For years now, I’ve wanted to get a camper van and take a road trip around the continental US. I love road trips and, as I found out on a big road trip I took last year, I have no problem driving 10+ hours a day. I’d love nothing more than to wander around the lower 48 states, taking in everything they have to offer. Of course I’ll see the big stuff, the things tourists always visit, but I’ll also check out the hidden gems in each state. The out-of-the-way places and activities that only the locals know about; I think those will show me the heart of the city/state and give me wonderful lifelong memories.
There’s a lot of cool stuff to see and do in the US and a lot of ground to cover. Lots of states are bigger than whole countries, and every state except Alaska and Hawaii can be accessed by car without passing through any other countries. I don’t need a passport, translator, airplane, or anything else commonly used in international travel to explore most of my own backyard. Plus I know a lot more people in the US than any other country. I probably don’t know somebody in every state, but I think I know enough people around the country to have a safe place to stay and a friendly face to see for most of the trip.
Before embarking on this trip, I’ll make sure I have the financial freedom it’ll require. A trip like this doesn’t have to be insanely expensive, but I like to be prepared for more than I think I’ll need, and it probably won’t be cheap. Even more essential, though, than having enough money is having enough time. I’m working toward having more time freedom by looking into starting my own business and arranging it so that it requires minimal involvement from me (this may not be possible at first, but I see no reason that it couldn’t be done once it’s running steadily); this will get away from the 9 to 5 world, provide a second source of income while I still have a job, and, most importantly, let me set my own schedule so I can plan my work around my adventures. I’ve spent a lot of this year working toward having more time and financial freedom and I hope to be well on my way toward both by next year.
Because I’ll have no rigid schedule to follow and will probably take a few years to complete the trip, I’ll be able to camp out in a particular place until local friends have the time to visit and do cool things. Once I’ve explored a particular area, I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that I went there and saw it firsthand instead of just reading about it. I’ve become a lot less materialistic over the past few years and I’d now much rather make a lot of memories than collect a lot of stuff, a mindset that will no doubt be essential on a trip like this. This will be the biggest adventure of my life, though it probably won’t be the only one like it. Until then, I’ll continue going on the occasional grand adventure and frequent microadventures while I plan and move closer to my dream trip.