Thanks to our RV, we live in the most beautiful places on Earth when we’re on the road.

From the comfort of our Thor Gemini, we’ve gazed at Yosemite’s iconic cliffs, watched waves crash along the Pacific Coast and felt the amazing majesty of the Grand Canyon.

While we call Washington state our home, we’re really citizens of the world.

That designation feels particularly appropriate this year as our nation is in the midst of a general election, the ultimate act of citizenship. It can sometimes feel disheartening as we listen to politicians on the attack, depicting our country as broken and divided.

When you’re a dedicated RVer, that’s not the world you see. Instead, at RV stops along the way, everyone seems to get along incredibly well.

RVers are a diverse group from vastly different political beliefs, yet we can’t remember running into any ugliness in any of the places we’ve stayed over the last two years.

Instead, we generally see people at their best, striving to be friendly, accepting and kind.

Maybe that’s because everyone who takes up this lifestyle realizes that traveling in a tiny home on wheels is challenging enough -- why create any extra discord if you don’t have to?

To be a successful RVer, you must take life as it comes and remain flexible. Nowhere was this more apparent to us than in Arizona last spring, where we hunkered down during the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown.

We were “stuck” at Rancho Sedona RV Park for almost a month, watching people of all races, ages and political persuasions come and go.

All of us were in the same boat -- the only thing certain was just how uncertain everything was. And yet everyone remained calm and followed social-distancing rules laid out by the Rancho Sedona staff.

While that time was scary, we got through it. There have been other times of uncertainty when we’ve been waylaid by wildfire-driven power outages in California and mechanical issues with our RV. In each case, we’ve learned important lessons about what it means to be a citizen of the world.

Would you like to join us? These are our RVing citizenship characteristics:

We’re flexible: We know that circumstances change and that we must throw out our plans if need be.

We’re open: We are ready for new experiences as they arise.

We’re polite: We understand that other people might not agree with us politically, but that doesn’t make them villains.

We’re considerate: We remember that our neighbors live nearby and that we need to be respectful.

We’re friendly: We greet each other with kindness and offer privacy to those who prefer to be left alone.

We’re helpful: If someone has a question or concern, we do our best to assist.

We’re accepting: All religions, sexual orientations and races are welcome in our world.

We’re generous: We share when we see others in need.

If you can embrace this way of life, you’ll find that the RV lifestyle is incredibly rewarding, delivering you to some of the world’s most amazing places.

We’re looking ahead to fall, with more exciting places to visit in the West. And we’ll be traveling in the midst of election season, with tensions rising everywhere in America.

While we can’t stop the national discord, we can do our best to be good citizens of the world.

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