty, finding yourself on the road, and learning to trust where life takes you.
Kristy's first book, Perfect Unfolding, chronicles one transformative year of her life on the road. Written from her personal journal, the book combines RV travel, adventure, relationships, self-discovery, and the lessons she learned while traveling across North America.
In This Episode
Kristy shares what life looked like before becoming a full-time RVer, including her career as a firefighter and paramedic and how that experience taught her one of life's most valuable lessons: you can figure things out even when you have no idea what you're doing.
We talk about:
Why Kristy decided not to wait until retirement to pursue the life she wanted
The health scares that became a wake-up call in her early 30s
Why she chose an Airstream for full-time RV living
How she transformed her Airstream into an off-grid home
Living on approximately three gallons of water per day
Seven hundred watts of rooftop solar plus additional portable solar
Boondocking and spending weeks at a time away from campgrounds
The unexpected kindness of strangers on the road
A dramatic recovery involving her Airstream, a RAM 2500 and a passing truck driver
The life-changing experience that happened while camping alone in New Mexico
How a sunset, a petroglyph and a chance encounter changed the way Kristy viewed her past
Why the Pacific Northwest captured her heart
Her love for Bend, Oregon
RV travel along the Oregon Coast and Washington Coast
Deception Pass and the Anacortes area
Sno-parks and high-elevation camping in the Pacific Northwest
Why Kristy believes everyone should have a season of “coddiwompling”
How her travels eventually became the inspiration for Perfect Unfolding
Why the book is written like a journal rather than a traditional travel memoir
The approximately 150 RV and travel questions woven into the book
What “perfect unfolding” means and why it became the book's title
How travel changed Kristy's definition of success
Why she believes home isn't a building or a destination
What it means to follow the “tickles of your soul”
Why she believes you don't need an RV to live a more adventurous life
What's next for Kristy and her Airstream
The Moment Everything Changed
One of the most powerful stories Kristy shares happened during her first year of solo RV travel.
While camping in New Mexico, she headed toward a petroglyph site near sunset. A chance conversation with a stranger delayed her hike, ultimately leading her to the top of a hill just as the sun was setting.
There, surrounded by mountains and an incredible 360-degree view, Kristy experienced a profound realization about her life, her previous relationship and the chain of events that had brought her to that exact moment.
That experience became a defining moment in her understanding of what she calls the “perfect unfolding” of life.
RVing the Pacific Northwest
Kristy's first extended experience in the Pacific Northwest came after a friend invited her to visit Bend, Oregon.
What was supposed to be a short stop turned into months of exploring Oregon and Washington.
Kristy talks about why Bend became one of her favorite places in the country, particularly for outdoor recreation, hiking, biking, boondocking and access to dramatically different landscapes.
She also shares memories of traveling the Oregon Coast, exploring coastal Washington, spending time around Anacortes and Deception Pass, and discovering Sno-park camping in the mountains near Walla Walla.
For RVers who love outdoor adventure, dispersed camping and exploring the Pacific Northwest, this part of the conversation is packed with inspiration.
Explore Bend, Oregon:Visit Oregon - Bend
Explore Deception Pass State Park:Washington State Parks - Deception Pass
Explore Walla Walla:Visit Walla Walla
About Perfect Unfolding
Perfect Unfolding is Kristy's deeply personal account of life on the road.
The book grew out of a journal she kept during her travels, capturing the everyday moments, adventures, relationships, struggles and realizations that shaped her journey.
Rather than a traditional travel memoir, the book weaves together RV travel, personal growth, relationships, adventure and approximately 150 RV and travel-related questions.
Learn more about Perfect Unfolding and get the book:Perfect Unfolding - Kristy Halvorsen
Perfect Unfolding Media Kit:Perfect Unfolding Media Kit
What Does “Coddiwompling” Mean?
Kristy's Airstream is named Coddi, short for “coddiwompling,” a word she uses to describe traveling purposefully toward an unknown destination.
But during this conversation, it becomes clear that coddiwompling is about much more than RV travel.
For Kristy, it has become a way of approaching life: letting go of rigid plans, following your instincts and allowing the next step to reveal itself.
She believes everyone should have a season of wandering, whether that happens in an RV, on foot, on a motorcycle or simply by taking a different path through everyday life.
Kristy's Definition of Success
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation is how Kristy's definition of success has changed.
After earning a master's degree in engineering and pursuing the traditional markers of success, she eventually realized that financial success, job titles, possessions and conventional expectations weren't what made her feel fulfilled.
Today, she describes success as peace, contentment, joy, love and having the freedom to live authentically.
Her advice?
Listen to those “tickles of your soul.”
A Passage from Perfect Unfolding
Kristy reads one of her favorite passages from the book, describing a brief encounter with a stranger at a stoplight in North Carolina.
The man notices her Airstream and asks where she is headed.
Her answer is simple:
North.
The encounter becomes a reflection on how many of us have a direction we long to pursue but are afraid to follow.
Later in the episode, Brooks shares one of his favorite passages from the book about how we can slowly lose ourselves when we become slaves to habit, choose safety over passion and stop embracing curiosity and wonder.
What's Next for Kristy?
At the time of this conversation, Kristy was traveling from New Hampshire back toward the West, with book events planned in Minnesota and North Dakota and an upcoming Airstream rally at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in October.
She also hinted at something unexpected: after nearly nine years of wandering, she may be ready to put down some roots in New Hampshire.
But, as Kristy explains, once you've learned to “coddiwomple,” you never really stop.
Connect With Kristy
Kristy Halvorsen:Kristy Halvorsen's Website
Perfect Unfolding:Perfect Unfolding
Kristy's Instagram:@Kristy.Halvorsen
Scenic Washington
This episode of RV Out West is sponsored by Scenic Washington.
