Requiem for a Road Trip

5,012 miles. 

That's a lot of time to spend alone on the road.

After a week of reflecting on the trip and catching up on sleep, it's finally time to close out this journey. Being home in Traverse City has been great. It simultaneously feels like I never left and that I've been gone for a year.

The road trip was an amazing adventure and took me many places where I hadn't planned on going. I didn't meet too many people because of social distancing but I did meet a handful of interesting people and got to watch countless more experience the same wonders I did.

It was really interesting to see how different states and cities handled the Coronavirus. Out west in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, etc. it seemed to be an afterthought. There weren't mandated rules for masks or distancing. I would say about half of the people were wearing masks and about half of the stores and restaurants required them. It would pretty much up to each establishment and individual to take it upon themselves how much responsibility they took for the risk.

The only time I really got nervous about it, though, was at Mt. Rushmore where there were a few hundred visitors and hardly any wore masks.

As I came back east through Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, I started to see stricter rules and reminders that there is a serious global pandemic happening. Masks required, signs everywhere, enforced distancing rules, things like that.

I wouldn't change anything about the trip itself, except for maybe losing my suitcase. Ended up not being a huge deal, though, and my friend in Dayton has already shipped it up to me. It's safe and sound in my apartment now.

I've now been to 43 states (Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, and Alaska, I'm coming for you) which is something I'm pretty proud of because I would guess around 25 of them came since I graduated college. 

Montana was my favorite state I think. It had the mountains that Colorado and Wyoming had but it was so much more lush and green than the others. The cities were great, the people were nice.

John Steinbeck said, “I'm in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana, it is love. And it's difficult to analyze love when you're in it.”

Surprise city of the trip was Des Moines. It had a really cool downtown, lots of young people, and seemed to be a fun place to live. Never would have guessed.

If anyone reading this is considering a trip like this, I highly recommend it.