Managing RV Life with Cats and Trolls
rswfire reports getting sleep after a difficult night and notices continued channel growth despite emerging trolls. He addresses questions about being toothless, explaining it resulted from medication effects and sharing a story about crying in front of his doctor during medication tapering. He suspects recent changes may be related to his RV lifestyle and location changes. **Main focus shifts to practical RV challenges** - his gray tank is full and needs draining, but he's struggling with how to manage his cats during the process. One cat (Oliver) becomes violent in carriers and injures himself. rswfire is considering taking the cats to his mother's house temporarily, citing the difficulty of managing them in the small RV space, including issues with ants attracted to their food and awkward litter box placement. He frames this as potentially temporary until he becomes more skilled at RV living.
Setting Up Gaming Stream While Processing Sleeplessness
The speaker describes severe insomnia and attempts to distract himself by setting up PC streaming equipment for Twitch. He plans to stream Horizon Forbidden West and mentions embracing a new life phase. He reflects on a positive shower experience that felt like a victory and discusses integrating new routines. The speaker shows his PlayStation with Final Fantasy content, mentions childhood gaming history, and notes his discomfort with his current bed setup. He observes neighbors and someone fishing outside, commenting on what appears to be an island. Throughout, he expresses physical discomfort and fatigue from lack of sleep.
Coastal Campground Walk During Medication Withdrawal
rswfire records a transmission from a coastal campground where he's staying in an RV with two cats. He's experiencing medication withdrawal and grieving, having recently made major life changes. He takes a walk around the campground, locating amenities like shower facilities and boat ramps while reflecting on his situation. **Key events:** Takes walking tour of Salt Lake Campground, identifies shower house and restrooms, observes neighboring camper with truck setup, discusses cats' adjustment to small RV space, mentions leaving Thursday due to booking conflict. **Background context:** Recently left previous living situation, currently in withdrawal from medication, missing his mother who spent time at his former house, considering what's best for his cats in the confined RV space. **Technical details:** Staying at campground site 77, has Jeep and camper setup, mentions leveling issues with RV, discusses potential schedule of weekday campgrounds vs weekend boondocking. **Historical references:** Shares story about hiking at Raven Run in Lexington (4-6 miles daily), planned travel blog called wanderlust.com, childhood move from Michigan to Arizona via school bus and KOA stays. **Online presence:** Mentions longtime screen name RSW fire (his initials), considers changing YouTube channel name to "The World According to Sam" or similar, references viewer named Carl.
Leveling RV and Considering Travel Pace
The speaker successfully leveled their RV using Lego bricks, discovering they needed fewer than initially expected - only two levels instead of the five they started with. They reflect on a previous driveway experience where more leveling blocks were actually needed. The campground is mostly empty except for one woman in a tent who the speaker briefly spoke with from a distance. The speaker's cats, particularly Oliver, were stressed during the leveling process while confined to their tent maze setup. The speaker is questioning whether they're moving too quickly between locations (every two days) and considers either staying longer at the current nice spot or continuing to gain experience through frequent moves.
Waking Up Disoriented After Campground Empties
The speaker wakes up feeling physically heavy and disoriented after what appears to be a difficult sleep period. He discovers that the campground has completely emptied out - 10 or 12 campers have left while he was sleeping. Initially confused about what day it is, he learns from his mother that it's Sunday, not Saturday as he thought. He observes strange wind patterns that can blow his RV door open forcefully but leave other items undisturbed. **The speaker had planned to level his camper and empty the tanks but crashed before completing the tasks.** He decides to finish leveling the camper but postpone the tank maintenance for another day. He expresses relief about having the week to himself and mentions plans to bring his cats outside and possibly make burgers. The transmission ends with him sneezing repeatedly and reflecting on an unconscious purchase decision.