Scenic Washington is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, promoting, and enhancing Washington State's 29 Scenic Byways. Through free travel guides, maps, and trip-planning resources, Scenic Washington inspires travelers to explore the state's most beautiful roads, charming communities, and unforgettable landscapes.
Get their FREE Scenic Byways Guidebook & Map
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Coming Up Next
Next week, we're heading to the maritime town of La Conner, Washington, for a special destination episode covering what to see and do, where to camp and why this small Washington town deserves a spot on your RV travel list.
Podcast Episode Transcript (EP210):
Coddiwompling with Kristy Halverson
Brooks, Host The nomadic life looks like freedom to many of us. But what happens when the road collides with family, friendships, relationships, and the life you left behind? Because chasing the American Dream on four wheels comes with a few plot twists. And this conversation goes way deeper than where you park next. Welcome to RV Out West. I'm your host, Brooks. My family of four is. Base camp is located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and our RV adventures radiate out from there. Please grab a mug of coffee and join us as we discuss our RVing around the American West from sweet camping spots. Gear and equipment to tips and tricks, we've got you covered. We are RV out west with five decades of living in my rear view. As I travel along the parabola of life, I've been fortunate to have some rather incredible experiences and witnessed some amazing and beautiful places on this planet. I cannot begin to express how deep my wanderlust really is. The seduction of the siren songs carrying itself through the wind challenges me in ways that create friction, like two slow moving tectonic plates between the comfortable life we've worked so hard to build, and my gypsy soul that craves a life of shoddy waffling. That is a word that I've only just learned of in the last three months. It means to travel purposefully towards unknown destinations. Our guest today is author Kristi Halvorson, a full time RV who made the bold decision to call her Airstream Cottee home. That name is short for Cottee wobbling, which feels like a fitting description for the journey Kristi has taken both on the road and in life. Her first book, Perfect Unfolding, follows one year of her life from May to May as she travels across North America. But this isn't simply a story about the places she visited or the miles she traveled along the way. Christy turns the lens inward, exploring her own story, what it means to love, and what happens when you finally give yourself permission to live life on your terms. It's intimate, honest, and at times raw. And today, we're going to dig into the journey behind the journey. I just want to say, you can also follow Christy on Instagram at Christy dot Halvorson. H a l v e r s o n. Christy, welcome to RV Out West and thank you so much for joining us.
Kristy Halverson, Guest I'm excited to be here. Can't wait to see where we head.
Brooks, Host Excellent. Me too. Who was Christy before life on the road. What did she look like?
Kristy Halverson, Guest You know, I've. I think that Christy was adventurous. I mean, I was a firefighter, paramedic, and beyond helping people. That's why a lot of us get into it. Because we we love, uh, the everyday adventures of having no idea what's going to happen at work. And I did love to travel, although I hadn't really traveled all that much. Uh, I liked not knowing what I was going to do at work, and yet I lived the normal life I had. You know, I bought the three bed, two bath house in my twenties. And because that's what you're supposed to do and, you know, plan my days and plan my vacations and rode bicycles and planned those rides like I was very much a planner. And that's not how I live now.
Brooks, Host Which is wonderful. But looking back now, your career as a firefighter and paramedic. What did that teach you about yourself?
Kristy Halverson, Guest I think one of the biggest things I learned, maybe not so much about myself, but just about life, was you can always figure it out because a lot of times we show up on scenes, whether it's a car accident or a fire or a medical call, and we do a lot of training. But so often we do show up on scenes and we're like, we have never seen this before and we've never trained for it. And let's just get to work and we just try stuff and eventually it always works out. And so I think that's one of the biggest things I learned from that career is it's a little quote. It's in the book is I learned that the seat of my pants has wings. You know, you hear that saying, you know, you're flying by the seat of your pants. Yes, I am, and it's going to work out. And then I think it also gave me the confidence to know that I can figure things out, which is helpful, living the way I do, mostly off grid by myself in the wilderness when things break or I get lost or, you know, I pull my rig somewhere I shouldn't have, and now I have to get it out by myself. I don't just give up and wish I had somebody to help. Now, often I wish I had somebody to help, but that's beside the point. I think the career of being a firefighter paramedic gave me the skill of just saying, you know, I don't know how it's going to work out, but I know I can do this. And two surprises happen. As you've read in the book, people just show up at the perfect times. And so there's been times where I am truly stuck and then the perfect person just arrives. So that too.
Brooks, Host I remember reading in the book and we'll get into the book later on in the episode, but a particular story you were sharing about how you almost ended up off of a like, I don't want to say a cliff that sounds a little too dramatic, but you were, you know, up in northeastern Canada and you were stuck and somebody random with a ram two thousand five hundred came by and helped pull you out and get you back on.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Within minutes and a semi truck driver blocked the highway. It was a two lane highway and I was in my. My trailer was still in the lane right at the crest of a hill. Really bad spot. So instantly a semi truck driver pulled behind me and blocked traffic. And within about three minutes, the guy with the truck and the perfect knowledge and tow chains just arrived. It was. It was incredible.
Brooks, Host So going back to your life pre what you are, how you're choosing to live your life now, was there any sort of definitive moment that you realized your life was about to take a different direction?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Well, there was a moment when I chose to, to take the different direction. And, and that was just I, I had some really major health issues come up in my early thirties. And my dream was to travel and, you know, live similarly to the way I do now when I retired and, and I had a scare, two of them. And in my early thirties, I just said, I don't know if I'm going to make it to retirement. And if I do make it, I don't know if I'm going to be able to do the things I want to do hike, bike, kayak, adventure. So that was it. That was just that was the wake up call of saying, why am I going to wait for something? I don't know if it's ever going to happen. Why don't I just live that life now?
