With my Feet on the Dash, Twizzlers in Hand

When I was a little girl I remember my Dad telling me about how he and my mom drove through the Redwoods. He explained that they were gigantic trees in northern California, bigger than anything I'd ever seen in PA. He said some were big enough that cars would actually drive through a man-made opening in their trunk. I was fascinated. I wanted to see it for myself so badly. I was sure that one day I'd make it to California, preferably via beat up van after driving across the country the way my mom and dad did back in 1981. I can picture taking this trip, driving through the desert with my feet on the dash. We'd be listening to the local radio, snacking on Twizzlers to keep us up, and stopping at every odd or interesting looking place. We'd have no schedule and no obligations. Our only duty would be to explore.

It was around 2001 that I finally saw the redwoods, but this was after Googling it in my High School library. That wasn't the only thing I Googled that day. I looked up San Francisco (which led to an obsession with the Haight-Ashbury culture of the 1960s) and Los Angeles; I looked at pictures of cowboys in Texas, the world’s largest roller coasters in Cedar Point, Ohio, the moose in Alaska. I wanted to see it all. I wanted to ski in Colorado, surf in Laguna Beach, hike at the Grand Canyon and smoke pot in San Francisco.

I grew up in a rather convenient location to have experienced a lot of culture and diversity. Just outside of one of the oldest cities in our nation, Philadelphia (Go Eagles), 2 hours from Manhattan where I later spent time try to be a model and magazine writer (lol), and 2 hours from the New Jersey beach. Washington DC was a regular field trip and the Baltimore Aquarium was close enough for a Saturday day trip. I'd seen a lot...but not nearly enough.

Now 27 years old I've yet to make it off he East Coast. I've been everywhere from Maine to Florida but I'm ready for more. I can't possibly list all the places in the US I want to see. And don't even get me started on international travel. I simply am too hungry to learn and desirous to see it all.

I suppose the smart time to abandon a responsible daily grind type-of-life would have been after college. But I was already working 2 jobs and trying to establish an adult life. I was buying homes and cars. I had a dog...

Now I'm 27 and envious of my friends who visit family in California, spend New Years in Geneva or the summer in Paris. When will I get there? Is it too late? I'd like to have a family soon. Can I travel with children?

These thoughts are spinning around my head more aggressively this week because an acquaintance of mine not only just accomplished my road trip dream (this dream belongs to many) but also documented it a long the way. His video has gone viral, and rightfully so. Congrats, Brian. What an incredibly accomplishment.





Here's a link to learn more about his trip.