Managing RV Leveling and Withdrawal Symptoms
rswfire records a morning transmission from his RV at 10:30 AM on Saturday, dealing with withdrawal symptoms from prescription pills while managing practical challenges. He describes physical sensations like disrupted gravity and temperature fluctuations. The RV is significantly unlevel, causing rocking in the wind and making daily activities difficult. His cats Bailey and Oliver demand constant attention, complicating his attempts to make coffee and organize the space. He plans to level the RV using stabilizer blocks despite feeling tired from withdrawal. The campsite is crowded with neighbors too close together, unlike his preferred previous location with more privacy and trees. He reflects on being dramatic as part of his gay identity and deciding not to worry about others' opinions of his behavior. The wind is strong enough to rock the RV and keep the cats inside despite the heat. He considers the stress on his camper from being unlevel and questions whether the solar equipment weight is problematic. Plans include grilling burgers and potentially playing PlayStation, though the unlevel surface makes sitting uncomfortable.
Campground Reflection on Medication Withdrawal and Channel Direction
rswfire records from a campground after a 6-hour drive to visit his mother, potentially for the last time before heading west. He discusses letting his cats outside for the first time and setting up their expanded play area. **He announces ending his medication regimen** and beginning withdrawal, clarifying he was not addicted but felt the medications were affecting his cognitive function as a programmer. He reflects on **YouTube analytics showing 50% viewer drop-off within 15 seconds** and expresses frustration with shortened attention spans. He outlines his remaining timeline at the campground (5 days) before moving to another location, then returning to Lexington for a walkthrough with landlords. **He declares being "done being afraid"** and commits to making task lists to manage feeling overwhelmed. He discusses wanting to resume journal writing after recovering his old journals from his mother. **He addresses growing dissatisfaction with YouTube comments**, specifically blocking viewers who offered unsolicited religious content, life advice, or political opinions. He explains his discomfort with Trump flags at the campground but notes the environment has been peaceful. **He contemplates changing his channel name** to "Sam Goes West" or similar, clarifying this is not an "RV Life" channel but a personal journey about overcoming obstacles and embracing lifestyle changes. He questions what audience he's attracting and whether he fits existing community categories.
Clearing House and Retrieving Personal Journals
The speaker is at their house with their mother, sorting through remaining belongings after a dumpster has filled up. They mention deleting two videos they made on the way there due to unwanted attention from non-trolls they categorized similarly to trolls. The speaker shares their philosophy of cutting out people who tell you that you can't do something or are doing it wrong, comparing such people to poison that must be removed. They anticipate going through withdrawal tonight and may not communicate for a while, planning to spend time at a campground watching cats and reading by a lake. The speaker discovers sawdust on themselves, possibly termite-related. They plan to give their cats new configurations when they arrive at their destination. **The transmission ends with the speaker finding their personal journals, which are filled front-to-back with years and decades of writing in small print. They express significant relief and joy at recovering these journals, having never expected to see them again.**
First Time Cooking Chili in RV
rswfire attempts his first cooking experience in the RV, making chili outdoors on a windy day by a lake. He cooks hamburger meat on the propane stove while managing low propane levels (11%) and dealing with his cat Oliver who keeps wanting in and out. He discusses practical challenges of RV cooking including waste disposal, grease management, and small burner limitations. **Key events:** Successfully cooks hamburger meat for chili, transfers it to crockpot, manages propane concerns, handles Oliver's demanding behavior, observes tent camper nearby, completes grocery shopping trip ($230), reflects on social courtesy. **Practical elements:** Uses crockpot and propane stove, disposes of bean liquid and grease in trash, purchases supplies including hamburger meat, hot dogs, Mountain Dew, and household items. Notes RV space limitations and need to organize pantry. **Location context:** Positioned right on water in windy conditions, with tent camper visible nearby. Makes 30-minute drive to store and back.
