Lessons Learned While Traveling

Our adventure was a success and I’ve learned so many things while being away from home. One of the major lessons learned is that it is possible to live with only a suitcase full of clothes for three months. It was hard to pack, as when we left Vermont October first the weather was still quite mild. We ended up packing some clothes that we wore the first month and then didn’t need them anymore. Then when the weather became colder I only had one warm sweater to wear!

It is also possible to enjoy life and not even think about all the “stuff” I left at home! Being a stay at home mom I have many gadgets in my kitchen to make my life easier. Much as I enjoy these things I never even thought of them while we were away! Instead I made do with what was on hand. The townhouse we stayed in was fairly well equipped and had everything we needed for our stay.

I did not read nearly all the books I thought I would while we were away. For some reason I figured that since I wouldn’t have the house to take care of I would be able to spend more time reading! Instead we were way to busy hiking the Black Hills of South Dakota and exploring Portland, Oregon to do much reading! We did listen to numerous audio books however!

One of the best lessons learned was that when you travel you meet unforgettable people! From the moment we arrived in Keystone, South Dakota we meet new people. While in Keystone we were surrounded by people from all over the world. We met people from Liberia, Nigeria, India, Tanzania, Cameroon, Egypt, Delhi, Saudi Arabia, Nepal as well as many Native Americans. There were also other folks from the US. Meeting them and hearing their stories was fascinating. We also met numerous people once we arrived in Portland. I have to say that folks in Portland are very friendly. It is not unusual to strike up a conversation with someone while waiting to cross the street! Many of these people we may never see again but they were a pleasure to meet and spend time with. However if we ever end up in the same place again we will be sure to reconnect!

You also learn to try new things when traveling. Whether you are sharing a meal at someone’s house or eating meals in a large dining hall with 100 other people you eat what is given to you. We had one meal where we were served Prong Horn Antelope! Something I never even thought about eating, but I have to say the stew that was created from the meat was delicious!

I also became more comfortable with driving in the city and living in an area where there are many more people than live in the entire state of Vermont!

You learn to take one day at a time. Especially when traveling in the winter! You can plan all you want regarding how far you will drive in a day, but in reality you have to keep an eye on the weather and plan accordingly.

The best thing about driving across the United States is that we live in a beautiful, diverse country. We also live in a very large country, until you drive across the country you have no idea just how huge the United States is! Most of the country is very rural and filled with small towns and beautiful countryside.

Most everyone we met was very helpful and friendly.

I would drive across the country again. It’s less stressful than flying, unless you are driving through Chicago! You have time to think, time to listen to audio books and just enjoy the day. Have you driven across the country? What was your take away?