Four States

Three months

Two phones.

One me.

That’s what my life has been lately.

It’s been an adventure I never could’ve expected but it’s definitely been a challenge.

I love travel but I also realize how much of a process it is, from the driving to the waiting for planes, to paying more for everything when you travel.

As I arrive in Lincoln, NE for my latest visit here’s some takeaways concerning my thoughts on how to best plan for a roadtrip. Since I’ve already talked about plane trips specifically.

Pack food. Easy stuff, like chips, fruit, veggies, fill in the gaps with entrees at cheaper places.

Fill up the gas tank when you’re at a half tank or so.

Libraries and Barnes and Noble, are the best place to sit down – for free. There’s wifi, often there’s no or minimal parking costs, and you don’t have to spend anything inside, unless you want to buy a book…or a coffee.

Pre download everything you want to listen to on the road, the night before, a couple podcasts, a couple playlists, a favorite album, or at least look up radio stations for the areas your traveling across the night before.

If you’re the only one in the car, and you won’t be making umpteen stops, outside of gas stations, pack yourstuff in the car with you, that way you can reach everything as you go, or if it’s in the back seat you can just pull off to the shoulder to grab your jacket that’s just out of reach.

If you’re visiting friends, be willing to drive the two of you places, but also be ready to drive with them and offer compensation as they’ll most likely know the area better than you. Be willing to see their favorite places, and eat where they like, you’ll probably learn something about each other on the way.

Within that same train of thought, try to meet up with friends on the way back and forth, even if it’s just for lunch or just a cup of coffee, why not?!

If you have a moment and you see an antique store along the way, make a mental note, and see if you have time then or if you should keep it in mind for the ride home… maybe that one’s just me though.

Sometimes planes are fun but I do find a certain joy in driving Nemo (my sedan) to new places.

As for two phones, I basically killed my phone battery at the beginning of this year, so I made a one generation upgrade.