Journals Found While Traveling to Walmart
The speaker receives news that his mother found his journals in a box in his cat's room. He's currently traveling to a Walmart in Carthage, Tennessee, experiencing poor cell service and navigation issues. He addresses his audience about his emotional processing style, explaining that frustration will come out as he works through this major life transition from living "on the internet" to embracing physical world experiences. He describes talking to himself frequently in the car and camper, which he's consulted ChatGPT about and doesn't consider problematic. The speaker acknowledges pushing himself far outside his comfort zone and asks for patience from his followers during this adjustment period. While driving through what appears to be a state park with a large lake, he considers trying new activities like fishing and drone flying, though he decides against impulsively buying fishing gear since he wouldn't know what to do with a caught fish. He mentions needing to return to his house tomorrow to collect packages and his journals, then continue moving forward with cleaning out the house. The speaker reflects on wanting a different life and now having one, expressing interest in eventually buying a cabin in a similar lakeside area. He notes the narrow roads are somewhat scary but something he wants to get used to, and mentions cats waiting back at his camper.
RV Life Reality Check During Rainy Morning
The speaker wakes up in their RV during a rainy morning at a campsite, dealing with power loss after protecting their surge protector from water puddles. They reflect on the challenges of RV living with cats, who destroyed items overnight and struggle with the confined space. **Major life transitions are discussed** including upcoming medication withdrawal after their longtime doctor refused to continue prescriptions due to RV living, and the need to return to freelance programming work after quitting their 10-year client relationship. The speaker addresses **practical RV concerns** including propane levels (11%), cooking challenges, battery management, and the difficulty of moving with cats who become distressed in carriers. They plan to go to Walmart for chili ingredients and acknowledge the steep learning curve of RV maintenance and setup. **Personal struggles emerge** around feeling different from other campers, dealing with smoking addiction around cats, and contemplating whether they're suited for this lifestyle. The transmission includes interactions with their cats Oliver and Bailey, vacuum cleanup of a large insect, and observations about neighboring campers with extensive setups.
Arriving at Army Corps Campground with Cats
The speaker arrives at their first Army Corps of Engineers campground with two cats, Bailey and Oliver, after a challenging drive. They express strong discomfort with the prevalence of Trump flags at the location, stating they don't feel safe around Trump supporters and questioning their patriotism. The speaker describes practical challenges of RV travel with cats, including Oliver hiding in the litter box and getting under the gas pedal during the drive. They secured a group site with two combined spots but note it lacks trees or shade. The speaker mentions needing to empty tanks and find propane, discusses ongoing house closure in Lexington (2-3.5 hours away), and attributes recent mood changes to St. John's Wort, which they plan to stop taking. They reflect on the beauty of the lakeside location while acknowledging the difficulty of their new nomadic lifestyle.
First Solo RV Departure with Cats
The speaker prepares for their first solo RV departure, struggling to get two cats (Oliver and Max/Bailey) into their carriers. Max is described as "ballistic" and both cats are resistant to being caged. The speaker expresses fear about doing this alone for the first time but proceeds with departure preparations. They secure the RV setup, perform safety checks including a pole test, and hook up their Jeep for towing. After ensuring both cats are safely contained inside the RV, they begin their journey to Tennessee. The speaker acknowledges this will be a recurring process every two days but expects it to get easier with practice.
Preparing for RV Move with Cats and Withdrawal
rswfire prepares for a one-hour RV move to Tennessee while managing two cats and planning to quit opiates cold turkey upon arrival. He rolls cigarettes outside, discusses the challenges of RV living including electrical issues with his coffee maker blowing fuses, and reflects on his YouTube channel growth. He expresses nervousness about the move and acknowledges struggling with adaptation to RV life. The transmission includes multiple segments recorded throughout the morning, covering practical concerns like draining tanks, leveling the RV, and managing cats in carriers during travel. He also discusses his dislike of birds, plans to visit Bristol Cone Pines, and his processing style of working through thoughts publicly on his channel.
