She Did Us ‘Dirty’ - Woes for Full-time RV Living
Lily Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park. One of my favorite places to go for a stroll around the lake. If you’re lucky, you see Moose.
Last summer, we signed up for another summer of Workamping in Estes Park, Colorado. It’s absolutely beautiful and right next to Rocky Mountain National Park. Workamping is when you volunteer (usually between 16-24 hours/weekly) to help the National Park, State Park, Municipal Park, or Private Park run their domain/campground efficiently in exchange for a free spot that includes water, electricity, and sewer hookups. We do this primarily to get to coveted locations in nature.
We had Workamped three summers before and had enjoyed Estes Park immensely, so we decided to go back. We contacted the manager, Zelda, and she was thrilled to have us return, especially since we were already trained and familiar with the area. We signed a contract with her, committing from May 15 to September 15.
People come from all over to see the Elk Rut in September.
In November, my husband got a full-time contracting job with a company. We weren’t sure how the job would go, so we didn’t share our news then. We waited until late January to contact Zelda. We wanted to be fully transparent because Jeff’s workamping schedule would be impacted by one hour on each weekday shift. I could cover my shifts entirely. Zelda appreciated that we reached out and shared that she was down two couples already and didn’t think she could fill the spots this late in the season. Zelda even used the ‘L’ word (love) to describe how she felt about us and assured us that we would have a spot at one of her two campgrounds.
Okay! We have the green light! We scheduled our travel from Scottsdale, Arizona, to Estes Park, CO, so we would be there by May 15 and stay for the summer. We were excited to be going back to beautiful Estes Park, CO. We knew Zelda had a reputation for not treating some of the other Workampers well, but she had never been unkind to us, and we weren’t sure of the whole story.
The Elk like hanging out on the downtown Estes Park golf course.
Well, guess what?! Last week, Zelda called Jeff and shared that she had found a couple to replace us and that they wouldn’t need our services. Then, she promptly hung up. Jeff didn’t have time to say anything. Now, we’re scrambling to find places to stay this summer, and it’s not easy because it’s so late in the season. I know we’ll be alright, but finding a place to accommodate our 44-foot big rig is stressful. This lifestyle requires a lot of planning and preparation.
Most workamping places have worked well, and we’ve enjoyed our experience. However, like any employment situation, it has its positives and negatives. It’s disheartening that we honored our commitment, were transparent about our situation, were told that we had their commitment still intact, and then told that we were no longer wanted. I’m literal, and when I tell someone I’m committed to anything, big or small, I honor that commitment. I do what I say I’m going to do.
Many times, the workampers would get together and have a campfire together.
Zelda did us D-I-R-T-Y! Her words no longer hold any meaning to me. How would you handle the situation? Would you share what’s on your mind? Is it worth my energy to share how I feel with her? Does Zelda even care? How do people get away with treating other people poorly? I'm unsure if I believe in Karma, and even if I did, I'm not sure it brings me any good feelings.
PS: The good news is that we’ve found a place to stay for July, August, and September near Bozeman, MT. I’m grateful we recovered. And I’m super excited about exploring Yellowstone National Park and Big Sky country as we’ve never been to Montana.
Let me know what you think in the comments.