Some people dream about leaving it all behind and hitting the open road, but Wareham native Donna Fisher-Jackson and her husband Jim made that a reality.

Over the past three years, the couple has traveled more than 36,900 miles and visited 44 states and 36 national parks in their 39-foot long Heartland 5th wheel RV.

“It’s possibly one of the best way to see the country,” said Donna.

These weren’t weekend trips, however. After Jim turned down an offer to relocate from California to Texas for his career, the couple decided to sell their home and most of their belongings to travel the U.S. in their RV.

The experience is chronicled in Donna’s self-published book, “Living the RV Lifestyle: Practical Advice and Personal Tales from Life on the Road.” The book includes practical information on making the transition to becoming a full-time RVer and personal stories from Donna and Jim’s time on the road.

On Saturday afternoon, both were at Cup 2 Cafe on Cranberry Highway signing copies and fielding questions from those wanting to know more about their journey.

Both said the people they met on the road were fascinated that they lived out of the RV, saying it’s something they would love to do. Donna and Jim said that those considering following their path should think about everything it entails.

“It definitely is a lifestyle. You’re not on vacation all the time,” said Jim. “You still need to do your laundry.”

For money, Donna continued to operate her counseling business while Jim picked up work at the various campgrounds they stayed at.

A highlight of their travels was seeing national parks in the western U.S. They ticked off the major sites, Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, but one state that surprised them was Utah.

There, Donna and Jim stopped at the state’s five national parks, each one breathtaking in its own way, they said.

For now, both are back in Wareham. The RV is parked in a family member’s driveway as the couple plans their next move, which is to build a home.

“Donna would say, 'we don’t have a place to go home to because wherever we parked for the night, that was home,'” said Jim. “After we build a place, we’re still going to travel, but we’re going to have a home base.”

“Living the RV Lifestyle” is on sale locally at the Bourne Scenic Park Camp Store, Major’s RV Service Center in Bourne, Pinewood Lodge Campground in Plymouth and Sand N Surf Wicker and Gifts in East Wareham. The book is also available online at Amazon.com.