When traveling there is more to it than just the sights and sounds

I take cheap travelling to an entirely different level from eating (apples, carrots, peanut butter+jelly, granola bars, oatmeal packs, canned tuna, etc), to showering at truck stops. A motel stay is a luxury, and so is a campground. Do I have to rough it like I do? No but I have guilt free designer shopping, or four star dining experiences instead. Its a give and take for me as to the memories I decide to make. Im still hunting for a pair of Christian Louboutin's on sale... lol. Off Saks has some great deals, and I will drive out of my way to shop at one. I am a girl after all, even when I have three days worth of mud caked in my hair. Gross? Good! The more disgusting the more I prolly enjoyed myself. Ive never caught more that bug bites, and poison ivy yet. I bet while getting dirty I fasted in prayer, too.

My parents loved to travel, and took us all over the gosh darn planet. My mom loved fine hotels, and my dad not so much. I too speak Greek fluently BibleLover being my mother was from the island of Crete. My Spanish bites, but I know enough to get by. My sister lives in northern Greece, in Thessaloniki.

What do I get out of all my crazy butt road trips? Getting away from humanity, into the wilderness, and turning up God's volume all around me. I like to experience the beauty He created without the noise, and pollution of man. Sad thing is Ive never been hiking anywhere yet in the U.S. when I didnt bag up garbage.

Keep y'all posted as Im getting ready to hit the road for a while in the next few weeks. Maybe diamond digging in AR? Camping on the gulf in LA? Watching the sun rise in CA? Im not sure yet, but my laser blue Jeep is saying "Lets go for a long ride". Who knows with me. All I know is Im going someplace sometime soon.
 
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When I saw my sis in London my sister took me to Paris one weekend so we saw a lot of sights because she's into all the sights, but I think I was a bit exhausted by the end. Went to all the galleries and the shops and the parcs, and ate croissants and went up the Eiffel Tower and everything. Because I had studied French it was exciting to finally see it in real life. Big massive cathedrals like Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur, they really liked their monuments. And a bottle of wine was only like $2.

I remember going to Australia to visit with my friend to HER sister and also her sister insisted we leave her and go see all the sights and paid for our bus trip where we saw a big rock that looked like a wave. And rock formations that looked like craters of the moon. However, in Australia we didn't have any Aborigine guides to tell us what it meant so we just got the White European version, which was again, very prosaic (these rocks were formed MILLIONS of years ago!')

We yawned and wanted to just go back home, because that was a very looong road trip. However millions of people drive a long distance just to see Ayers Rock or Uluru so I thought maybe there was something spiritual about that place but the White Europeans ignored that part of it. There's a lot that I don't know about Aborigine culture, and the same with Native American culture, because the only place we could see that or connect with them was in a museum. And it's a bit sad to see the relics of your culture relegated to being preserved in bits and pieces in a museum.

I recall going to New York and mum and I filled up most of our time in museums. It was ok but what else could we do to pass the time while our hosts were working. I liked going out to dinner with my cousins and meeting them.

I am quite ok with not travelling at the moment and staying put. I think if you are constantly going from place to place it can wear you out. It's nice to have roots. In history nobody had made it as far as my country for thousands and thousands of years. We are practically the last bit of land save Antarctica to have humans live on it. So if it took that long to get here, who am I to leave where God has put me. lol.
 
I take cheap travelling to an entirely different level from eating (apples, carrots, peanut butter+jelly, granola bars, oatmeal packs, canned tuna, etc), to showering at truck stops. A motel stay is a luxury, and so is a campground. Do I have to rough it like I do? No but I have guilt free designer shopping, or four star dining experiences instead. Its a give and take for me as to the memories I decide to make. Im still hunting for a pair of Christian Louboutin's on sale... lol. Off Saks has some great deals, and I will drive out of my way to shop at one. I am a girl after all, even when I have three days worth of mud caked in my hair. Gross? Good! The more disgusting the more I prolly enjoyed myself. Ive never caught more that bug bites, and poison ivy yet. I bet while getting dirty I fasted in prayer, too.

My parents loved to travel, and took us all over the gosh darn planet. My mom loved fine hotels, and my dad not so much. I too speak Greek fluently BibleLover being my mother was from the island of Crete. My Spanish bites, but I know enough to get by. My sister lives in northern Greece, in Thessaloniki.

What do I get out of all my crazy butt road trips? Getting away from humanity, into the wilderness, and turning up God's volume all around me. I like to experience the beauty He created without the noise, and pollution of man. Sad thing is Ive never been hiking anywhere yet in the U.S. when I didnt bag up garbage.