Brooks, Host And that's so true. I look at my father, worked his entire life and had an incredible career as a veterinarian and, you know, built an incredible practice. And by the time he sold the practice and was able to retire, I'm going to say the wheels on the body of the bus started to fall apart.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Yeah.
Brooks, Host Well, that leap that you talked about led into the unknown, eventually leading you to an Airstream. And from there, a journey that would change far more than your address. First things first, tell me about your Airstream, because I have I just love them and I don't own one, but I will. So I'm always curious about the Airstream people chose and why. So tell me about your Airstream.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Katie is the name of my Airstream. She's twenty five years old and twenty eight feet long, custom remodeled. And I wasn't the one that did most of the remodeling she was lived in before me by another couple that lived full time for three and a half years. So fun fact Katie's been on the road full time. Calling me or them around for for for over twelve years. It's two hundred square feet of living space and I have everything I need shower, oven, stove, you know, bathroom, seat, kitchen sink. I actually have two queen beds. One can pull back into a love seat and I have two office spaces. One I'm sitting at now, which serves as the kind of a breakfast table. There's a desk on a piano hinge in the back room that can serve as another office. So it's, it's an incredible home to live in. And, and what allows me to live the way I do is the off grid upgrades. So it took me about a year to realize I really dislike campgrounds, so nothing against those that love campgrounds, but I don't. I want to be out in the desert or the forest or the mountains by myself or with a few friends. And so I, I've outfitted it with, um, seven hundred watts of solar on the roof, and then another two hundred watts I can put in the yard if I parked in the shade or need more power. I've got a composting toilet, I've got sixty gallons of fresh water. So I can make it about three weeks on that. And that's drinking water and everything. That's the part of county that's special, that allows me to, you know, migrate with the seasons, not ever have to worry about plugging in if I don't feel like it.
Brooks, Host But how many gallons of water are you living on a day?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Well, if you do the math, Cardi holds sixty and I can make it three weeks. So I that's living everything, drinking water, everything with about three gallons per day. In the book, I share how I do that and I have a special way of washing dishes and I, by the way, I, since I'm not. Since I'm way off grid, I don't have access to laundry facilities, so I've learned to make it about a month between going in and doing laundry. So I like to stay clean. So I do take daily showers. That's included in the three gallons. So it's, it's actually miraculous. And it took me a few years to perfect living like that. But it's wild when you live the way I do, which is go off grid as long as you can. Water is the one resource I have to really watch carefully.
Brooks, Host That is crazy. So why did you choose an Airstream instead of any of the other RVs that are out there on the market and available to anybody? What was it about an Airstream for you?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Well, I did a bunch of research when I first had this idea. I wanted something that would last. And I found that most other RVs wear out, especially if you're living in them full time, just regular camping. They often wear out in ten or fifteen years, but living full time, they'll wear out much sooner, and I don't I didn't want to have to think about getting a new RV every ten or fifteen years. I wanted something that was going to outlive me And my research showed it was that or some fiberglass trailers. And the fiberglass trailers were smaller. And there was two of us on this journey planned to be two of us. So we wanted something large enough for full time living for two people. The only answer from what we found was Airstream. And then on top of that, the second reason is because I run my business from the road. I wanted to have a way to write off a home office, and I did a bunch of research into that. The only way you can write off a home office in an RV is if you have a solid closing door. So you can't have a curtain, you can't have a desk without. It has to be a room. So that back room with the piano hinge and the queen bed that turns into a love seat, that is my twenty seven percent write off. So every ounce of propane, every thing I spend on tires or maintenance or you name it, twenty seven percent is a write off for my business. So that was another big reason Airstream is customizable and I could make that space.
Brooks, Host That is so cool. How long have you been living this way?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Now I'm pushing nine years. So I'm just a couple of months away from my nine year anniversary.
Brooks, Host And what has surprised you the most about traveling this way?
Kristy Halverson, Guest I think for me, one is all the big Aha's I've had out in nature by myself. You know, you asked about my previous life and I wasn't very woo woo. Do you want to call that? I wasn't super spiritual, but being on this journey and living the way I have. Being out in nature, I've had the quintessential experience of a modern day walkabout and just having just almost like downloads from the universe and falling in love with nature and God and all that and, and seeing truths about me and how life works. So that's one. And then the other part, which I feel is directly related, is the depth of connection with other people that I've met. And as you can see in the book, like there's people I know for five minutes in, and there's a depth of connection that often, you know, in my quote, previous life would have taken weeks, if not years. And I just fall into this deep connection and have friendships that last a lifetime off of people I just randomly meet. And so it's those two things. And I, and I also feel the related.
Brooks, Host Can you share one of those particular kind of aha moments where you were out in nature that just kind of like a lightning bolt just electrified you in some way, shape or form?
