Mapping it out.We sat at our friend's kitchen table, pouring over four different maps: Google maps online (on two computers), our 2002 Road Atlas, and a large paper US map. Then I guess there were the two iPhones put to work at various times as well as we plotted our initial plan.
Where would we go? How would we make it work?
Our original (read: ideal) plan was to travel the year without working. But as time went on, we realized we needed to make a decision and set things in motion. Otherwise, I was afraid we’d still be in the planning stages twenty years down the road. We had two choices in front of us:
- 1. Wait longer (and continue saving)
- 2. Hit the road now (and work along the way)
Pixar's Up
Looking back, our commitment to actually buy the van and make this happen occurred in three waves.
First it was the idea. Bracken casually brought it up over coffee one morning while we were still dating. "I've always wanted to travel around the country in a van, climbing and dirtbagging it."
In his mind, I think, he was simply dreaming. Saying out loud something he thought would be a pretty cool thing to do. Perhaps testing the waters a bit to see if I’d be interested. Little did he realize that this small statement sparked something inside me. Something surprisingly strong and determined.
I adore travel and road trips and had had similar dreams of my own, including backpacking through Europe and around the world. So my eyes lit up as I turned to him and said, "That sounds awesome!"
The second wave came a number of months later and I call it the decision. We were still in the "talking about" it phase and the idea was definitely sometime in the future, although we both agreed that future was "near."
Then we went to see Pixar's Up in the theater.
For those of you who haven't seen it, it's a story that revolves around a couple who had dreams of travel and adventure and exploration when they got married, but let life pass by and they grew old still dreaming and not doing.
I walked out of the theater, looked over at him, and said, "we have to do our van trip." He nodded immediately in agreement. I think the movie shook both of us up. Our discussions became a little more frequent and purposeful.
The third wave came about a year after the decision. I call it the commitment. I'd quit my corporate job and started a new career path. We'd gotten engaged and were busy planning our wedding. We walked into REI on day and saw a tent on sale. It was a 6-person, very spacious tent.
We'd talked about what it'd be like to live out of our van and we both envisioned being out in the open a lot. A larger-than-we-needed tent would offer us some much needed space for living (not simply camping).
We bought the tent.
Our first purchase specifically for the adVANture: a Mountain Hardware Casa 6. And we love it.
The Decision Was Clear
Outdoor Living | Glacier Nat'l ParkWith the tent purchased, there was no turning back in our minds. Our decision was clear: we were going to go sooner rather than later and make it work. We didn’t want to wait. Didn’t want to let the opportunity or moment pass us by.
So there we were, maps in front of us, looking at climbing areas, mountain biking destinations and overlaying them with larger towns that would surely have a good signal for phone calls and coffee shops with wi-fi.
We came up with a solution that would allow us to work AND play, without one encroaching on the other. By committing to working three long days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday), we were able to enjoy the long weekends to explore, trail run, mountain bike, climb, drive and generally play.
We took off on the adVANture in November 2010. And I know that there are plenty more adventures awaiting us. All we need to do is decide which one is next.
What about you? What decisions are you hesitating to make? What would happen if you decided today?
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Other posts you might enjoy:- The Open Road
- Expectation vs. Reality
- The adVANture: Reflections on Life After 22,000 Miles on the Road