And a Road Trip was born...
The current focus of this website is an incredible journey with a few friends across a decent chunk of the United States of America (and part of Canada, eh!). For just under three months, the three of us will travel from Wisconsin, through Canada, to the Acadia National Park in Maine. From there, we will duck down south, following the East Coast as we go. Once reaching the South Carolina/Georgia area, we will turn our sights out West and begin the cross-country journey to the wide expanse of the western states. Our goal is to be back at our respective homes to spend Christmas with our families, placing us back around late December.
The origins of this great adventure come from a primordial desire to explore and connect with both beautiful places and the people along the way. As we travel across the country we will prioritize visiting friends and family, immersing ourselves in extraordinary natural areas, as well as looking for great volunteer opportunities.
So many adventures never happen because people tend to "wait for the perfect time". While I hate to be the one to break the news, THERE IS NO RIGHT TIME. EVER. If you're content with waiting, then you're likely never to experience the trip at all. Adventure comes to those who GO! So... that is what we are doing!
While I'll be telling you more about the whole crew later, here are the details on our travel set up. We will be traveling with a used 2002 Viking pop-up camper. We decided on a few cosmetic makeovers to create a more comfy home for the time we will be spending in it. While everything was in great shape, we decided to trade the cheap wood look for white and then replace the old linoleum floor with some vinyl plank strips. The countertops went from green to grey with what we called our "poor man's granite countertops". Our home on wheels looks great, and we are all excited to adapt to living to life on the road. There will also be nights were it doesn't make sense to pop up the camper so a tent, hammock, or a seat in the car might be our bed for the evening.
Unlike most road trips, this one is rather unstructured and open to spontaneity. While this lack of structure might drive some people crazy, our flexibility is what we plan to thrive on. Any opportunity that comes across our path can easily be added to our adventure. There are plans to run new rivers and hike new trails, but why limit ourselves by creating a rigid schedule?
“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” ― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky
If you or someone you know wants to help us out along the way with a place to stay, a destination to explore, a homemade meal, a place to volunteer, or a financial contribution, please reach out! While this trip is for the three of us, we ultimately hope to involve those who want to tag along vicariously! Be our armchair audience as we take on the challenges of life on the road.
In the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (One of my ALL TIME favorites. Read it.), a boy leaves behind a life of comfort as a shepherd to pursue his own "personal legend". Every person has one of these personal legends, but few ever see their's realized. There is so much to be learned in travel, and our hope is to embrace those lessons and come back better for it. At the end of the day, it is the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.