Kristy Halverson, Guest You know, the first year of my journey was really tough because one, I didn't want to do this by myself. And I was I had broken up with my previous boyfriend and set out alone to I, I was trying to figure out how I like to live. And I was in New Mexico. This was about six months in. So six months from when I hit the road and I was just camping in the wilderness in New Mexico and there was a petroglyph area nearby. It was quite a ride down a dirt road. And it wasn't just down, you know, five minutes away. So I, it was a, it was a journey to get there. And I got there and this gentleman in the parking lot kept talking to me and I went after work. It was just before sunset, and he just kept talking and talking. And I realized, maybe I'm not going to see the petroglyphs today. And then finally we stopped talking and it was it was sunset. And I just grabbed a headlamp and said, you know, it was a quite a long hike to the top of this, this hill where the petroglyphs were. And I decided, well, I'll get as far as I can. And I took my headlamp. The sunsets in New Mexico were just beyond anything you can describe. And, and I actually ended up making it to the top of the hill. And I had a three hundred and sixty degree view of sunsets in every direction, the major sunsets to the west, but just the colors, and then also three hundred and sixty degrees of mountains in every direction. It was like I was in a bowl, and I just was touched by the realization that if that man hadn't stopped me and we hadn't talked for half an hour, forty five minutes in the parking lot, I would have scooted up to the top and tried to get back before it was dark. And here I was enjoying one of the most incredible experiences I'd ever experienced. And then I saw this place to sit. There was like a boulder, a flat boulder with another boulder behind it. It was almost like stadium seating pointing west. And I sat down and I just felt so lonely. I was like, this is beautiful. But again, I don't want to be by myself. And I turned to my right, and there was a little petroglyph man right next to me, and I said, oh, I'm not alone. I'm with this guy. And then I realized, if I'm right handed and I turned, where I was sitting is exactly where whoever drew that thousands of years ago would have sat. And then I just felt so connected with whoever sat there. And then I was realizing all the people from all walks of life that must have sat in this spot to watch this beautiful, incredible sunset. And I just started feeling so connected with everything and everyone. And then this is the kicker. This is the blow the doors off kicker. I realized that man had to talk to me in the parking lot for me to have this experience. And then I realized my past boyfriend, Wade, had to leave so that I could be here by myself and have this experience. And I was kind of angry with Wade. And at that moment, I became so grateful, so thankful that I just started crying. And I was like, thank you, Wade, for freeing both of us and for allowing me to be here in this moment. And then it just it felt like an explosion that just kept getting bigger. Like boom, boom, boom. And I was realizing that everything that ever happened in my life had to happen for me to sit there. And then I realized how big it was. Everything that ever happened forever to anyone, like if, if, if the Romans wouldn't have had a war in a certain time and place, I wouldn't be here. And I probably wouldn't. I wouldn't be sitting here. And so everything, everything, everything has to happen and everything is the perfect unfolding, even if we don't understand it at the moment. Because until that moment, I was hating that Wade and I had broken up. I had had anger for him for doing that. And in that moment, that all vanished and it went to complete gratefulness. And then that has carried on the rest of my journey to realize everywhere and everything that's ever happening, even if it seems really bad and really painful. Deep down, I know this is part of the grand unfolding of life. And even if I don't understand it now, there will likely be a point when I can see why this is happening. And so that's just that moment in March of twenty eighteen, changed my whole life and changed my whole journey.
Brooks, Host That really is quite a catalyst to have that experience. Yeah. I've always been fascinated by the places that end up shaping us. Sometimes it's not the destination we planned for, but one that quietly changes the way we see the world. I'm curious where the journey took you and what made this corner up here in the upper left so memorable. What first drew you here to the Pacific Northwest?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Well, I'm so glad you asked because shortly after that experience in March of eighteen, I want to say it was that summer. I, you know, I made it to California and I'd always wanted to go to the Pacific Northwest and then continue up into Canada. And one of my friends was following my journey on Facebook and he said, hey, I can see you're headed north. We're in bend, Oregon. Come visit. And I hadn't seen him since high school, which was, I don't even know, twenty something years before. And so I said, okay, well, that's I was planning to go up the coast, but I'm like, sure, I'll shut off the bend and I plan to just stay a couple of nights. I fell in love with bend and then the whole Pacific Northwest and in fact, my destination because I usually go to Canada in the summer just to escape a little bit more of the heat because I live off grid. And so I plan to go up through the Pacific Northwest and into Canada for the summer. And I spent those ended up being about three days in bend and just outside adventuring, you name it. I was doing it for those three days straight. And then I left and my heart was just like, I'm following my plans. Like I wasn't a full on Cody Wampler at that point. I, I had plans and I was sticking with them and I eventually made it to Canada, went to Vancouver Island and I was on the island about three weeks and it was beautiful and all, but my heart was just like, what am I doing up here? And so I turned around, I caught the ferry that goes back to the Olympic Peninsula, and I, I went back and I spent the entire summer in the Pacific Northwest, most of that in bend. But I went up the coast in Washington State. I just fell in love with the whole area. So. So that was my first foray in RVing, the Pacific Northwest. And I literally just fell in love. I ended up I remember spending Halloween there. I remember going to a little Halloween get together and I think I, I left in early November, but I, I literally was just passing through and I ended up, it caught me and kept me for about half a year.
Brooks, Host Bend is an incredible place to base camp. It really. I mean, if they're from. Were there places specifically that really exceeded your expectations?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Even though I did meander all around, bend stole my heart and I ended up spending. I mean, it was my base camp for pretty much the entire time I was in Washington state for a little bit on the coast for several weeks, maybe close to a month. But I would say of all the places bend stole my heart because it's exactly what you just said. I'd never been to a place where if you love like outdoor activities. Literally everyone, including surfing you can do in that area of bend and sisters and and the National forest around. And if you like boondocking you're it's just free free range living. You know, you need to move every couple weeks unless you find a private property that somebody would invite you on, which I end up doing. I stayed like a month and a half on private property. But other than that, I mean, so what you need to move, you're just going to move to somewhere else even more beautiful, right? So so yeah, so it's exactly what you said. So Ben stole my heart. And then when you go from the high desert of central Oregon and then, you know, you drive for half a day and you're in in like a coastal slash rainforest best place, you know, in Washington state. And it's just, you know, and I love the diversity there. And I've also, you know, I've also traveled up into Idaho and I've done more of the northern slash, uh, eastern Oregon, so you name it. I've been been all over the area and it's one of my favorite places on the planet.