Final Day at RV Site Before Beach Move
rswfire completes day 14 at current RV location, preparing for departure to Tennessee beach. He takes a long hot shower before tanks empty and conducts a walkthrough of his organized living space. The RV setup includes storage baskets, curtains from old apartment, office area with computer and drone, and cat accommodations. **Key preparations:** trash ready for removal, items sorted for storage bays, solar equipment positioned, towing gear accessible. **Cat management:** Oliver and Bailey have food station protected from ants by velvet rug, popsicle-eating habit mentioned, cat tower considered for window access. **Driving concerns:** primary anxiety centers on towing visibility and distance judgment, rear camera needs adjustment, navigation challenges with large vehicle. **Organizational systems:** embracing basket storage method, three new baskets ordered, clean laundry needs putting away, sink cover removed to maintain access. Expresses excitement about beach week ahead while acknowledging driving trepidation as main obstacle. Describes 14-day period as productive for life preparation and RV organization.
Planning Great Basin National Park RV Route
The speaker sits at his desk with cats after a nap, using RV Trip Wizard to plan a route to Great Basin National Park. He shows his planned stops starting from Salt Lake Creek beach for a week, then Hurricane Creek in Kentucky where he must handle a house walkthrough, then Concrete Campground in Missouri, ending at Piedmont Park. He explains the route planning software features including driving radius calculations based on 4-hour daily travel limits. The speaker discusses his uncertainty about driving distances and plans to adjust based on early trip experiences. He mentions this trip as the beginning of his new RV life, sparked by a recent Arizona visit that made him want to explore mountains. He expresses both excitement and fears about the lifestyle change, planning to stay at least two nights at each location initially for caution with himself and his cats.
Organizing RV Storage and Learning Mobile Living
The speaker documents their ongoing struggle to organize storage space in their RV while learning to live and travel with it. They explain their proximity to another campground and their plan to drive to Nevada to gain experience with towing and navigation. **Storage challenges dominate the transmission** — they show various exterior storage compartments, discuss moving cat enclosures outside to free up space, and express frustration with items they can't yet let go of. The speaker reveals they've spent 14 days at the campground without hiking or exploring, focused instead on dealing with house matters, cats, and space organization. They express **frustration with their current limitations** compared to their younger self who used to camp and hike regularly. The transmission includes extended footage of their cats playing outside in enclosures, with the speaker noting this is the most playful behavior they've seen from Bailey in years. Technical issues emerge as the speaker runs out of phone storage space. They share background about their cats — Bailey was abandoned as a day-old kitten and raised by a woman named Gay in Michigan before the speaker adopted him. The transmission ends with the cats playing together outside.
Morning Reflection on Platform Control and Freedom
rswfire reflects on feeling better after yesterday's concerns and clarifies his resistance to replacing one form of control with another. He discusses YouTube's ownership dynamics where audiences unsubscribe over single disagreements, viewing this as part of broader societal control patterns. He expresses desire for freedom and questions whether true freedom is possible on platforms. **Current situation**: Preparing to travel, expecting to reach a beach tomorrow. **Morning routine**: Cat (Bailey) sits on his lap preventing movement, establishing new morning ritual involving letting cats outside, making coffee, and starting the day. Oliver remains inside while other cats go out.
Late Night Anxiety About Moving Camps Tomorrow
rswfire records at 4 minutes to midnight on day 14 of RV living, unable to sleep due to anxiety about moving camps the next day. He shares practical concerns about checkout/checkin timing, propane refilling, and RV maintenance issues including a stuck stabilizer and 8-year-old tires needing replacement. He discusses his reluctance to grow his YouTube channel after receiving both positive attention and trolls from a mention by another YouTuber named Carolyn. He expresses strong preference for maintaining a small, personal channel and criticizes how popular RV YouTubers have become less authentic over time. rswfire reflects on his motivations for starting the RV journey - needing profound change in his life and wanting to get closer to nature. He describes feeling "compelled" to go to Nevada, though he's not spiritual. He shares personal history about struggling with being gay in a religious context as a teenager. Throughout the transmission, he emphasizes doing this journey for himself rather than for audience growth, watching his own videos for strength, and hoping to inspire others who feel afraid like he does. His two cats Bailey and Oliver are present on the bed with him in the uncomfortable RV sleeping situation.
