Larry Chiuppi and Nancy Raimondi, formerly of Tilton
On the road since 1998

When the travel bug bites, it's best sometimes to ride out the itch. That's what Larry Chiuppi and wife, Nancy Raimondi, discovered during a three-month cross-country trip back in 1995, traveling 11,500 miles between National Parks in a small truck camper.

It was on the drive back to Tilton, says Larry, that the couple started dreaming of a long-term commitment to the road. They decided to save up enough money to sustain them for two years of travel. In 1998, they sold their home and most of their stuff. Two months later they quit their jobs.

Four months into their trip, they knew two years wasn't going to be enough.

They had learned that living wherever they wanted for as long as they wanted was all they wanted to do with the rest of their lives.

It's been more than eight years, and never once have they looked back, says Larry.

"We've done various jobs and are on our third motor home since leaving New Hampshire. Just like living in a fixed dwelling, it takes a while to be able to afford the home you want," says Larry.

Currently they live in a 33-foot class-A motor home, purchased new in 2000. They have mostly given up the odd-job circuit, working exclusively as independent sales reps for a publishing company, producing guest services guides for RV parks and campgrounds around the country.

"We were 43 when we started this journey and have been fortunate to be able to be young and healthy enough to have many adventures," says Larry.

Adventures that include several canoe trips in Florida, Montana and Canada; rock climbing expeditions in most of the country's major climbing sites; backpacking through a laundry list of National Parks; a 30-day tour of the Baja Peninsula; traveling the West Coast all the way to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and a lengthy trip through the Maritime provinces of Canada.

"Most people traveling the country in their RVs are much older and are not able to physically do many of the things that we do," he said.

"So at age 51, and 8 years later, we see no end in sight. We are completely settled into this lifestlye and can't see living in a fixed dwelling," says Larry. "Maybe when we get too old to travel -- but that's a long way off."