Brooks, Host Well, let me ask you this then, because we've talked about Ben, but do you have a favorite coastal destination?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Ah, it's hard to say because I love the Oregon coast. And again, oh my goodness, that drive you just can't beat just heading up. And you can spend you can spend weeks going up to Oregon Coast just staying places. And then I also really love the almost like quiet tranquility of, of the coastal Washington area. Like I said around that Anacortes area. And I think Deception Pass is that the name of the park.
Brooks, Host On the north end of Whidbey Island like that, a little bit south from Anacortes and you go across that amazing bridge.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Oh my gosh. Yes. Like that area is one of my other favorites. And you know, I, I have a knee injury. So I, you know, I can't do like snow skiing and stuff like that, but I, I love to bike and hike And and I remember that area specifically because it is a slower paced kind of small town, lots of two lane country roads like and great hiking. Like I could just park my Airstream, find a spot and be in heaven for for weeks biking and hiking and just exploring that area too. So it's just yeah, beautiful.
Brooks, Host Well, let me ask you this. And I, I know, you know, you do primarily boondocking and off grid camping. So when I use the term campground, I'm using that very loosely. But is there any kind of campground that you recommend in that Pacific Northwest area? And whether it's bend or near Anacortes or along the Oregon coast or other places we've talked about or a place we haven't talked about, is there one that you kind of has resonated with you?
Kristy Halverson, Guest You know, it's interesting because I, I'm remembering back, you know, it's been many, many years in many visits. One campground I remember staying in was near the dunes. Like there's a Dune National Park or National Seashore.
Brooks, Host The Oregon dunes down near Florence, Oregon.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Dunes. Yes. So I camped there in that campground, and that was beautiful because it's, again, the landscape. You're like monster sand dunes, like, of course.
Brooks, Host Next to the ocean. Why wouldn't you.
Kristy Halverson, Guest You know? Right. Exactly. So I remember staying there because again, it was a nice, quiet area. And I just remember walking those dunes and, and, you know, exploring that aspect of the. So I remember staying there and that was a really nice place to camp. But something that surprised me, which I found in the Pacific Northwest. This is what introduced me to Sno-park camping, because I'd never even fathomed that was a thing. So there I stayed in snow parks in the in the bend area and this was not in eighteen. This is on my future journeys back. And then I also stayed in a really cool place, which was a snow park, but had access to so many trails and, and, and places to see near Walla Walla. If I like again, I've been so many places. So it's a miracle that I'm remembering this by like closing my eyes and remembering. I left Walla Walla and I went south. And then I went east into.
Brooks, Host The Blue.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Mountains.
Brooks, Host Southeast area of the Blue Mountains. Yeah.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Yes. And then I and I found the snow park and there was no one there. It was in the summertime. And another reason is I went there because there was a heat wave coming and I couldn't stay low or I would die of heat exhaustion. So I just found a really high spot, which was a snow park, you know, in the Green Mountains. And it was beautiful. And, and I took day trips, day trips back down into Walla Walla, into the valley. And it was sweltering like dying of heat exhaustion hot. And then I would get to drive my truck back up to my little Airstream home on the mountain and sleep in, you know, forty and fifty degree nights. And it was just like, where on earth can you do this? Where you can be in the desert, sweltering in ninety degree heat in the daytime and you're you're up with a jacket on at night. You know.
Brooks, Host Sometimes, you know, we don't realize that we're living a story until we have enough distance to look back on it. And it sounds like your time on the road was becoming something much bigger than the trip itself.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Oh, yeah.
Brooks, Host At what point did you realize that all of these experiences you were having deserved a book?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Um, that was, uh, December of twenty three. I remember just one day saying specifically about that the, the year that it just happened. I remember thinking if a novelist was trying to invent a story that would be a bestseller one day, combining like incredible adventures that nobody would believe and just life transformation out of this world. I doubt a novelist could have imagined what had happened to me. And it was in December of twenty three. People have been begging me to write a book since around twenty eighteen. Like my friends and family, you know, I would write newsletters and blogs and share on Facebook and Instagram. People were like, write a book, write a book. And I was just like, so cool. I have a nice, interesting life. I don't I don't know what the plot would be. I don't know what the book would be about other than I go to cool places. But December of twenty three is when I said, I gotta write a book like I have to. And, and so that's when the book journey began.
Brooks, Host And what does the title Perfect Unfolding mean to you?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Well, it means that no matter what is happening, the ups, the downs, the the horrendous times, whether we're full of grief or sadness or anger, you name it, just the times we're just, you know, you you want to wave a white flag and give up. I this journey has taught me that even in those times. We are living in the midst of a perfect unfolding. And that that has given me so much solace and so much, um, kind of courage and strength to continue on even when things get tough. And, and so I, I'd been sharing that over and over again for many years. And so when I realized I needed to write a book, it was just no choice but to make that the title. Because I feel like if all of us knew that to the depth of just, it's a part of our soul, like it's in our bones, I think everyone's life would be different. The hard times would still be hard. There would still be tears and strife, but there would be an underlying sense of hope and sense of. And this too is part of the unfolding. And this is just part of the journey.
