Regarding summer trips, many of us share a familiar dream: see America by car. With the windy beaches in North Carolina to the epic grandeur of the Californian coast, the United States is home to so magnificent beauty while waiting for our discovery. Unfortunately, daily routines, full calendars and a series of obligations tend to hinder this dream our own reality.
However, there is not too much summer, my boyfriend (now husband) and I made the decision to take a break from our hectic hours and take the road to make this cross-country campaign. After obtaining his university degree, we knew that life was going to become more chaotic, and as we did not have many major commitments anchoring us, we could not imagine a better time to finally embark on this adventure. Because if not now, then when, right? So after months of planniof – And what seemed to be endless visits to AAA for travel advice and itinerary advice – WHe packed his silver jeep Cherokee to the brim and we left.
Over the next 31 days, we managed to travel 19 states and cover more than 8,500 miles. We have adopted the road open to us, just like the people we met in new destinations welcomed us with open arms. From the snow -capped and shredded mountains of Colorado to the densely wrapped salt plateaus of Utah and the meadows swept by the midwest wind, our eyes soaked with beauty during these four weeks that I could never have imagined. And to think that we have barely scratched the surface of all the natural treasures with which this large country overflows. With our personal effects in the back and our future to come, each kilometer has brought new places to discover, new faces to meet, and of course, new memories to make.
But as glorious as our time spent on the road turned out to be, I would lie if I said it was sort of glamorous. You see, for the first stage of the trip, time was not on our side, because we already had concrete plans to meet the family in California by the end of the week. Since we started the journey of our hometown outside of Raleigh, in North Carolina, this meant in a way zoom more than 3,000 miles in a little less than seven days. I still remember the moments when we entered the GPS to see that we had about 499 miles to go. But after a few days of driving of 10 hours – and too many small arguments – we persevered. Fortunately, our relationship too. However, if I could press Rewind, I would certainly have cut more free time for homelessness and wandering.
How is saying, “The decline is always 20/20!?“”
Come and think about it, I can't help but laugh at all the little misadventures that we stumbled along the way. Being the broken students that we were at the time, we knew that the only way to allow an adventure of this size would be through a good old -fashioned campsite. But oh, I will never forget this first night to sleep under the stars. After putting all our leaves, pillows and sleeping bags in the cargo carrier on the car, we did not even realize that it was not waterproof before After Torrential showers while we are crossing Kentucky. As you can probably imagine, our things were completely soaked, which did not do either of us, happy campers.
Fortunately, over time, our skills on the roadside have improved – as well as our common sense! – And we have completely become the experts in Pitch outfit. Although sleeping on a solid field is not as attractive these days is what made this trip unforgettable possible. This, and of course countless PB & J sandwich. But hey, you have to work with what you have, and these trivial meals had a fairly delicious taste at the time.
By looking back on our trip, my heart swells with gratitude for the life lessons that I learned this month on the road. To start, I was able to recognize that a trip on the road is not only feasible, but it can also be extremely affordable. As mentioned above, the campsite was the remedy to stretch our travel budget as much as possible. Using cheap campsites in national and state parks, we reconnected with nature and were able to rest our heads at night for as little as $ 20. The only disadvantages we found with these parks were that many of them had no hot water with regard to the baths. And I don't know about you, but I prefer to ignore a shower rather than stay under the freezing cold!
That said, we also took advantage of other renowned campsite, such as SO. Although these campsites are a little more expensive (from around $ 40 per night), they had all the amenities we needed … including hot showers.
In addition, we ended up saving a ton of money by repairing our own meals. Producer markets and stands of products on the roadside to reach the familiar aisles of Trader Joe's, I was surprised by the creation that we become creative by eating on the road. And when we ate outside – because hey, what is the point of tripping if you do not participate in a small local cuisine!? – We have made sure to conclude food offers. For example, we have rarely dined because it is the most expensive meal, and when we ate in restaurants, we opted for the sockets to avoid switching, etc.
This trip also allowed me to live the kindness of the American people in the first hand. Regardless of the state, the region or the city we have crossed, we were kissed with friendly faces, hot hearts and open arms. A particular moment, I hope that I am not escapes my mind, it is when we arrived at our campsite in the Grand Canyon. We had hiking all day and we had exhausted and hungry, to say the least. However, our moods have lit as soon as we unpack and have noticed a heap of firewood. Above the battery, a folded white note declaring: “For your conversations by the nocturnal fire. Love, honeymoon.” What an incredibly soft and thoughtful gesture of two complete foreigners!
These extremely cheerful vibrations have dissolved all the negative feelings that I could have been stuck in the bottom of my mind and gave me a greater appreciation for this country that I am so lucky to call at home.
Finally, this adventure opened my eyes to finally understand how Big America is really. Although this country seems large enough on a map, it is only when you spend hours and hours driving in a single state that you start to understand its depth in size. Although the immensity of the United States may seem overwhelming, it oozes with inspiration from every corner and will require much more than a simple road trip so that one of us fully absorbs its greatness and its complexity. But what A magnificent feeling knowing that this country houses such striking beauty and diversity. And the best part? It is good here in our backyard.
Although I am not sure when I never have another day when I salute the morning with a hike to the Hollywood panel, only to stay under the sparkling lights of the strip of Las Vegas at night, I have to go ahead with appreciation that this unforgettable experience took place. And I can only hope that I will have flashbacks to run through lush vineyards in the wine country of California or to enjoy a fiery sunset of the great canyon flooding my mind forever.
If you are walking on the stiff rope on the opportunity to take the road and discover America, do it! I urge you to seize the opportunity and go there. Yes, there will be long monotonous days of driving, the mornings wake up in soggy sleeping bags because it rained the previous night despite the forecasts calling a clear sky, and even some cold showers which refuse bones which you prefer not to remember. But hey, isn't that this kind of stockings that makes the tops so unforgettable? Believe me, while you zigzag across the country, you will not exchange moments from the window of your car for nothing.
Image sources: Image of the top.
