Welcome back to our Travel Tuesdays! Edition three is a little different…a reminder almost. This week’s edition is all about home. As much as travel is amazing, there are things to be remembered about the home that created us, helped us to be who we are, and will always be ready to accept us back with open arms. Home looks different for everyone. For some, school may be a home away from home and offer the same comforts, others may picture their childhood home or the house where their parents live now. Sometimes it may just be a cat, or maybe a friend or roommate or significant other. Whatever home looks like to you, we can all imagine that feeling. Home is where the heart is, we all know the cliché. Sometimes when traveling long term, there are comforts lost for so long that when we have them back, they come with a different gratitude. That’s what our focus is today! Traveling allows us to explore the coolest parts of the world and experience new things but there is a loneliness to doing it by yourself, like I do. I find myself talking to my cat wishing I would hear some words back instead of a little meow. In just one month out alone without visiting friends along the way, I found out how lonely that can be. This edition, not only will I touch on how I combat loneliness and lack of motivation that can stem, but also my favorite place in the world to stay. Combatting that lack of motivationLoneliness has effects on travel that I never foresaw coming. I found myself having a lack of motivation to keep traveling. I wondered what I was doing sometimes or found myself making decisions to go places or spending gas money I shouldn’t be. That didn’t make my traveling any less rewarding or fun, but I just kept second guessing myself. There isn’t anyone else to ask to help make these choices. No one to fight me on sleeping in the Bass Pro Shop for another night or to stop be from driving 14 hours in one day. Sometimes I found myself making excuses to not go out and camp in a certain spot or go somewhere I previously thought was going to make the go-to list. I had no reason not too; I just didn’t know. My lack of intention behind what I was doing bothered me and I found the only way to get out of it was to stop telling myself no. I stopped second guessing myself. I stopped allowing myself to make excuses to not do cool things when I truly had no reason. It ended up allowing me to explore Wade Lake which I would’ve never done. I found hidden spots in Colorado I cannot wait to share with my friends or family. There are campgrounds I would’ve never gone to had I had the opinion of someone else to consider and while that would’ve made my trip different, the one I experienced is one I would never change. It allowed me to challenge myself in ways I hadn’t experienced before. It allowed me to trust myself and my abilities, my skills in keeping myself safe. My ability to find fun and be in charge of myself and live on my own in a way so few chose too. Travel Tuesday's Adventure RecommendationTravel Tuesday’s Adventure recommendation is the place I mentioned is one of my favorite in the world. Unfortunately, this week, its not a place just anywhere can stay. My shared home is in Bloomington, a spot where I live with my two roommates and cat. There was nothing I was more excited about coming back into the area for. I had been waiting to sit back on my porch, watching the animals and leaves fall on my street from the comfort of my porch couch.
I missed being able to walk on hardwood flooring and not have my bathroom one and a half feet from my bed. I missed having a fridge that worked all the time without having to haul out a heavy 100 ft extension cord and waking up knowing I don’t have a long drive to prepare for. While those are all some of the most exciting things about traveling, being on the road since May has been anything but an easy task. Theres difficulties I prepared for, but loneliness was not one. While I cannot say I was completely alone, I had my sweet cat with me. Even another presence, though one unspeaking, is helpful in that way, its not the same as having a travel companion. While I traveled this summer, I traveled with my boyfriend, friends, and tons of new people I had just met along the way. I always had company and it made planning and executing things much more difficult. I needed to figure out how to get this many people to this place, how to feed or sleep people, there was just always something to do. Theres other opinions to consider. When I was traveling alone, I kept wishing someone else was there for some input. With the lack of direction from others, I tend to take long road trips (8 hours round trip drive) through Colorado for nothing other than a Melanzana sweater. While I like the fact, I don’t need to consider others too much while traveling, sometimes that input can lead to a cooler camping spot, or just less stress on me figuring it out. Home means I don’t need to think about anything like that, but in a different way. I don’t have any more to worry about. My house is safe and complete with my bed and room decorated the way I want, a working fridge, my roommates, a porch to walk to hang out on tomorrow. Traveling will also be freeing for me, but there’s something freeing about home too, just in other ways. It will always offer me something that traveling to somewhere new cannot offer me, a place to always run back to, my safe place.