Brooks, Host You know, it's interesting you say that because, you know, publishing a book means you're letting people into your thoughts, you know? Was that intimidating to think about?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Not really. Um, but I can tell you what, there was a point when I, when I really was wondering if I should publish the book in the form that it's in now, because I thankfully had been writing a journal for that year and that that was another gift that came from the journey. A lady I met in Quebec begged me to keep a journal, and I did. And then that's what turned into the book. Um, but the journal, I wrote it just for me, for no one else's eyes. And so there was really, really intimate secrets and details I never would have shared with anyone. And my editor, thankfully said, put everything in the book. Let me cut. So I did, and he, he left some of the most both embarrassing and personal parts. And, um, and he encouraged me and I fought back. I said, I can't put that in a book for everyone in the world to read. and he said, no, most people are too scared to. To put it out. And this is what people both want to read and need to read. Do it. And so it was interesting because while journaling, I didn't think it was going to be public knowledge, but that transition into saying, oh my gosh, I'm going to share this with the world. That was tough. And then when the book first came out, my heart was I was nervous about what people would think if I would be judged, if I would, you know, disrupt what, you know, I didn't know what was going to happen. But after the book came out a few weeks after and all the people, even people just writing me on Instagram, thanking me for sharing the way I did and how much it changed their lives, I realized it was all worth it. But yeah, I er, I er my laundry in this book because it's written straight from my journal.
Brooks, Host You do. And what's really interesting about it, which I really appreciated when I read the book, is that it's not chapters, it is, it's covered like you would if I was reading somebody's journal. And so it's not like, oh, chapter one. Let me tell you about this particular adventure or this or that. It is very much, you know, daily thoughts that you have jotted down and. And then you kind of come back to a bunch of pages later and it ties back in to. Relationships, experiences, wisdom stories about adventure, places you saw. And so there's this way that the book just kind of interweaves and has this interconnectedness throughout the pages, which is great.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Yeah. Yeah. And another little tidbit in there is, um, I have, I've, over the years, I have a lot of people asking me for advice, specifically our viewers saying, what do you do about this? And how do you find this? And where, where do I go to learn this? And so I, and yeah, this book's written for my journal, but I also put a, put a, like a all points bulletin out to everybody I could find and said, ask me anything. And so they did. So there's about one hundred and fifty RV slash travel related questions that I. Most of them hid in to the story like you wouldn't know. It's a question. And some of them I blatantly asked. I show the question and give the answer. But you don't have to be an RV or a traveler to enjoy this journey. But if you are, there's so many tips and you know how I live this life and how you can too.
Brooks, Host And what do you hope people feel after turning the last page of the book?
Kristy Halverson, Guest The biggest thing I hope they feel is to know. Without a doubt, they already have the permission and they can absolutely live the life that's calling them, no matter how crazy or off the beaten path or risky it may seem. That's what I want people to know, is you can follow your heart and live the life that's calling you, and you don't have to wait to do it, because that's the biggest lesson I've learned. And I just think if we all knew that and we. If we could all live from that, the whole world would be a different place and people would be a lot more content, stress free, happy, loving, caring, adventurous. So that's what I want people to know. They can live the life that's calling.
Brooks, Host We've covered a lot already from Christie's life on the road, hearing about what her life was as a firefighter before she hit the road, why she chose to live in an Airstream, and what parts of the Pacific Northwest resonated with her and ultimately pulled her in for a longer stay. When we return, we discuss the concept of home, how travel has changed her, and why everyone should have a season of Cody waffling. Stay with us. I'm Brooks and you're listening to RV Out West. But first, a word from our sponsor, Scenic Washington. You can learn more about them at scenic dot com. Discover all twenty nine of Washington State's scenic byways, with Scenic Washington's twenty twenty six guidebook and map packed with route details and must see stops. Best of all, it's free. Pick up one at visitor centers all across the state or at scenic wa dot com. You can also click the link right there in this episode's podcast description. So order yours today. What are you waiting for? Start planning your next adventure. Welcome back to RV Out West. I'm your host, Brooks. Let's get right back into our conversation with Christie, author of the book The Perfect Unfolding.
Speaker 3 So after everything that you have experienced over the course of these last nine years, as well as kind of that big chapter of life that was pre nine years of.
Brooks, Host You know, decades of growth, learning and wisdom. What does home mean to you today?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Home is a space within. It's home to me now is who we are. Like I used to think home was, you know, a building, four walls. Um, even when I transitioned into living in my Airstream caddy, you know, home was, you know, aluminum and four wheels. But that was another big aha that came, um, through this journey is realizing home is everywhere. There's, there's not a place I go now everywhere I go feels like home. And what I've noticed is because of that, I feel like the depth of connection of people with people is different now. and as a as a solo female, I've been blown away by the kindness of strangers, and I. I say solo female because I've had people say, if you were with anyone else or you wouldn't have weren't a woman, we probably wouldn't have invited you in our house. But because you're by yourself and a woman, come on in. So I get invited into people's homes, um, whether that's houses or RVs or go on adventures to go on ventures with them. And, and I literally, I've walked into so many homes, so many houses and RVs through the nine years. And I just, it feels like home to me. And I think without saying it, people feel how I they feel the difference in me and like I'm going. I'm washing dishes and going through the cupboards like I live there and I just feel comfortable in my skin with wherever I'm at and with whoever I'm with and the depth of connection that comes from that feeling. And that space is just mind blowing for both the people I'm with and for me too, and I. And that all stems back to knowing I'm forever and always home right where I am. And home isn't a a destination or a building. It's. It's a different way of seeing life and myself.
Brooks, Host So if you could sit down with that version of yourself before you bought this Airstream, what would you tell her?
