Ahhhh, the road trip. My favorite way to travel, and a practice done differently by each person to hit the open road. That being said, it seems to me there are two main categories of road trip travelers. There’s the “you’ll eat and use the restroom when we stop for gas, which we will plan to do adjacent to a scenic location” road warrior, and the lollygagging, meandering, “take the next exit to see the big ball of yarn or natural landmark” pleasure cruiser. I am definitely the latter. I take my time, double back to things I miss, and stay extra days if a place really catches my interest.
For me, there’s not much better than jumping in the car with some great music on a beautiful day and truly seeing my surroundings change. I like having the freedom to stop and look at things as I head toward my destination. And much to the concern and discomfort of the people who love me, I am perfectly happy doing these trips alone.
My philosophy with solo travel (and life) is to make risky choices in the safest way possible. I will head out on the road by myself, but not without a phone (with location app turned on and shared with family), paper maps in case of GPS failure or poor signal, phone numbers written on paper (in case I have no phone and need to use someone else’s), and a freshly serviced car. I will camp alone, but on private land of someone who knows I’m there (I use HipCamp) locked in my car with my phone by my head and wasp spray in arms reach (to deter an attacker—they spray a lot and a long distance).
You see, I may be a free spirit, and I may go where the wind blows, but I’ve also researched the implications of the wind shifting and the most “don’t go there” spots in every place I’ve ever been. I measure risk in all I do. I spend weeks asking myself what dangerous choices I want to make, and how I can make them as safe as possible. Then, knowing full well I’ve done all I can do to hold up my end of the safety and health bargain, and also knowing my end of the bargain is only part of the deal, I allow myself to flow with the beautiful, unpredictable current of this stunning miracle of a life we get to live.
I truly believe we are meant to go where the path takes us. We are supposed to catch a breeze like a feather and float. We can plan and anticipate, but only so much, and at a certain point we just have to let go. We can mitigate risk, but we are not meant to control every single aspect of our lives. It’s impossible to achieve, way less fun to attempt, and, incidentally, it’s way above our pay grade.
Sara Middleton is a freelance columnist and resident artist/owner of Studio Sol Gallery & Creative Space in Eagle Grove, Iowa. Email her at sara.studiosol@gmail.com or find Studio Sol on Facebook or Instagram.
