ROAD-TRIPS

The Basics of Road-Tripping

Road-Tripping can be done for a variety of reasons, but whatever the motivating force behind the decision to go on a trip, some basic guidelines can be helpful. As with anything in life, use common sense.

Before you leave, formulate:

-Where exactly you are going and by what route (it could be possible that you have no specific destination; such is an acceptable answer). The idea here is to know what your purpose is. Usually it's to get from point A to point B, but there are also many more complicated scenarios, such as "swing down to Baton Rouge to visit so-and-so, then head to Tucumcari for the la-de-da and finally head out to Boston by Oct 17th" or "wander in the NW until we find a replacement bassist" or "keep going east until I have $500 left". You get the idea. The important thing is to know what you want to get out of the journey before you invest your temporary existence into it.

-Time constraints you may have. Do you have to be there by certain date? Ought you be back home by a certain date? How fast can you go? How long will it take you to get to your destination? How much time will any tangents likely require? Perhaps you may research different modes of transport at this point. The less time constraints you have, the more freedom you have to relax and enjoy the journey. Flying does not count as road-tripping, sorry.

-How you will attain food and shelter. Food: Eating out? Packing for the journey? Hunting Insects? Shelter: Sleeping in hotels? Sleeping in the car? Sleeping in a tent? Couch-surfing? Any of these, or any combination, can be a valid choice. If you plan on eating out and/or staying at hotels, make sure to estimate the costs first and make sure it won't bankrupt you.

-Finances. Figure out how much money it's likely to cost you to go on your trip, factoring in price divergence in different geographic locales. If you're not sure of the price diverge of different geographic locales, estimate high. Actually, estimate high anyways. There are always unforeseen events for better or poorer, richer or worse. Make sure to estimate: Gas, if you are driving. Food, if you haven't packed in abundance. The cost of expected lodging, whether it be camping, hotels, RV parks, or whatever. Entertainment, if you plan on stopping in some towns and cities and doing anything interesting that costs money. Don't forget about your bills at home. If you are going on a very long trip or a trip of unknown length, you may want to consider automatic bill payments, or setting up several months in advance of payments.

Stay aware of these issues on your trip as well. It won't do you a bit of good to plan everything out perfectly and then not realize that your food is disappearing twice as fast as you had anticipated, or other some such problematic eventuality. If you're on a budget, pay attention to how much you spend each day to see whether you are likely to make it to your destination. Keep your goal in mind, but don't be fixated on your goal.

Perhaps you'll end up doing something completely different, who knows? That's not always a bad thing. The important thing is to enjoy the journey. No matter what happens, you took that plunge, and you'll remember it for the rest of your life. I'll say it again because it is vital: enjoy the journey. It's not all about the destination.

Useful Hints

Get a really good road atlas.

Talk to some people in various states you plan on passing thru beforehand (the internet is a wonderful thing) to get an idea for the area.

Don't take extra things you are not likely to need. If it is not helpful to you it is best left at home. This is especially true when traveling without your own vehicle to lug things around in.

Bring a book. When you are done with it you can trade it for one you haven't read yet.

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