The Workamper Show Podcast

The Workamper Show Podcast


Todd and Terri Nighswonger describe living the best of both worlds in Episode 305

November 19, 2024

Today I am interviewing a couple who is living the best of both worlds. She has a remote job producing content for an RV website, and he works as a musician entertaining people at RV parks.


Todd and Terri Nighswonger have been RVing since 2018. They originally started in a 37-foot travel trailer.


The couple was living in Arkansas at the time where both of them had careers in public relations and print journalism. But, neither Todd or Terri sensed they were getting ahead in their careers. They were also renting a house and dreaming of full-time RVing “someday.”


Because they desired a big change to their lives, rather than looking for a cheaper house to rent, they opted to start living in their RV full-time instead.


They did that for eight months before hitting the road as Workampers. Since then, the Nighswongers  have enjoyed some interested Workamping jobs putting up Christmas lights and working at RV resorts.


Todd found an opportunity to put his skills as a musician to work entertaining residents at 55+ communities in the Phoenix Area. Terri, on the other hand, also writes for the Do-It-Yourself RV website and is a seasonal worker at one of the RV resorts.


I admire Todd and Terri for simply wanting to do something different with their lives and their careers. Rather than put off their dreams until “someday,” they opted to make the change now and use Workamping as a way to fund their new lifestyle.


Not only did they create a work/life arrangement that brought in enough income during the winter to cover their expenses, Todd and Terri were able to travel more during the summer months.


Yet, even after selling their RV and buying a park model at a Phoenix resort, Todd and Terri continued Workamping after finding a job in Maine which allowed them to live in an apartment at the campground.


Eventually, they bought a Class C motorhome to do more traveling during the summer. Today, their unique Workamping jobs bring more variety to their lives. It sure beats waiting until “someday” to begin experiencing their travel dreams.


The Nighswongers combined traditional Workamping jobs, like resort work and hanging Christmas lights, with remote work writing content for a website catering to the RV lifestyle. However, they also found ways to put Todd’s music skills to work entertaining people in areas they want to visit.


I found their story to be very inspirational. It shows when people have a desire to change and the will to carry it out, they can enjoy a life they’ve dreamed about without needing permission or waiting until society tells them it’s okay to retire.


People can connect with Terri by email at terrinigh@gmail.com. Todd can be reached via his music website at todd2tars.com. He also publishes upcoming concert information on his Facebook page at facebook.com/todd2tars.


If you are wintering in the Phoenix area, I’m sure Todd would enjoy meeting you at one of the many concerts he has scheduled this winter.


Would you like to be featured in an upcoming episode of The Workamper Show? I encourage you to schedule an interview with me at workampershow.com.


We’d love to hear about your Workamping experiences, how you got started RVing, and what you love and dislike about the RVing lifestyle. Help others explore all the different ways to live this great lifestyle by sharing your story.


If you are an employer of Workampers – we invite you to be on the podcast, too. Share all of the details of your Workamping jobs in a future episode. It only costs a little bit of your time.


Schedule an interview with me today by going to workampershow.com. You’ll find the schedule buttons at the bottom of the home page.


That’s all for this week’s show. Next time, I will be speaking with a Workamper who has been RVing for nine years. He has lots of stories to tell, so be sure to check out that interview on the next episode of The Workamper Show. Thanks for listening and if you like these shows, please consider leaving a review wherever you download the episodes.