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Welcome back to another edition to Travel Tuesday! Between staying in Nebraska for a week, finishing my homework in a Bass Pro Shop, driving through Iowa for the first time ever, and finishing with a 14-hour long drive back to Bloomington, IN where I stayed the night in the Walmart parking lot. Despite all that, Travel Tuesdays are about the places, campgrounds, driveways, venues, or street roads I’ve slept on as well as a few smaller adventures I dealt with…and man do I have some for you. None of the places I stayed this past week I found through an app, sometimes a google search can suffice. Like I said before I am not that old, so I am still on a tight budget. While in Nebraska, I was able to stay with a close friend, so my stay was free. However, I had to find a place to put my RV because there was zero chance there would be street parking to fit my vehicle. I was lucky enough to find a storage place about 15 minutes away that was open and had room for me. I worked my way there and met the lady who runs the place. We talked about how I’d be here only a week and made it clear I wanted to pay for a month since that’s the way storage places usually work, but she was kind enough to charge me ten dollars for the whole exchange. I thanked her and moved on in. Nebraska was full of fun. I visited several pumpkin patches and orchards. I was able to get a taste of a more stable, scheduled life and I will say I missed it a little. Many people who travel like me understand that you’re willing to move away from the comfort of a house and the comfort of family and friends around. It made me more excited to return home to Bloomington, Indiana and be with my roommates in my own house. Staying in Nebraska also allowed me to play around with a lot of photography. I experimented with night-time long exposure photography which produced some really cool results. Since I was situated in Montana the whole summer, a lot of my photography was landscape based and while a city and the architecture is cool, it was even better getting to photograph the nightlife that I missed. It also gave me the ability to really focus on learning from others that are experts in long exposure photography like Trevor Sherwin. A few lessons...After leaving Nebraska, I focused on two things: 1.) Don’t lose my keys (again) and 2.) Don’t lock myself out (again). I struggled a tad making my way to and through Colorado. At one point, I found myself in the middle of nowhere Wyoming at a cute little RV camp. I was there with just one other camping family and settled in nicely and watched the sunset over all the flat fields. I woke up and tried to leave before I realized I couldn’t find my keys. I looked for an hour before I called the owner of the campground to notify them, I didn’t think I would be able to leave before the intended checkout time. They were overly understanding of the situation and allowed me to stay as long as needed. I’d stay again just because of how understanding they were. You can find there information here. I had spares, but my friend had them in her car and had left much earlier in the season. I sent an emergency text to her to ship them on the off chance I couldn’t find mine. Not wanting to bother the campground directors or my friend, I called a locksmith and paid $240 for two new keys. When I say middle-of-nowhere Wyoming, I mean he drove an hour and forty-five-minute drive to reach me. He got a really good yelp review and tip. Off chance you’re in Wyoming and need a locksmith, this is your guy. I didn’t make it much further into Colorado before I messed up again. I traveled to Colorado Springs to meet with some freshman friends of mine who attend The Air Force Academy. They pulled up to the Walmart I was parked in and with being as excited as I was, I rushed out and slammed the door shut so the cat wouldn’t get out. Unfortunately, my keys were not with me. I hugged them before panicking, realizing I may be out even more money. With stores closing, I called my nearest locksmith for a quote. That quote was $200 over my $0 budget. I tried picking the lock, coaxing my cat to unlock it from my drivers’ side door (it almost worked) before I realized one of my friends was small enough to fit through the only unlocked window. Twice is enough and I’ve learned my lesson. Travel Tuesday's Adventure RecommendationWhen I arrived in Bloomington at around 1 am, I just went to bed. I had a long list of chores, one of those to find where I was going to put the RV for the week. While I was not there long, I wasn’t able to find a friend with an open driveway to store it, so I was on my own. I woke up the next morning and that was first on the list, I couldn’t stay in the Walmart much longer. I called and googled to no end finding numbers out of service or places that were much to far out of my budget. I branched outside of just Bloomington and found the answer to my prayers in Martinsville, Indiana.
