One thing I’ve noticed is that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for The Big Trip. The tally is almost even - for every person who is excited for me, there is nearly always one person who will give me at least one (and sometimes more) of the following responses:
"Isn’t your husband going with you?"
"Aren’t you afraid to go alone?"
"Isn’t that an awfully long way?"
"What if something bad happens?"
I’ll have to admit, sometimes even my chrome-plated enthusiasm can occasionally become slightly tarnished.
One thing I’ve learned is that it takes a lot of energy to keep a positive attitude. Good weather helps. So does lots of sleep. If you don’t have good weather and you can't sleep (because the weather sucks and you can't stop thinking about the trip), a cup of tea or a mocha can give you a bit of a boost in the afternoons. Those 10-hour Energy drinks are kind of nice, too.
Making lists can also be very therapeutic for those times when doubts arise. The way I see it, if every contingency I can possibly think of is covered, nothing can go horribly awry because I will have a plan for taking care of every one of those contingencies. Take, for example, one of the most often mentioned possibilities: road trouble. I plan to bring a toolbox that contains, among other things, duct tape (every man’s favorite tool), an adjustable wrench, vice grips, a multi-blade screwdriver, baling wire, needlenose pliers (with wire cutters), a tire pressure gauge and superglue. I also have a milk crate set aside that will hold windshield washer fluid, a bottle of antifreeze and a couple of quarts of oil. One should never forget bungees and a hank of rope - and a rubber hammer. You never know when a rubber hammer can come in handy.
Oh, right. For when all else fails, my cell phone and AAA card. (Those are for the "Flat Tire Contingency" and/or the "Total Breakdown Contingency.")
If good weather, a cup of tea and making a list fails to renew my enthusiasm for the trip, I’ve found that pulling out the atlas can catapult me back into Trip Dreamland. I sometimes wonder if I inherited my love of maps from my Dad. What a collection of maps he had! I'll bet Dad would have loved the Internet. You can investigate virtually anywhere you want to go quickly and thoroughly. Nothing fuels dreams better than photographs of those faraway places you want to see in person. Just a couple of clicks, and before you know it, everything’s shiny again!
"Isn’t your husband going with you?"
"Aren’t you afraid to go alone?"
"Isn’t that an awfully long way?"
"What if something bad happens?"
I’ll have to admit, sometimes even my chrome-plated enthusiasm can occasionally become slightly tarnished.
One thing I’ve learned is that it takes a lot of energy to keep a positive attitude. Good weather helps. So does lots of sleep. If you don’t have good weather and you can't sleep (because the weather sucks and you can't stop thinking about the trip), a cup of tea or a mocha can give you a bit of a boost in the afternoons. Those 10-hour Energy drinks are kind of nice, too.
Making lists can also be very therapeutic for those times when doubts arise. The way I see it, if every contingency I can possibly think of is covered, nothing can go horribly awry because I will have a plan for taking care of every one of those contingencies. Take, for example, one of the most often mentioned possibilities: road trouble. I plan to bring a toolbox that contains, among other things, duct tape (every man’s favorite tool), an adjustable wrench, vice grips, a multi-blade screwdriver, baling wire, needlenose pliers (with wire cutters), a tire pressure gauge and superglue. I also have a milk crate set aside that will hold windshield washer fluid, a bottle of antifreeze and a couple of quarts of oil. One should never forget bungees and a hank of rope - and a rubber hammer. You never know when a rubber hammer can come in handy.
Oh, right. For when all else fails, my cell phone and AAA card. (Those are for the "Flat Tire Contingency" and/or the "Total Breakdown Contingency.")
If good weather, a cup of tea and making a list fails to renew my enthusiasm for the trip, I’ve found that pulling out the atlas can catapult me back into Trip Dreamland. I sometimes wonder if I inherited my love of maps from my Dad. What a collection of maps he had! I'll bet Dad would have loved the Internet. You can investigate virtually anywhere you want to go quickly and thoroughly. Nothing fuels dreams better than photographs of those faraway places you want to see in person. Just a couple of clicks, and before you know it, everything’s shiny again!
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