Keep y'all posted as Im getting ready to hit the road for a while in the next few weeks. Maybe diamond digging in AR? Camping on the gulf in LA? Watching the sun rise in CA? Im not sure yet, but my laser blue Jeep is saying "Lets go for a long ride". Who knows with me. All I know is Im going someplace sometime soon.
Your life sounds really interesting.
I imagine you come across all sorts.
and the freedom must be good.
As much as I get itchy feet, I think I would enjoy living in a little camper van for a while. That’s one of the reasons I’m learning to drive, so I can go on road trips with my family😊
 
I take cheap travelling to an entirely different level from eating (apples, carrots, peanut butter+jelly, granola bars, oatmeal packs, canned tuna, etc), to showering at truck stops. A motel stay is a luxury, and so is a campground. Do I have to rough it like I do? No but I have guilt free designer shopping, or four star dining experiences instead. Its a give and take for me as to the memories I decide to make. Im still hunting for a pair of Christian Louboutin's on sale... lol. Off Saks has some great deals, and I will drive out of my way to shop at one. I am a girl after all, even when I have three days worth of mud caked in my hair. Gross? Good! The more disgusting the more I prolly enjoyed myself. Ive never caught more that bug bites, and poison ivy yet. I bet while getting dirty I fasted in prayer, too.

My parents loved to travel, and took us all over the gosh darn planet. My mom loved fine hotels, and my dad not so much. I too speak Greek fluently BibleLover being my mother was from the island of Crete. My Spanish bites, but I know enough to get by. My sister lives in northern Greece, in Thessaloniki.

What do I get out of all my crazy butt road trips? Getting away from humanity, into the wilderness, and turning up God's volume all around me. I like to experience the beauty He created without the noise, and pollution of man. Sad thing is Ive never been hiking anywhere yet in the U.S. when I didnt bag up garbage.

Keep y'all posted as Im getting ready to hit the road for a while in the next few weeks. Maybe diamond digging in AR? Camping on the gulf in LA? Watching the sun rise in CA? Im not sure yet, but my laser blue Jeep is saying "Lets go for a long ride". Who knows with me. All I know is Im going someplace sometime soon.

Sounds like an adventure. Traveling doesn't have to be real expensive and you have outlined one way to lower the cost.
 
I just picked up a few things in preparation. I found two small print light weight bibles at a thrift store; one KJV and the other an ESV. The ESV reads with ease, so Im looking for a larger print ASB or ESV. Im sure I will end up giving them away at some point as they are hard for me to see. I wished for lighter weight items to have in my pack.

No travelling doesnt need to be expensive. I usually sleep on a small air mattress in my Jeep very selectively with safety first. I bring hand washable clothing that wont wrinkle much, and a bucket/clothes line. Any place with running water will work to wash things/myself. If its summer like now, clothes dry quick inside my vehicle. Travel plazas have showers for around $10 to $15 and provide a clean towel. I find most are safe enough to nap at close to the building, where there is plenty of foot traffic/security cameras. I travel light with a small folding chair, a tent, two towels, four changes of clothes, one fancy outfit, two pairs of shoes (wearing one), and enough edibles/drinks or mix for 3-4 days (depending on water sources). I have a USB chargeable misting fan, a small bottle filled with laundry detergent, a bucket (doubles when shell/rock/berry collecting and I use it for food storage), and small travel bottles for shampoo/soap/stuff. I do bring a make shift first aid kit to avoid the extra costs of other supplies I might need. I end up with one large back pack. I can go anywhere I want this way.

My doc has not cleared me for travel yet due to an ankylosing spondylitis flare. Two more weeks till my next appointment, and if all is well Im outta here! I still have not decided exactly where though. Last summer I went to NE to see my eldest, and this past winter was the FL trip I took with my youngest. Im sure I will find a spot to camp out I will find suitable. All I need to figure out is a direction, lol.
 
Yes, sometimes she does but I cant rough it with her. She recalls too many road trips as kids sleeping in my van, getting rained on in tents, and sharing small spaces. Funny how I remember being dragged through ruins I did not want to see, and she remembers being dragged around camping places she didnt want to be. Ahh the cycle of travelling with kids! Things for sure are they both hate Waffle House (cheap to feed kids), wont go antique/thrift/yard sale shopping, or to a museum unless there is something they want to see. My youngest is more like her grandmother (in heaven), and insists on nice hotels. She will camp out, but brings half the house. She has a lifted diesel 7.3 Excursion she works on herself, that has plenty of room. My eldest rarely enjoys being outdoors these days; shes a home body.

I actually prefer road trips alone. They arent about a destination, but getting closer with God. I can stop, see, do, eat, fast, or anything I choose on my own schedule. For a true loner like me, that is a priceless feeling :)
 
Yes, sometimes she does but I cant rough it with her. She recalls too many road trips as kids sleeping in my van, getting rained on in tents, and sharing small spaces. Funny how I remember being dragged through ruins I did not want to see, and she remembers being dragged around camping places she didnt want to be. Ahh the cycle of travelling with kids! Things for sure are they both hate Waffle House (cheap to feed kids), wont go antique/thrift/yard sale shopping, or to a museum unless there is something they want to see. My youngest is more like her grandmother (in heaven), and insists on nice hotels. She will camp out, but brings half the house. She has a lifted diesel 7.3 Excursion she works on herself, that has plenty of room. My eldest rarely enjoys being outdoors these days; shes a home body.