After finding a place that looked secure enough, I called and confirmed I could stay. For a small $80, I get to come and go as I please to a place that is technically not even open yet. When I called, the lady on the phone mentioned they’re newly opened and don’t even have their signs yet. They asked me what my situation was, and I told them, and they resonated with it because their daughter is a solo female traveler too and they understand how hard it can be. You can find all their information here. I got so lucky between the two storage places I kept the RV at, and I am super thankful that there are still some good people out there just wanting to help out when they can. It reminds me that I should be doing the same and encourage those around me to do the same. What have you been doing lately to help out? Let me know below! Welcome to Travel Tuesdays! I am starting a new addition to this blog, something a little extra every Tuesday. I talk a lot about my adventures but that can seem so out of reach for many viewers. Tuesdays will be dedicated to talking about the places, campgrounds, driveways, venues, or street roads I spend my nights sleeping at with a highlight at the end about a spot that I favorited recently. Considering I am only 20, I don’t have a million dollars or all my dads money to spend on living comfortably on the road, so I do it for cheap. Anyone with a sleep-able car can follow along with these directions to find a hidden gem for cheap and help them start up their own adventures. When I hit the road, the first thing I did was look for apps to make my life a little easier. GasBuddy, Campendium, and Campnado are some of the free apps I use for cheap gas, dump stations, and local campsites for free or for cheap. There are other apps that require a subscription, like The Dyrt. If you’ve got a little bit of money to spend, I do recommend something like The Dyrt for the most access to free sites. If none of those options are working, sometimes you’ve got to get creative. When none of my apps are producing options that feel safe enough (and we will talk through this later) or fit my vehicle, creativity is the only way to go. A quick google search will produce a list of places locally that you can sleep in, but nationally there are a few options too. Campers and other car sleepers can legally stay the night at any Walmart parking lot, Crackle Barrel, or a Bass Pro/Cabela’s. There’s been a few nights where camping didn’t work out well for me or I didn’t get far enough on my drive like I had planned and just needed to pull over. I spent a night in a Bass Pro in Colorado Springs, Colorado and they come by early sunset time to get all your information. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that and as a solo female traveler, I am on high alert at all times. I knew my doors were locked but when I heard a knock at my door, my heart jumped. With a quick look out a hidden window, I knew it was just the local security making sure I was good for the night, and it added an extra sense of safety and relief to know I was being monitored unlike I would be at a Walmart parking lot. Just remember that before you park there and turn in for the night. Now for safety...Sometimes a scare is a good thing when its simple like that. It reminds me that things aren’t safe on the road, and I need to take my preventative measures to make sure I am safe. Avoiding somewhere sketchy is my number one priority. I’ve driven to countless campgrounds that just felt a little less than safe. I drive in and leave right away. Being a solo traveler, I am on my own time and don’t need to worry about family or friends to do something. Its all my decision and my biggest advice is to follow your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, get out of there. There are lots of other places to go. When choosing a parking lot, Walmart or otherwise, make sure you park as close to a light as possible. Your car is a lot less likely to be messed with or broken into if you’re not in complete darkness. Having a backup plan is one of the best things you can do for yourself as well. Carrying a gun, pocketknife, mace, or whistle of some sort is a good idea for self-defense. If the situation calls for it, being able to defend yourself may be necessary and it’s a good idea to create a plan so you’re as prepared as possible. You can learn more about being safe as a solo traveler here. Travel Tuesday's Adventure Recommendation To finish us off, here’s my highlight camping destination of the week - Welcome to Horse Tooth Reservoir, Colorado! This place was one of the few places I went to in Colorado that was super impressive. While traveling around the state for a few days, I found that Colorado is full. It’s a very, very busy place, but it is filled with just about anything and everything. It was a little hard to drive through and you had to get pretty out into the middle of nowhere to be