Leaving Brooklyn Fugheddaboudit

This is the sign you see as you are leaving Brooklyn, New York. I can now officially add New York to the list of states in which I’ve set foot.

Additionally, for the first time since I was two years old, I set foot in New Jersey, the state where I was born. I plan to go back to both just to do touristy things before leaving Pennsylvania.

What brought me to New York and New Jersey, you ask? A chauffeured limousine. Lest you think I’ve won the lottery or married a wealthy man, I should tell you I was the chauffeur.

Yes, folks, this is an episode of Jobs I’ve Had, as well as another of Tales From the RV Park. 

To remind you where I last left off: the advertising sales job (100% commission only). It was great fun, a bit “travel intense”, and occasionally quite lucrative. Ten percent of the time the money was great, and forty percent of the time it was decent. However, about fifty-percent of the time I lost money on a town. There was no way to tell how well a town might ” sell ” until after you’d been there and tried to work it. I worked it longer than I should have, partly out of a sense of loyalty to a boss and a company I respect. Eventually I realized it was time to cut my losses and move on.

So I’ve taken a park host job (workcamping) and a part-time chauffeur job. The latter is new to me. It’s kind of fun, too, but I’ve only done two chauffeur runs so far. I’m told the trips are mostly to and from the many nearby airports for executives of a major corporation.

The workcamping job is shaping up to be rather Sucky. Yes, sucky with a capital “S”.

I’ve had three earlier workcamping jobs. It’s a volunteer job, more or less. Workcamping is supposed to be fun, with happy people – happy campers. The customers are sometimes rude, which is just how some people are – not all campers want to be happy. But your coworkers in customer service? They shouldn’t be nasty.

The Good: This park is decent, in the middle of a quiet forest, near a few nice towns, but lacking in some of my favorite amenities (Wi-Fi being at the top of the list, good water pressure a close second). The manager is very nice, well liked by everyone.

The Bad: While working about ten days in the last three weeks it quickly became clear the supervisor (not the manager) has serious anger management issues. She likes to scream at people – and she has no qualms about doing so in front of customers. She gets angry over anything that make her feel insecure, and shakes as she’s screaming at us. Little did I know, she has a bad reputation in the town I just came from – she was a workcamper there and is banned from that RV park. When I told someone at the nearby park, they were shocked she was a supervisor. They are well aware she shouldn’t be a supervisor, let alone in customer service.

I’m not interested in working with a bitch; I’m moving to another park in a few days. And if all goes as planned, I’ll be working for a local newspaper. If not, I have a Plan B, which would also keep me in the area for the season.

But, this is full-time RVing: nothing is ever set in stone. *grin*

Today one of the customers told me about North Carolina, a state to which I’ve never been. He said it’s lovely all year round. I’m thinking about wintering there. It’s about time I wintered at the beach again. Might even go sooner if it doesn’t stop raining in Pennsylvania.

I would appreciate your advice: If you have ever been to North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia: What did you like? What didn’t you like? Tips for RVing there? Best beaches?

Thanks in advance! xo