I actually prefer road trips alone. They arent about a destination, but getting closer with God. I can stop, see, do, eat, fast, or anything I choose on my own schedule. For a true loner like me, that is a priceless feeling :)

Nothing quite like getting closer to God in nature.
 
Funny, a friend of mine is always going places because she has like 3 homes and a campervan and just rotates going in each. Plus her daughter lives in Australia, so they go and visit every so often.
She asked me to come visit her at her bach (beachouse) which is an hours drive away but I said no because I couldn't get anyone free that day to come with me and I just don't really like driving for an hour on my own. The roads are hilly and windy and chock with traffic at this time of year.

I said I can just see her when she gets back home lol.

The thing with travel is you have to leave everyone behind, and your house and plants and pets...they can't all come with you.
 
Funny, a friend of mine is always going places because she has like 3 homes and a campervan and just rotates going in each. Plus her daughter lives in Australia, so they go and visit every so often.
She asked me to come visit her at her bach (beachouse) which is an hours drive away but I said no because I couldn't get anyone free that day to come with me and I just don't really like driving for an hour on my own. The roads are hilly and windy and chock with traffic at this time of year.

I said I can just see her when she gets back home lol.

The thing with travel is you have to leave everyone behind, and your house and plants and pets...they can't all come with you.
Ah hour?
It takes me longer just to drive to work.

Rtm
 
Back when I commuted to work, after years of battling traffic, I began taking a commuter bus followed by a subway ride to work in Washington DC. Once the traffic was not my immediate problem I began to enjoy the ride, appreciating the various views, particularly once I got outside the Washington beltway. It also gave me time to plan my day on the way in, and recover on the way out.
 
I take cheap travelling to an entirely different level from eating (apples, carrots, peanut butter+jelly, granola bars, oatmeal packs, canned tuna, etc), to showering at truck stops. A motel stay is a luxury, and so is a campground. Do I have to rough it like I do? No but I have guilt free designer shopping, or four star dining experiences instead. Its a give and take for me as to the memories I decide to make. Im still hunting for a pair of Christian Louboutin's on sale... lol. Off Saks has some great deals, and I will drive out of my way to shop at one. I am a girl after all, even when I have three days worth of mud caked in my hair. Gross? Good! The more disgusting the more I prolly enjoyed myself. Ive never caught more that bug bites, and poison ivy yet. I bet while getting dirty I fasted in prayer, too.

My parents loved to travel, and took us all over the gosh darn planet. My mom loved fine hotels, and my dad not so much. I too speak Greek fluently BibleLover being my mother was from the island of Crete. My Spanish bites, but I know enough to get by. My sister lives in northern Greece, in Thessaloniki.

What do I get out of all my crazy butt road trips? Getting away from humanity, into the wilderness, and turning up God's volume all around me. I like to experience the beauty He created without the noise, and pollution of man. Sad thing is Ive never been hiking anywhere yet in the U.S. when I didnt bag up garbage.

Keep y'all posted as Im getting ready to hit the road for a while in the next few weeks. Maybe diamond digging in AR? Camping on the gulf in LA? Watching the sun rise in CA? Im not sure yet, but my laser blue Jeep is saying "Lets go for a long ride". Who knows with me. All I know is Im going someplace sometime soon.
My parents also liked traveling. They dorve a van from their home in Calidornia down to Guatemala, turned around and drove to anchorage and back. They also deove several trips from west coast to east coast.

I drove across country one way once.

Now most of my trips are to see my sons (180 mi away for one, 210 mi away for the other).

My wife & I talk a lot about taking a long trip just for ourselves, but so far other concerns keep putting it farther away.
 
I went on a boat trip and it was nice going over the harbour sitting at the bow and gliding across the water seeing the islands on either side. But it was also with friends and we spent the day at the beach, sunbathing.

There was a bit of history to the island on some boards up but I think we just enjoyed the peacefulness of the present glorious day. Sometimes you want to travel and just leave all the past behind.
 
If I had a mechanically inclined husband to travel with (to keep a vehicle in good running order), Im sure I would have driven to Alaska and Argentina by now. Then again, I think someone with me would drive me batty... lol
 
Back when I commuted to work, after years of battling traffic, I began taking a commuter bus followed by a subway ride to work in Washington DC. Once the traffic was not my immediate problem I began to enjoy the ride, appreciating the various views, particularly once I got outside the Washington beltway. It also gave me time to plan my day on the way in, and recover on the way out.
When I lived in Europe, I often traveled by train. It was cheap, convenient, and comfortable; it also provided the opportunity to appreciate the marvelous European countryside. Once I moved back to the states in Chattanooga, Tennessee, I found that I had to go to Atlanta to catch a train because no train service is available here. I'm sure that those familiar with the song "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" will appreciate the irony of the situation.
 
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