Airstream® Ambassador Mona Heath loves Airstream. And she loves people.
Neither of these loves is passive. On the contrary, Mona actively pursues her passion and the things that bring her joy. Her life is a testament to these truths.
We could tell you that Mona worked her way up the ranks in the Wally Byam Caravan Club International, Inc. (WBCCI) to her current position as the first female International 1st Vice President. We could tell you that she organized a rally when her very first Airstream was road-ready, almost a decade ago. We could tell you that she’s owned a total of six Airstreams over the past decade.
While worthy and true, these facts don’t paint a complete portrait of Mona, and that’s what we want you to see.
Mona Heath is a seeker, a traveler, a free-spirited wanderer with the humble desire to bring other like-minded adventurers together.
Before becoming a full-time Airstreamer last summer in her 2019 27FB Globetrotter affectionately named “Globby”, Mona was living in a brownstone in Oregon. She traveled frequently in her 19’ Airstream International Signature and was an active member of the Airstream community. But, something was missing.
“I just wanted to set myself free and start new everywhere,” says Mona. So, she did precisely that.
Mona sold her house and disposed of most of her possessions. She made quick work of it. “I looked at each item and thought, ‘Does this really bring me joy?’ If the answer was no, I got rid of it.”
In true Mona spirit, she gave most of her belongings to friends; other items were donated to charity. "I would think, ‘I don't need this. It doesn't define me, and I can let it go and make someone else happy.’ I actually took great pleasure in doing that,” says Mona.
Now, Mona is on the road full-time with Globby. When we caught up with her, she was just leaving an Airstream park in Hillsboro, Texas and the road ahead was full of events and destinations.
“It will be fun going to the factory for Alumapalooza®, exploring Manhattan with other Airstreamers attending the New York Base Camp Rally, heading to Virginia for the International Rally, and then visiting the 2020 and 2021 International Rally sites as part of a small caravan to Colorado, which is where the International Rally will be held in June 2020,” says Mona. “All of it happened so quickly and time just goes faster and faster. I just want to absorb as much as I can.”
Mona has been re-energized by her new life and the people she meets on the road, at the events, and on social media. They connect because of their love for Airstream, travel, or both.
“It's hard for me to envision what my life would be like had I not gone full-time,” says Mona. “It wouldn't be as dynamic. It wouldn't be as adventurous without owning an Airstream and without being part of this community. I have met friends that I never knew I would meet, that I never knew I would have. I can't imagine anything different.”
Of her life before full-timing, Mona says, “I thought I had to define myself by having the coolest stuff. Then, I think that I needed to define myself by having the most beautiful home. I still have a pretty home on the outside with my Airstream. And on the inside, it makes my heart happy.”
For Mona, being an Airstream Ambassador is just one more way to bring people together. “There’s this authenticity that this community, that this club – the longest rolling, single-branded RV club in the world – brings to people. Some of our members can't tow anymore but still come to our rally because this is their family. And some couples can't go for a week because of work or other commitments, but they come for the weekend and bring their kids or their grandkids. That’s what I love. I love that relationship between the club and Airstreaming.”
And, because she loves Airstream and she loves people, Mona offers this advice to those considering the full-time lifestyle: “If it’s what you want, you just have to follow your heart and go confidently and boldly towards it.”
That’s what Mona did.
