road trip

Questions

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Will I get lonely, driving across country by myself?

What are the common elements of community in America?

Does my AAA membership apply nation-wide?

Should I trust strangers who offer to help?

What is the best road snack?

Paper map, or smart phone?

Back roads or interstate?

What is the perfect level of humidity?

How long does it take for my air conditioner fluid to run out?

Is there even such a thing as air conditioner fluid?

Will I get sick of my own company?

Is it safe to camp in a tent by myself?

Podcasts, music, audio books, or silence?

Will I get a left-arm-only sunburn?

Can you sunburn through a car window?

How many showers a week is a reasonable amount?

How do I find healthy eating options on the road?

What kind of gluten-free, vegetarian meal can I get a roadside diner?

How annoying can I possibly be to a good southern cooking joint?

What are the different “flavors” of contra dance around the country?

Hurricane season and New Orleans: worth it?

In which states is it illegal to talk on the phone while driving?

Sunrise or sunset?

Ready?

Set?

 

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Preparation Stage 1: Simplicity

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I’m going through this phase, partly inspired by my upcoming roadtrip and partly inspired by the testimony of simplicity in the Quaker tradition. It is my get-rid-of-everything phase. The bottom line is, anything I would like to bring across the country with me either needs to fit in my teeny tiny Hyundai, or I need to pay to have a shipped.

I’m not a fan of the latter option. And while I don’t own much, I do own more than I have space for.

Bed: selling. Bed frame: keeping. Clothes: mostly keeping. Books: certainly keeping.

You may notice a problem.

Other considerations:

  • Get a map?
  • How about a car jack and jumper cables?
  • Food for along the way
  • Striking a balance between taking a meandering route and still being realistic about how long I want to extend this trip.
  • Finding contra dances to call at, and communities to teach singing workshops in.
  • Hurricane season – worth bothering with?

As I simplify, simplify, simplify, I look forward to those first few solitary hours of open road, heading east on I-40 through the Sandias, past Tucumcari, past Amarillo. I can’t decide if I will laugh or cry. Probably both.