10. If possible, camp.
Yes, we all love the plush hotel pillows, hot showers and movies on demand, but you have an opportunity to transcend the comforts of your normal life and connect with the raw universe around you as you travel an earth rich with beauty and amazing places! Not only will you save money, but you will walk away with a much more full experience and a deeper connection to the journey and roads you are on.
9. Stop at the weird roadside attractions
Don’t worry, you’ll get to where you’re going. You only live once and the road is littered with tiny opportunities to enjoy the random, strange, small (and sometimes gigantic) oddities of the universe. Yes, it’s a giant ball of string. But now you saw the giant ball of string. Check it off the list with a smile and let that little stop off become a small part of your journey. Besides, these make great Facebook profile pics. Ha ha.
8. Bring your arsenal of music
You have hundreds of miles of open road… feed your mind and spirit with your favorite music! Turn it all the way up, sing at the top of your lungs and own that road like its your music video. Allow your journey to build its own natural soundtrack and never forget the power of music.
7. Gas station coffee is your best friend
The universe, in it’s infinite wisdom, has placed before you, on all of its roads, a steady supply of cheap caffeine. Yes it tastes funny sometimes and no it’s not a Midnight Mocha Frappuccino, but it will power the batteries in your body at a steady rate to get you to your destination. Energy drinks are not your friend. Drink a RedBull when you want to drift like Ken Block. Drop .99 at your gas stop and grab ya a hot cup of joe if you wanna roll till the sun comes up.
6. Talk to people along the way
Your roads are crossing those of thousands of other people as you travel through different places. You can, at times, extract some very amazing gems in your journey by being open to and engaging with those individuals at these intersections. Additionally, the places you visit are defined by the people that inhabit them. They create the culture and soul that makes it unique and the universe diverse. To know a land, you must know it’s people. Strike up random conversations!
5. Eat local!
On the same grounds, you are traveling through an ever-changing melting pot of delicious culinary diversity! Delete from you mind the option of pulling into a fast-food drive through or your familiar comfortable chains… discover and explore the world stretching platter of unique, locally inspired and locally sourced foods that will amaze your taste buds, connect you to your journey and its people and of course, fill your belly. For example, pick one: Double McCheeseburger…. or the Diablo Burger, from Flagstaff, Arizona, which is locally sourced angus beef, covered in pepper jack cheese, avocado, fried egg, green chilies and smashed between a logo branded, toasted english muffin…… yeah.
4. Take the scenic route sometimes
Sometimes you just have to get lost… or at least intentionally not on the straightest path from a to b. The universe is a big place and if you stick to your most direct routes, you will miss a very large portion of what there is to experience and see. Taking the longer and unknown roads, in my experience, has always led to the most memorable and meaningful moments and it keeps the fire in your soul burning for the spirit of adventure.
3. Have something to look forward to at the end of the road
The journey is of the greatest importance, but we should never forget the things that brought us to our roads in the first place. Whether its a person, a place, an event, a meal, or even just a warm place to sleep at the end of the day, allow your journey to saturate with its purpose and blossom from the path. Reflect on your destination and be thankful for the experience that is unfolding because of it.
2. Let the wind blow through your hair
There is little more to this, than it is one of life’s simple pleasures. To feel the freedom and wildness of the road as the landscape rushes by with a roar of wind is to find inner peace. With a smile on your face, the roaring wind engulfs you and you feel carried by it as you speed towards your destination. No one cares how your hair looks. Roll the windows down and feel the cool rush of freedom you are manifesting from your journey.
1. Embrace your journey
You have to allow your journey to be what it is. Both good and bad are elements that make up your experience and if you can learn to see the entire picture, enjoying the good parts and learning from the hard parts, you will find peace in its entirety, befitting fully from your journey as a balanced traveler. If you focus only on the pleasant moments, you will miss deep messages and lessons that you may be meant to see. And if you allow the bad parts to overwhelm your experience, you will be miserable and miss the beauty there is to see. Embrace your journey as a whole and be grateful for each and every experience. Face your roads with fire and passion and as you journey through this universe, never forget that your roads are who you are. They are your truths.
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