Day 13 Campsite Organization and Cat Setup
The speaker documents day 13 of camping life, focusing on organizing their RV space and setting up modular play areas for their cats Bailey and Oliver. They retrieved their Jeep from their parents' house and brought back camping gear from their bedroom, creating space management challenges. **Key activities include:** installing a new velvet rug inside the RV, assembling modular tunnel systems for the cats, doing accumulated dishes, and organizing kitchen storage with command strips and clips. The speaker addresses practical camping concerns including water conservation, hot water system operation (electric vs gas), and fire safety equipment placement. They mention needing to potentially leave the current campsite by Thursday and express uncertainty about travel logistics with their setup. **Cat-related focus:** Bailey came outside but Oliver remained hesitant. The speaker created tunnel configurations but noted the cats fighting over a single window perch, planning to purchase additional pieces. They emphasize the space belongs to both them and their cats, requiring constant consideration of feline access and comfort. **Acknowledgment:** Carolyn shared the speaker's video about her, which the speaker found inspiring and validating of their current life choice.
Traveling with Cats to Nevada Campgrounds
The speaker shares a humorous story about mistaking their own RV for someone else's, then reflects on a contemplative Pride experience focused on toxic family dynamics. They discuss booking campgrounds for a journey to Nevada, deciding against dental work due to cost ($10,000), and expressing uncertainty about their place in the world while acknowledging health concerns from smoking and poor diet. The speaker provides an extensive account of their abusive father, describing emotional manipulation, boundary violations, and childhood trauma. They explain how their father's move into their house derailed their life, causing them to lose their home, job, and online gaming community leadership role. The narrative includes details about being gay in an unsupportive family environment and being kicked out of the house as a form of abandonment. During the drive, they successfully transport their two cats (Oliver and Bailey) without carriers for the first time, allowing them to roam freely in the car. The cats adapt well to this arrangement, with Oliver watching scenery and Bailey exploring. The speaker expresses grief over losing their journals (approximately 30 of them) which were accidentally thrown away by their mother during a house cleanup. They describe this as a devastating loss since the journals documented a significant period of their life and helped with their poor memory. The transmission ends with arrival at their destination, cats settling in well, and the speaker expressing excitement about upcoming travel plans to Nevada while acknowledging some fear about the journey ahead.
Planning Trip to Great Basin National Park
rswfire records a late-night transmission on day 12, unable to sleep at 2 AM. He describes planning a trip to Great Basin National Park in Nevada for stargazing, noting his agnostic perspective and desire to "look up at the universe and see what looks back." He explains the journey will take a couple weeks and help him get familiar with his camper, similar to how he learned his Jeep on a Phoenix trip. He mentions leaving Thursday for a week at Salt Lick Creek beach in Tennessee before continuing to the national park. He considers getting a telescope and expresses excitement about stargazing, something he hasn't done extensively before.
Preparing RV Space for Cats Return
The speaker is preparing their RV living space for the return of their cats the following morning. They walk through the current state of organization, noting that while the space looks better and more beautiful than before, there are still items on the floor and ongoing organization projects. They describe reorganizing their wardrobe area, moving t-shirts to lower storage and making pants and shorts more accessible. The speaker mentions picking up Amazon packages from their parents' house when they collect the cats, including baskets for better organization that can be easily moved when operating the RV slide. They discuss storage challenges, noting the space is completely full with household items and there's no dedicated area for cat supplies yet. The speaker also mentions testing their solar charging system, expressing concern about slow charging rates and potential week-long recovery times if batteries are fully depleted. They reference an incoming rug delivery and mention one cat's tendency to eat everything.
Responding to Homeless Commentary on RV Video
rswfire spent the day working on his camper and later watched YouTube videos. He discovered a recent video by RV Miles about homeless people and the Supreme Court. Reading the comments, he found people making insensitive remarks about homeless individuals without understanding their experiences. Having been homeless himself, rswfire decided to post a comment on the video linking to his own content about what homelessness actually means, hoping viewers will watch it to gain better understanding.