The following are a sample of excerpts from my journal that I kept while I was on the road. I started journaling as soon as the 2016 spring semester of college finished. The day I left Ithaca College, May 14, is marked as “Day 1, Year 1.”
I have enjoyed rereading my journal over the past couple of days, and I wanted to share some of these moments from my travels. Continue reading “Journal excerpts from the road”
Alex and I are in limbo at the moment as we prepare for our future travels in Australia. We will be flying to Sydney on May 1st. Until then, Alex and I are home in New York with my family, and I am working a temporary job to save money for our travels, and we continue to wait for updates on Alex’s immigration status. Van life is on hold for now, although we are still sleeping each night in our comfortable van bed (yes, even though it’s winter).
As I go about each day, I recall many vivid moments from my travels with a deep fondness. More often than not, the moments I spent in solitude with nature at some of the incredible campsites I discovered come to mind.
I’ve slept in my van in everything from Wal-Mart parking lots and city streets to rest stops, road pull-offs, and sketchy woodland “campgrounds” in the middle of nowhere. Primarily, I used freecampsites.net while I was on the road to find free places to bunk down for the night. It was always hit or miss, but I did find quite a few gems.
More than anything, I enjoyed these campsites because of their remoteness and the solitude they offered. That liberating feeling of escape can easily be ruined by trash, loud neighbors, scaring off the wildlife, and decimation of natural formations. So please, if you do go to any of these places on my recommendation, don’t make me regret writing this blog post. Leave it in as good of condition or better so it can be enjoyed by the next person. Continue reading “Favorite free van campsites”
So… funny story. I got married.
Ahem, we got married.
Yeah, right. We got married. Meet Alex, my Australian husband who happened to be camped out at Standing Rock the same time I was. I’ll let Alex introduce himself. He’s more eloquent than I am, anyways.
Hey, I’m Alex. Let me start with where I’m from. Continue reading “Introducing Alex”
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Like most American children — especially those of us who grew up in small, rural white towns and went to public school — I was raised to be a “patriot.” I’m not sure I ever fit that mold, and I don’t identify with it now. What I understand American patriotism to be is a fierce, blind love that rejects any criticism, even if it’s warranted. It’s the attitude that you can’t down-talk the military because you would be insulting veterans, you can’t stand up against environmentally destructive development because you’re interfering with good American “progress,” and Kaepernick is a douchebag because he cares more about justice than the national anthem. Continue reading “New Year’s Resolution”
With nine national parks inside its boundaries, California has the most national parks in any one state. Alaska comes in at a close second with eight parks. I was in California for about three months, and I have had the pleasure of touring eight of its nine parks. I missed out on Channel Islands National Park, which is off the mainland and requires a pricey boat ticket.
This was quite difficult to do because all eight of these parks are incredible, but I have ranked them. Even though some were better than others, the are all absolutely worth visiting. And of course, this is just my opinion, not a definitive ranking. Depending on what kind of environments you prefer and what outdoor activities you enjoy, your favorites list could be completely different.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” —Joseph Campbell
This is a quote I like to keep in mind, especially while I’m traveling. It seems whenever I bother to make plans, the Universe always tears them apart.
My plan: spend a few days exploring Death Valley National Park solo, then head south to visit Joshua Tree National Park for a second time with a friend I met in New Mexico.
What actually happened: Continue reading “The Death Valley debacle”
When I first arrived in California back in early July, the first thing I did was meet up with my friend Evan and drive over to Yosemite National Park for a breathtaking weekend. When we first drove down into the valley, our jaws came unhinged as we gaped at the spectacular granite monoliths rising up from the valley floor to touch the sky. I remember thinking to myself, “There can be nothing as spectacular as Yosemite.” At least, nothing I would set eyes on for many years, if ever.
Which is why I was surprised, when, driving into Lassen Volcanic National Park just two months later, I found myself thinking that the ragged mountains dipping down into lush green valleys were just as amazing as Yosemite. And knowing about Lassen’s fascinating past (and present) as an active volcanic region made it even more stunning. The park ranger at the visitor center told me that they would be capable of knowing about Lassen Peak’s next eruption about a week in advance. Continue reading “Lassen Volcanic National Park”
I just finished Franz Wisner’s memoir, “Honeymoon with my Brother,” in which he tells his story of being dumped just before his wedding and taking his brother on the honeymoon instead, which transforms into them quitting their jobs and traveling around the world for two years.
In regards to travel, Wisner writes that one thing you can expect for sure on a trip is “your best experience will be something spontaneous.” Continue reading “The Kansas effect”
Van Meets World 