Kristy Halverson, Guest You know, one, I would tell her she can do it and don't doubt because, you know, the book starts off with the story of how I almost didn't go on this journey because I didn't think I could do it by myself. So if I could go back way even before that, you know, there was so much doubt through everything. And it was almost like life was like, no, we're doing this. And so it, it gave me the perfect Airstream. It gave me a crazy deal on the perfect truck. It gave me everything I needed, but I was still doubting. And so if I could go back to me when I. When this dream first popped, which was in twenty fifteen, I would tell that person like, hold on tight, your life is going to change in ways you can't even imagine and go for it. No need to fear. No need to worry. Just jump in. Dive into the unknown. Take a trip and see where you end up. And it would have saved me a whole lot of strife for years. Until I saw that on my own. And that to me is the message I'd want to tell everybody that has any kind of dream. It doesn't even need to be in an RV. Just what if somebody told you that before you, before you even set out?
Brooks, Host Right.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Yeah.
Brooks, Host So on that note, how has travel changed the way you measure success?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Mhm. Wow. That's a that's a big it is. Most of us are taught what success looks like. It's a good job that pays your bills and more. It's the quote, American Dream. It's it's owning a house and a nice car and having two point three kids and a pet, you know, and getting married. And it's all that and nothing against any of those things. But to me, success is a totally different flavor of living than it was back when I believed all that I'd been taught, you know? And part of what we're taught is you go to college, like you got to go to college so you can get a degree, so you can get the job that will pay for the all the stuff I just said. And that is success. Me going from, you know, spending what, seven years in school, getting a master's in engineering and then working in the field for less than a year before I jumped ship and went to a job I could have done with a college, I mean, with a high school diploma, and then feeling the sense of joy of going to that job every day. You know, I realized the success even then, in my twenties, I realized the success story was different than it. It looks different than it actually is. But when I hit the road, like now, through all these experiences of just being on this walkabout, I've realized that success is nothing to do with your finances. It has nothing to do with any kind of stature or degree or job title. It has nothing to do with the house you live in or the car you drive, or you name it. It has everything to do with living in a space of peace and contentment and joy and love. And to me, that comes from following what I like to call the tickles of my soul. And that's just a really nice poetic way of saying following your instincts, your gut, your heart, whatever you want to call that. Whereas we've been taught from, you know, just growing up in modern society that we use our brain to figure out what's best. And now success, looks to me, is dropping lots of the things that I've been taught that we've all been taught, all the beliefs and expectations and judgments of modern life is letting go of that and listening to ourselves. To me, the those nudges, the, the, the desires of our heart, like those take the entire universe into consideration. They're not selfish. They are guiding us. And so that is kind of that is what I want to share with everyone is success is following that. Success is listening to the tickles of our soul and living the life that's calling, being good to people. I want to even say make a difference, but to me, you don't need to make a difference. Just living this authentic life that I'm describing will make more of a difference than you can ever imagine because everyone you meet, especially people that know you really well, will say, I don't know what's going on there, but I'll have some of that, please. So it's not so much what you're doing, it's how you're living and the freedom that comes with that. And again, you don't need to travel. You could live in one small town and never leave the boundaries of that town and live in the same freedom I'm talking about. But that is success. Having full freedom to live in that space is pure success. And it. Yeah, it's nice to have the finances to, to, to do all that. But my theory is when you, when you do that, miraculous things happen. And like me, I'm living on very little money. I, I have a business and it takes perfectly good care of me, but I fell, I've fallen into a way of life that is pure success. And I make a tiny portion of what I once did, which I thought was successful.
Brooks, Host So on that note, do you think everyone needs to have a season of Cody waffling?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Yes. We all. In fact, what I've learned is Cody waffling, which just means traveling without having any clue where you're headed. I've realized that it. It relates to all of life and. And I've told so many. There's so many people have come to me saying, I've dreamed of living in an RV. Should I do it? And I'm like, honestly, don't I say yes, but don't plan what you're doing. You know, go do it. But I, I feel like everyone should maybe even take out the RV part, but you should wander, whatever that means for you, whether it's in an RV or it's with your feet or it's on a motorcycle, I don't know. It doesn't matter. But everyone should wander for a year. And since this podcast is about RVing, yeah, get the RV and just take a year sabbatical and make no plans and see where you end up and see what you see. And to me when I did that, you know, I thought it was about k.d. lang was about travel. What I realized is it's a way of life. And so, you know, I'm actually considering next year growing some roots and, and but I will be K.D. no matter where I am the rest of my life. Because that's what I've seen is it's not once you've cattywampus in travel to me, you'll. You'll see how it relates to everything. Everything, everything in life.
Brooks, Host You mentioned roots. What do you thinking?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Well, I'm sitting in New Hampshire right now. I know you can see.
Brooks, Host The free or.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Die. I know I when I first time I visited New Hampshire, I saw that slogan. I was like, oh my gosh, yes. But, um, I never would have guessed I'd ever end up here. But I've wandered into an incredible place, an incredible opportunity. And, um, if I didn't have plans out west, you know, beginning and later in August, I would stay here. I would just start growing roots now. But I'm going to go do one more year of wandering and migrate as I normally do stay stay north this summer, and then head south in the winter. But I have a good feeling when the snow melts in New Hampshire next spring, I'm going to be back and me and Katie are going to be growing roots here.
Brooks, Host Nice. Okay, I would love to let listeners hear your voice through your own words. Is there a passage from Perfect Unfolding that feels especially meaningful to you?
