Preparing for a new adventure

It surprises me that even after more than 10 years of traveling I still get nervous around booking a new journey. For a few weeks I had been thinking about where to go this year. Sometimes it crosses my mind that I haven’t seen so much of Europe compared to how much I’ve traveled in America. I’m aware that there is also a lot of beautiful nature here. I considered another roadtrip in Italy or Spain, but was also reminded of how I traveled in Italy several years ago and struggled with the language barrier. In the north of the country people still spoke some English, but further south not so much anymore. I remember it was harder to connect with people, one the things I normally enjoy a lot when traveling. Meeting new people is a lot easier for me in America. Firstly because I speak the language, but also because in my experience people are a lot more outgoing there than in Europe. As soon as the Americans notice my dialect they get curious and start a conversation. I’ve met so many wonderful people during my journeys and it’s a big reason why I keep going back to the United States.
So after the choice was made of where to go, the next question was when to go. I started with looking for flights in the summer, because I enjoyed it a lot last year that business was quieter in that period and I didn’t have so many emails to answer. But flights and car rental are a lot more expensive in the summer, so I started shifting my dates earlier and earlier until I found good prices in spring. The nice thing about having my own business and no wife and children is that I’m very flexible with when to travel. Getting a good deal on the rental car was a matter of playing a lot with the dates and some discount codes. For some strange reason this time it was cheaper to book without any discount codes. It’s a good idea to try around a lot with that on the rental car website (Hertz is usually my choice), because just shifting some days and discount codes can easily safe you hundreds of Dollars.
When I’ve found good flights and a car, there is still some doubt. But this morning when I open Facebook, it shows me where I was two years ago. I see a picture of myself sitting on a swing in San Diego overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I don’t need more motivation than that and decide to continue booking. As soon as I have the confirmation of my flight ticket and car I feel a sense of relieve and a smile comes on my face. I see it as a confirmation of having made the right choice.
Despite the initial happiness I have some moments of doubts in the weeks that follow. My business is going well, it’s quite busy with work and I also have a lot of fun times with my family here. Those two factors make it always a bit harder to leave for an adventure. I think that’s a good thing, because it means that I’m enjoying my life here as well. I’m also aware that when I’m here, it’s very comfortable. I don’t have to think about where to camp tonight or where to drive tomorrow. And that’s another good reason to keep going on adventures, because it pulls me out of my comfort zone. Although I know my way around in America and know how to find campsites or other places to stay overnight (read: Walmart parking lots ;)), the unknown is still exciting.
I usually don’t plan too much ahead. I really want to go back to Colorado, but it turned out to be cheaper to fly to California, rent a car there and drive all the way to the Rocky Mountains. It comes with a bonus that I also get to see my friends at the West Coast and enjoy the beaches at the Pacific Ocean again. Besides the starting point I also know that I want to visit my grandma in Helena, so the plan is to drive again from California to Montana and back. The route is still to be mapped out, either I follow the coast north or head east through Arizona, Utah and Colorado. I think I’ll do the latter, because I have more friends living along that route and I hope to do some more hiking in Colorado, my favorite state.
Last weekend I wanted to listen to some instrumental music and stumbled upon this video showing many beautiful nature areas in America. I found it very inspiring to see and I think it gives a good idea of why I love traveling in the United States so much. My journey is still about two months away, but I wanted to share the pre-travel experience. So I went to a nice coffee place and starter writing a new blog post, on special request of a friend of my dad, who likes to follow my adventures. So, Linda, here is the first story again. I expect more stories to follow in April and May. And to all my American friends: let me know if you want to meet and I’ll do my best to put your town on the route!