Soul Searching Solo Cross Country Road Trip and Scared

[Lifemagician]

You are wanting to get away from it, have time to think, for 13 days. Keep focused on the purpose of this trip 'find yourself', which right now is more important than seeing the great national parks.

Zion and the Grand Canyon will still be there when you have more time someday, and can make the trip in a less stressed state of mind. You are very young, and if you make this roadtrip a memorable one for all the right reasons, you will find there will be many more in the future.

I urge you to choose something closer to home. If you tend towards mountains, I'd head to Colorado, if the coast appeals more to you, then follow Buck's advice. But to spend most of your time driving does not give you time to think/meditate. Head for a place where you can spend considerable time out of the car.

Battling traffic you will need all your concentration on the road at all times. It will not achieve what you are setting out to accomplish.

Neither will sleeping in your truck put you in a reflective mood. I would highly discourage it, even at safe places such as truck stops. For your sanity at this time you need to wake up refreshed, have a shower, get dressed and check it all out in a full length mirror. It is impossible in a car to keep up your daily regime. All that will not make you feel any better about yourself than you do right now.

Stay closer to home and budget for cheap accommodation. With the hotel discount coupons you should be able to pick up cheap hotels/motels along the way, and give yourself the opportunity to sleep in, lazily get dressed, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, even if it is only cereal, yoghurt and fruit in your room, though most places have at least a breakfast of sorts..

Don't worry about not seeing Zion and the Grand Canyon right now. Not everything needs to be achieved before you turn 25. In my case, I had earned my seniors card, and was a grandmother, before I ever hit the road. Now a decade and a half on I have seen more of North America than most of its citizens ever will.

All my best wishes.

Lifey

[xmaggot4lifex]

Thank you Lifey, this is amazing advice. I still have quite some time to plan and will try to stay closer to home.

I was so determined to have a change of scenery and indulge in new places and people that I believe I have lost focus.

I will continue to do more and more research, for my trip won't be for another month and a half.

I just want to live and stop watching time escape me, become one with myself.

Nature is just what helps me reconnect with myself and an intense trail or two, I feel, would help me grow and push myself.

[glc]

Why don't you look at the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania? Depending on exactly where in Indiana you are, you could possibly make it there in one day - or worst case, sack out in your truck in a truck stop for one night. Bring a tent and camping gear for when you are there, campgrounds open in April.

[xmaggot4lifex]

Why don't you look at the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.

Although, pretty, I have already travelled through Pennsylvania when I went to visit Elmira, New York with a friend. I will not be able to travel for a long time after this trip of mine and want to make it as breath taking as possible. Something new to my eyes.

I plan to camp rather than hotels if I can :)

Thank you!

[noFanofCB]

March is too early for regular campgrounds which is for good reason. Communing with nature in March isn't what most people think of since March doesn't have real good weather. But sometimes communing with nature in a storm can be invigorating as it reminds us of how puny we humans are in the big picture.

[DonnaR57]

I don't think anyone has made this suggestion:

Get a paper USA map, or the USA map pages of a paper atlas. Take a compass, put the point of it on your town near Chicago, and then draw a ring around it that would be roughly 1000 miles away. That's a 2-day drive one way. Look at what's inside that circle. There are many things, including the above-mentioned Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. I see Kentucky's Mammoth Cave National Park, Arkansas' Hot Springs National Park, Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just to name a very few.


Donna

[landmariner]

Following up on the suggestion of Colorado for an 8-day trip... a couple of good options:

(1) Great Sand Dunes National Park (in south-central part of CO)
http://www.nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisi...ngsleeping.htm

(2) Mesa Verde National Park (southwestern corner of CO)
http://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisi...ngsleeping.htm

On the drive to/from you could loop towards the west-central corner of CO (actually eastern central Utah) and explore Arches NP.

Part of your self-exploration simply will be out driving on the open road. Once you hit Colorado the topography changes from the mid-western prairies in a very delightful way with plenty of very scenic routes. Folks on the forum will have plenty of suggestions on how to get off of the Interstates once you have made a decision on your destination.

Caveat: National Parks will charge admission fees and camping fees. An $80 annual pass might be an option for your admission fees (camping fees not included).

[xmaggot4lifex]

Thank you for all of the suggestions!