Let me start by saying I have a very loose long term travel plan. I also have absolutely no idea how long I will travel. 6 months, a year, 2 years – who knows? If at any point it becomes tiresome or unenjoyable I will stop or alter my plans. I also want to allow enough flexibility to change my plan at any time, or potentially embrace opportunities that pop up. Plus, where is the excitement if everything is planned? Having said all that, I have given some amount of thought as far out as a year and beyond. Most of my energy and focus however has been put into these first 6 months – which I am referring to as Phase 1.
“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life and in change there is power.” — Alan Cohen
If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go? For me, Phase 1 will keep me in the United States. There are many practical reasons behind this decision. I do still have a full time job and this will be my first real experience working remotely full time. I think it will offer the easiest transition for me staying in the U.S. and also in a time zone that will be manageable with work concerns. Also, why start exploring other parts of the world when there are so many places in the U.S. I haven’t seen? Those are just a couple of the reasons why I chose the U.S. for my Phase 1 travel.
“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —John Pierpont “J.P.” Morgan
I was born and raised in Wisconsin and have lived in Milwaukee for the last 16 years. I love Wisconsin but summers are short and winters are 6 months of cold gray skies. Since I can control where and when I go places, why not visit the places I want to go when the weather will be optimal. Sort of a no-brainer. So the weather and time of year will play a large role in where I go, when I go, and what I do when I get there.
For now, I’m not going to reveal my travel schedule ahead of time. Everything is new and unknown and subject to change, so I will initially be sharing things here as it happens. What I will tell you is that Phase 1 of my long term travel plan currently consists of all places I’ve never been. And it will be an epic road trip. Stay tuned.
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Unknown