Podcast Episodes

Episode 010 – Workamper Mary Shinn describes her solo experience

Workamping can be an adventure whether you are doing it as a family, as a couple or by yourself. Today we’ll talk to a woman who has been workamping on her own for five years.

Mary Shinn loves to camp. Her husband had camped with his family in the 1970s. Then they bought their own RV in the 1980s and traveled all over. She even drove an RV down to Honduras. It was one adventure after another.

But, when her husband died five years ago, Mary didn’t want to sit at home all day. She went camping in Missouri where she encountered her first workamper. That woman described what it involved to the point that Mary wound up attending the Workamper Rendezvous in Heber Springs, Ark., that year.

One thing led to another and she wound up working as a campground host out in Washington state. She has never looked back.

This summer, Mary worked at a campground in Mountain View, Ark. Before that, she worked at a campground along historic Route 66 in Missouri. She’s probably in Florida by now for a few months before heading to Texas.

In this interview, Mary describes her experiences and she offers advice for people interested in workamping – especially single women.

The death of a spouse can be devasting for some people – especially when they were accustomed to traveling and enjoying life together.

But, Mary Shinn didn’t want her life to end when her husband died. So, she took it upon herself to learn as much as she could about workamping, and then looked for a job doing what she knew she’d enjoy doing.

Workamping has taken Mary all over the United States to some of the most scenic and historic parts of America. She’s met a lot of people – some of whom have offered to include her on day excursions.

So, while Mary may be workamping by herself, she is far from being alone.

The fun thing is that I have met a lot of women – and men – just like her who realize that while life may detour your plans, they don’t have to end. There are enough resources to help men, women and families so they aren’t stuck in a rut.

Benjamin Franklin said that most people die around age 30 and wait 40 years for their bodies to catch up. But, not people like Mary Shinn. I’m so grateful that she took time to talk about her experience. I hope it inspires others to overcome their obstacles and pursue their own dreams.

Whether it is running a business from your RV or working short-term jobs for a variety of employers, Workamper News can give you information to help plan a course to live your own dream and get you on the road faster than you thought possible. For more information about opportunities to live, work and play in your RV, visit www.workampernews.com.

Greg Gerber

Greg Gerber is a former journalist who covered the recreation vehicle industry since 2009. He started podcasting in 2014 and enjoys interviewing people about ways to live, work and play in their RVs.

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4 Comments

  1. I have known about workamping for years. But after a trip out west, especially Utah Bryce Canyon and a tour we did, the tour guide who guided us thru Bryce Canyon told us what he does and has been doing this for years. I started asking questions and realized this is what I want to do. So I emailed the tour guide and ended up getting an email full of information. Especially guiding me to this website. So now I am getting email on job opportunities through out the US. I retire in 4 years and want to do something else. What I do now is great but now I am getting the RV ready for a life on the road. With the family did a 3 week stint out west and realized I could do this year round. I am tired of keeping up a house. The husband wants no part of workamping so I as an Amelia Earhart am going to do this solo. Clean out the house so he doesn’t have to deal with the rest of it and our daughter is moving out to fly on her own soon. So thank you for this email it keeps me focused on the future of my second career. 4 years and counting.

  2. Love these podcasts because I can listen to them while driving around or out walking. Great inspiration for me and my husband and we are keeping a list of places we would like to work camp when we get to that chapter in our lives. Please keep them going.

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