Planning A Cross Country Trip? Here's What I Learned After Two Months On The Road
When I left Maine, after having spent four months there in quarantine with my family, my Mom hugged me and said, “When I see you again, you’ll be a different person”. I had no idea what I was truly about to get into on what I thought would be a brisk journey across the states to California. Well, here I am in Death Valley, two months later, with no desire to go back inside.
New York City, where I lived for the last nine years, had conditioned me to place an immense amount of value on my address, profession, and appearance. It’s a double-edged sword because those ‘pillars’ of life in the city are also what make it so exciting and alluring - you’re constantly challenged to up-level and become the next best version of yourself. However, I knew that there was much more to discover beyond the matrix and saw this road trip as kind of a road to El Dorado (aka Topanga, California aka the Promised Land). The journey across our incredibly beautiful country humbled me profoundly in ways that I could not have imagined.
I took this journey solo, so the first thing I had to master was self-reliance. I’m giggling now at how nervous I was to set up a tent properly and cook for myself with just a jet boiler. You learn fast! Within the first few days, my camp set up and breakdown had become a science (I could have the whole site packed up in 8 minutes on the clock, thank you so much).
It might seem like one would have a lot of free time during the days on a trip like this, but there’s a lot to do and see, and before you know it you find yourself crashing at 8pm completely exhausted in the best way. With such a big itinerary, sometimes I would wake up in the morning in a frantic state and immediately start scrambling to get on the road. It really helped me to have a simple rising routine to follow in the morning as a way of calming myself and easing into the day more consciously. It looked like so:
Ten deep breaths in stillness
Water before coffee
Mantra for ten minutes
Stretches
Review health commitments
++ while I was driving I would do EFT, gratitude, and review my goals for the next month, six months, and year. Having a consistent routine is a great way to root in your power and sovereignty.
One thing I kept hearing from people was, “Wow you are so brave! I could never do that kind of trip, especially as a woman!” I’m just going to call BS on that right now because if you are dreaming of doing the same thing one day, you are absolutely capable. Us humans are so adaptable and so quick to pick up a new way of being when it’s required of us. That being said, I did grow up in a family that took my sister and I camping very often and I spent like 90% of my childhood outside. So, I figured I’d give you a little list of what helped me succeed on this two-month trip.
Make a budget that includes gas, camping, food, fun experiences, emergencies + beyond.
I spent almost $40 on tent sites every night (give or take). * Unless you find BLM land which is super cheap or free!
Food was about $15 daily
Gas was ~$70 on a day with 6 hours of driving.
Get your storage + organization down. I had a designated storage bin for everything. One for bedding, one for clothes, one for technology, one for beauty and hygiene, one for misc. items, a milk crate for cooking supplies... you get it :) This will save you time searching for things.
You’ll probably wear the same clothes every day so don’t overdo it on the packing. My uniform was basically biker shorts, loose tees, and sneakers. You’ll be more active than you think!
Figure out where you’re going to shower, get water, and do laundry. The state parks are beautifully kept and almost always have showers, and KOAs will let you pay to take showers (and they always have wifi).
Quite often, you won’t have cell service! Almost all of the National Parks have zero service (I think they do it on purpose to make you enjoy nature). Download podcasts, audiobooks, etc. in advance.
Buy an Annual National Parks Pass. for $80 Most entry fees are ~$35 and you’ll see a National Park in almost every state if you take the northern route - saves you sooo much $$.
Allow yourself to be surprised! Often, I didn’t look up photos of the parks I was visiting beforehand to allow myself to experience the beauty with fresh eyes. You will be blown away by how magnificent the American landscapes are….I was brought to tears more times than I can count.
Keep a journal ! Write down what you experienced at the end of every day because it goes so fast and it’s amazing to look back on what you experienced.
Try to walk at least three miles a day. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time driving, it’s so important to take care of your body.
Be flexible. Every day poses both difficult and exciting challenges…keep your mind open to changes on the fly - it’s the nature of a trip like this.
Know your threshold for driving. For me, 4-6 hours was all I could handle before needing to stop.
I hope that list serves you if you are thinking of doing the trip! Initially, I planned on the journey taking one month and it turned into two months easily! So, maybe give yourself a little extra time. One other thing I loved to do was research the Native American history of each state I was visiting to connect more deeply with the land. I have a newfound love for the United States (that disregards politics) and a newfound sense of identity as a transient being. You can do anything you put your mind and heart to.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below ++ if you have any tips for the community as well! Love you guys xx
++ Stream 🎙The Lifted Podcast to deepen your healing journey!
