"We've had nothing but good adventures on the road," says 63 year old freelance writer Jurgen Hesse, author of Mobile Retirement Handbook (Self-Counsel $9.95), "So I've written a book to awaken and to fortify interest in what I call mobile retirement."

Hesse and his wife have shared travels throughout North America in a modest recreational vehicle since 1975. He has gathered information on selecting an RV; financial considerations (he travels with a 'debit card'), personal safety, emotional hurdles (becoming someone of 'no fixed address') and other practical tips for adapting to life on the road.

"You see bumper stickers saying I'd Rather Be Sailing or I'd Rather Be Skiing," says Hesse, "Well for me, one of the great things about RVs is that no matter how big an RV may be, it can still help you get beyond the cities to experience nature directly."

Hesse believes the sub-culture of RV users who are both exploratory and elderly is expanding rapidly. In a scenic province such as B.C., with the highest per capita average age in Canada, his book may be just the ticket for persuading others to get their retirement lives moving.

[BCBW Spring 1987]