Why I’m Taking an Entire Semester to Travel the United States…Alone

It is an understatement to say that we as humans are creatures of habit. Day after day we go through the same routines, see the same places, and interact with the same people. Even as a college student, where we have more flexibility in our lives than those who have graduated and are working full time jobs, it is easy to fall into the monotonous pattern of life.

I have decided to, for an entire semester, throw the tedious pattern of everyday life out of the window and take a life-changing trip. I recently purchased a van and will be going on a road trip throughout the United States, by myself.

This is an endeavor that has sparked a great deal of interest, and I thought I would share my thoughts and reasoning as to why I am embarking on this unconventional adventure.

I want to see my own country before seeing the rest of the world

Seeing other countries and experiencing other cultures is an incredible experience that no one should take for granted, but what can it be compared to if you don’t even know your own country fully? I have lived in Florida my whole life, and traveling to different parts of the United States from Florida is almost like experiencing a new country. I think that it is necessary to have a good understanding of your country in its entirety, not just your hometown, before embarking on worldwide travel.

Once you are comfortable, you stop growing

A great piece of advice that I once received was “once you are comfortable, move on.” Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to constantly be moving from one place to the next, never satisfied with what you have, but that if you get too comfortable, you will stop growing as a person. In theory, it isn’t necessary to take risks when you are comfortable in life. Risks = Rewards.

Think back to your freshman year in college, when you were in a new town and you didn’t know a soul. You didn’t know your way around, you didn’t have anyone that you could rely on, and you were essentially on your own in the world for the first time. Now, think about how quickly you were able to meet people and learn your way around the town. It is incredible to think about how much you could learn if you were always adapting and learning that quickly. This can be only be done if you are outside of your comfort zone.

If you are waiting on someone to join you, they never will

When I tell people that I am going on a cross-country road trip, I typically get the same response: “Oh, that’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to do that, who are you going with?” When I inform them I am going alone, they give a concerned and sympathetic look and ask, “Really?! Why?” It automatically changes everyone’s attitude about the trip. The reality is, most people don’t want to take off a whole semester, or cannot take all online classes like I am doing. If I were to wait around and continuously postpone the trip until I could find someone to go with, it would never happen. There are times in life when you can only rely on yourself and let your independence take full control.

The great American author, Mark Twain, said:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did.”

This quote truly hits home to me. I don’t want to be looking back on my life wishing that I had gone on this trip. I want to live my life fully and without regrets, even if it means taking risks and taking unconventional road-trips by myself. I would love it if you all would follow me throughout this journey both on this blog, on the Wayfarer Life Instagram @wayfarer_life also accessible through the home page, and on my personal instagram page @jjking321. My journey begins in August 2015!