A Cross Country Drive

There's a lot to be learned about driving across the United States. Most of those things I learned along the way and definitely never mentally prepared for prior to the trip. Here are some things I learned, and some tips I found helpful along the way and will find helpful for my next journey.

Go with the Right People (person)

I got super lucky and had the opportunity to travel with a friend of mine from college. The trip would have been exponentially worse if it was a stranger or someone with a personality type that can be hard when you're on 3 hours of sleep. Neither Tyler or I felt the need to fill long hours of silence with speaking. We could swap stories or tell tons of jokes about the worst state in the union, but when it came to quiet time, that was okay too.

Be Flexible

Look, plans don't always work out the way you think they will (which we all know). Sometimes that is really disheartening, sometimes it actually works out for the best. For example... neither of us had cell phone service and we were taking a gamble on the GPS working at all...at 3:30 in the morning. It randomly rerouted us straight through Indianapolis and lo and behold we just so happened to pass the Indy Motor Speedway. Now, I'm not a NASCAR fan, but it was cool to see a spot I've heard so much about. If we would have freaked out about the re-routing, we'd have never stumbled upon it.

Along with the flexibility comes a bit of compromise. Maybe you don't WANT to stay in a hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska, but sometimes that is what's absolutely necessary because you're running on fumes as far as your brain and body are concerned. Maybe you don't really WANT to stop at a McDonald's in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming in the snow, but sometimes, if you need service on your cell phone, McDonald's wifi can be a godsend.

Appreciate the Beauty

I can't begin to describe how beautiful the United States are. Words can't describe the moment I finally saw the Rockies from a distance, the sunset as we entered Montana, the abandoned junkyard in the middle of Nebraska... everywhere around me there was something really wonderful to look at. As you'll see in some of the pictures I post, there's a lot of really cool views to see.    

Southern Hospitality is Really a Southern Thing*
Unfortunately, this was probably one of the more negative aspects of the trip. I noticed (especially in Boulder) that people were almost surprised(?) when I said "Hi, how are you?" and smiled as I walked by. Even trying to engage with staff at gas stations or restaurants, etc was like pulling teeth at times. That's not to say that I didn't come across some really friendly people who couldn't believed we had just driven 19 hours straight through the night and were excited we were in their small town all the way from the east coast.

*As is sweet tea, unfortunately.


Go with the Flow
As cliché as the phrase is, I had some really good fun that was just a spur of the moment idea. I've been making it a goal of mine to say yes at least 5 times more than I say no in a day. Since making that goal, I've been meeting new people, going to new places, and experiencing really fun things I didn't think I'd be able to do. Say yes more often, I promise you won't be disappointed.




Communicate with Your Parents/Loved Ones
Your parents love you. They want to know you are not dead. When driving across the country, the absolute LEAST you can do is send a text letting them know when you get to certain landmarks or cross into different states.

I'm sure there is more I could write on, and I'm sure I will eventually. But as I learned very quickly and as you'll see in the picture: altitude sickness/sleep deprivation is real and it has definitely been effecting my mental state, breathing, sleeping etc.





In case anyone is curious, I've included our route we took. After being picked up from my house in Yorktown, VA, we drove to Northern VA just outside of DC and spent the night. The next afternoon we left DC and drove all day and night to Lincoln, Nebraska and arrived at about ~8:45, deliriously tired. Many Nebraska jokes were made and made up to pass the time. After a night in Nebraska, we headed to Boulder where we spent two nights, then drove alllll the way through the snow in Wyoming to get to Bozeman on Tuesday Night.













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