alone. Lucky for me, I travel alone so having some neighbors is actually a little nice sometimes. As I arrived, the drive in was beautiful. Its full of pull offs that are filled to the brim with people stopping through for pictures. The campground was huge, and I worked my way to my spot, right on the water with a perfect view. For a steeper, flat price of $50 a night, I wanted a nicer view. As the sun went down and I finished my homework, I worked my way outside to take a walk. Being on a reservoir, the beach and the lake were calling my name and I worked my way over there for a short walk. I watched all the boats take out at the launch as the sun dwindled down and left my shoes in the grass. This seemed to be the kind of area where things aren’t getting stolen or broken into. After about a mile, I turned around in the dark and wandered back. The sand was extra red and was a mix between normal sand and wet sand. It sucked you deeper down but was still, but barely, firm enough to walk on. There was clear evidence of the day’s events between the boats exiting and the castles in the sand. I found a very large crawdad claw and wanted to fish, but the day was coming to an end and I was more than tired after driving 17 hours in the two days before. I headed back to find my neighbors outside and they invited me for some smores. With smores and stories being shared, Bob and Jane, my neighbors decided it was time to turn in for the night and I headed back to my camper as well. I crawled into bed with my cat Poe and started to sleep. Unfortunately, just like the Bass Pro incident, the same thing happened. I had been asleep for probably 2 hours before I got a knock at my door. Again, everything in my body is freaking out and I crack open my window to find two rangers. I had walked in for my camping spot instead of making a reservation (which I also recommend making for better spots, I just got lucky) and they needed some information from me that someone was supposed to take hours ago, before 11:30pm like when they showed up. The wake up was quick and only resulted in another short walk on the beach during sunrise. I had another 8-hour day ahead of me I needed to get ready for. While my trip here was short and sweet, I found that this was one of my favorite places in Colorado to stay. Even with a more expensive price on a night’s sleep, the scenery and neighborly company was just what I needed to be reenergized for my next drive. Some of my favorite places are entirely made by the company I kept while there and this couple was no different. Campgrounds are a great place to meet people who are likeminded or do the same activities as you. Their stories carry valuable travel information and wisdom that may help later on.
Join me back here next Tuesday for another Travel Tuesday that will fill you in on my solo traveling tips and for a must-see hotspot to add to your next adventure. People walk all paths of life, and I am walking one I would've never imagined three years ago as a high school senior. I had pictured being in a sorority out of state and traveling abroad for a semester, maybe even graduate school. That's not how things are.
I am pursing an online media degree and traveling cross country. I've been driven through and lived in 6 different states since May and have no plans of stopping, with 3 more states planned for this fall. I had envisioned getting out of Indiana for college, but that's not how it worked out and I am eternally grateful for that. Had I gone to Utampa or Auburn, accumulated hundreds of thousands worth of debt, I would not have the opportunity to be doing what I am now. I’d like to take you along with me on my journey to ditch the normal corporate life and adventure a little more. While I have working legs, healthy lungs, and a strong mind, experiencing new things and new cultures and new places is critical to being a human and I think it’s a part of life we have lost as we’ve evolved. Doing these important things in my prime is possible while pursuing my education and working year-round. I’d like to invite you to join my journey of navigating life away from normal and comfort, having only my cat as a source of companionship while on the road. It won’t be without complication – I just spent $260 having a locksmith drive an hour and a half out into nowhere Wyoming because I lost my key – but it will be fun! I've learned a lot on the road in the few months I've been out here and I'd love to help you start the process of getting out there and joining me on your own nomadic journey. |
About ErynnErynn is originally from Indiana and is a student at Indiana University - South Bend. While pursing her degree, she is working as a raft guide during summers and spends the rest of the year traveling in her RV alongside her adventure cat, Poe. Her goal? To promote a lifestyle around the outdoors and to disconnect from the comforts of daily life. My Blogosphere |