Kristy Halverson, Guest There's a few. One is number three. May twenty first, highway sixty four, North Carolina. Two days after leaving the cabin, I was meandering north through North Carolina. Nice rig, a guy said through his truck window as he eyed my dust covered trailer and white RAM two thousand five hundred with a kayak strapped to the roof. We sat at a red light in a small town. Red brick buildings lined the main drag. Bright colored flower baskets hung from light posts, and the scent of yeasty bread carried by a warm breeze wafted through my open windows. Thank you, I said with a nod and a grin as I muted the mellow folk music on my radio. This connection with a stranger felt comforting after a couple of days of mountain solitude. How long have you had it? I checked, the light still red. It's been my home for seven years. Home? Wow. He smiled with his whole face, twisted his torso toward me and leaned over his center console. Are you headed to Davidson? No, I said shyly with a shake of my head. I had no idea what or where Davidson was. I was only pretty sure this was still North Carolina. Where are you headed then? The longing in his eyes made something twist beneath my ribs. North, I said, as if the word could carry both of us toward whatever we were seeking. North. The man in the truck said, softer. His head tilted a smidge. He half smiled and pressed his lips together. He was lingering at the edge of something. I felt his longing to be free. His fear of losing everything if he did what he really wanted. And his twinkle of wonder about what it might be like to let go of what he thought he was bound by. The way his eyebrows tilted up in the middle suggested that the tickle of his soul had been nudging him toward his own North. But he didn't think he could. Our eyes locked. Rumbles of idling engines filled the space between. A southbound car rolled through the intersection. The guy and I exchanged smiles as we let off our brakes and eased north.
Brooks, Host Wow. Why did you choose to share that passage with us?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Because just like everything in the book, this. This was real life. This happened. And I get goosebumps when I read that. I still do, you know, and this was what, the length of a traffic light with a guy in a truck next to me. And I could feel that he, he had a tickle of his soul. I could see it in his eyes, but he didn't think he could. And I think that guy represents so many of us. It represents me. I still fall into that, even though I've been caught waffling, and I've been living by the tickles of my soul for almost nine years, I still have times when I don't think I can do what I want for whatever reason. You know, the way this makes me emotional because I want everyone to know, like, we are all that guy in that truck sometimes, and I wish, I wish I could just take your hand and, and squeeze it a little and say, do it. Go take one step. You don't have to know how it's going to turn out. Whatever your quote, metaphorical north is like, just take one tiny step and then trust that the next step will will arrive and you'll know where to go after that. But I, I, that's what I want all of us to know deep in our bones. That's it. You know, and there's so many other passages, I almost feel like asking you what your maybe one of yours is.
Brooks, Host You know what I will do that I wasn't planning to, but I will do that. As you know, I have flagged this book so much. so. One ninety. We die slowly when we become slaves to habit. When we walk. Worn pass. Avoid new colors. Silence. Wonder when we stop speaking to strangers. Numb ourselves with screens. Or choose safety over passion to avoid emotions that make our eyes glimmer. This is dying slowly. Yes, there's a lot of great things in this book, and a lot of just wonderful stories and nuggets of wisdom, and it was just a great read. We kind of talked a little bit about what's next for you and Katie, but, you know, you had mentioned you're going to be coming out West. What are you what's some of your plans for you and Katie out west?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Well, I'm I'm heading out. I'm heading west from New Hampshire. Just about everything is west. So I've got some book events in Minnesota and then in North Dakota. And I'm not quite sure. You know, that's how I normally travel. I don't I don't usually have plans, so I'm not quite sure beyond that where I'm going to go other than I have a, um, another Airstream rally at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque in October. So between the end of August and beginning of October, I'm not sure. But those are the plans I have so far.
Brooks, Host Wonderful. Well, where can people find perfect unfolding?
Kristy Halverson, Guest Well, the easiest place is Perfect Unfolding dot com. And there's a link there to go to pretty much booksellers all over the world that are carrying it. You can find me on Instagram too. That's where I'll be. I post pictures of my journey. So it's just my name. Kristi dot Halvorson.
Brooks, Host Come to RV west dot com, check out the show notes, and get a link directly to Kristi's Instagram should you want to follow along on her adventures. But I love the idea behind the word cotty womple. And in fact, I had never heard of it until I read this book. So many of us want the destination before we're willing to begin the journey. But your story reminds us that sometimes the destination only becomes clear because we started moving. So, Christy, thank you so much for joining us here on RV Out West and sharing your story with us.
Kristy Halverson, Guest Thank you. This has been such a treat. I really appreciate your questions, your curiosity, and your wonder.
Brooks, Host For those of us who call the Pacific Northwest home, we truly are lucky to live in such a place with so much beauty that surrounds us every day. I've traveled to all fifty states. I spent a decade living chapters of my life away from this corner of the globe. After discussions with my wife, we decided to return. And perhaps like salmon, we were called home to spawn as we knew this is the place we wanted to raise our children, of which we are deep in the throes of at this moment. With that said, Christie wrote in her book and I quote, if you feel the subtle tug towards something unknown, that tickle of your soul urging you toward a life that makes no logical sense. Trust it. The most magical journeys often begin with the most uncertain first steps. End quote. Christie's book is a deeply personal and inspiring story. I recommend you give it a read. I've got links in the show notes, so please head over to RV southwest dot com to learn more about Christie and to pick up her book. All right, my friends, the conversation doesn't have to end here. If anything we talked about makes you crave more information. Head over to RV Outwest dot com and take a moment to check out the show notes. We've got links to everything we mentioned so you can dive deeper and explore more. Next Monday, we're heading to the maritime town of La Conner for a special destination episode. We're talking about the best things to see and do, where to camp, and why this little Washington town deserves a spot on your RV travel list. Smash that follow button in your podcast app so you never miss an episode. And tune in next Monday. Thanks so much for listening to RV Out West. Join us again next week. Please like and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you choose to get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. I sure would appreciate it if you left a rating or a review of the show. Special thanks to Scott Holmes Music for providing us the intro song. We Are One RV Out West can be found on Instagram and Facebook, where you can interact with us and follow along on our RV adventures around the Pacific Northwest. So get out there, explore and go see what's beyond the horizon.
