The Romance and Reality of the Open Road

After working for ten years as a senior technical manager, administrating software projects at an online company, Junonia customer Kristen N. began to crave a little change of pace in her life. She began worrying about her health as it had begun to suffer; her blood pressure reached an all time high.

Thinking of ways to make a change, Kristen remembered her childhood. Growing up near Buffalo, NY, Kristen's family was big on camping. They started out with child tents, moved on to a popup camper, and finally, as they had become camping pros, a travel trailer. But after her teens, the camping ceased. In the late 90s, when Kristen found herself in a routine slump, the idea of traveling again and seeing more of North America suddenly occurred to her. Technology was not what is now, though, and the idea was put on hold. However, only a few years later, at the end of 2004, Kristen bought herself an RV and hit the open road in search of a new life; a rejuvenated her.

Of course, there were some considerations at hand that Kristen had to work out. For example, how would she receive mail? How would she keep contact with friends and family? These were obstacles that took months to figure out. Yet, when 2005 came, Kristen sold her condo, packed her things and sent them off to her parents' basement. Determined to get south of the snow line, she fled from Buffalo that March, traveling towards sunny North Carolina.

There, in Charlotte, Kristen was able to begin getting used to her new life out of the trailer and outdoors. She was able to do things like bike and walk as she pleased-things she was not able to do working out of an office in New York. Staying on the campgrounds wasn't all that bad. She learned of websites featuring discounts for frequent travelers, enabling her to save as much as half the cost (listed at end). And the campgrounds, unlike popular belief, did little to disappoint her. "People who camp really are a nice group of people who help each other out." She remembers camping in a beautiful park in Savannah, Georgia, and at a nice city park right on the beach in Jacksonville, Florida. Often she would get back to the campground with an audience waiting, men watching to make sure she wouldn't wreck anything. Being a single female, perhaps, people were very willing to help.

"I was never short on confidence that I could do whatever I set my mind to," says Kristen, "but this trip made it clear to me that I truly can."

Many people would consider being out of the workplace for a year a vacation! While it was a journey of rediscovery for Kristen, it was a challenge as well. "There was more despair at first; the first couple of weeks I really had some serious doubts and at time I was miserable." In the beginning, she found muddy roads difficult to drive on with such a large vehicle, bathrooms hard to find, and she began missing conveniences like hot water, a bathtub and, of course, space. While she had all the space of the open road ahead of her, she was picky about what she wanted in her home on the road. "As a full-figured woman, I needed to make sure it was comfortable for my body." After all of her considerations, she found a spacious 2003 Gulf Stream Mako. "Even so," she says, "the shower stall is too narrow." Luckily for her, though, her father enjoys working around the RV, and found ways to add even more room for accessories by adding a bike rack and a toolbox in the pickup for more storage.

Like always, a woman is doomed to run into a few surprises on any new adventure. For Kristen, her first surprise was learning that her trailer didn't have a spare when one of her tires blew out! Coincidentally, her cell phone didn't work in that area either and she got no replies on her CB radio. Near a Canadian army base, though, a few men eventually spotted her and came to the rescue, getting her back on the road within a couple of days.

Kristen found that, for her, being in solitude on the road is a blessing. "Even as a kid," Kristen says, "I was inclined to hop on my bike and ride off exploring by myself." So naturally, she was soon having fun and getting into the traveling aspects of her journey, seeing sights she'd always wanted to experience.

While Kristen considers her two younger brothers athletic young men, she doesn't see herself that way, never mind that she travels the country, camping and experiencing the outdoors constantly. "I'm an indoor person," she says. "I am moderately active, biking and walking more that I used to. I hoped to lose weight but it hasn't happened yet as food travels with you." Her health has improved, though, as her blood pressure has gone back to normal, taking her off medication.

This year, Kristen plans to tackle the West coast, working across the Southwest dug in the winter and spring and then heading up the West into Canada through Vancouver and into the Canadian Rockies.

"Except for gas and health insurance, this really isn't a very expensive way to live." Kristen does freelance writing and other work from the road. Perhaps after this next year of traveling, Kristen will pursue a doctorate in psychology, a dream she's had for a very long time. "As I'm traveling, it is clear to me how fascinating people are! I'd like to do some research into how we think and how we shape our behavior. It took me taking a break from the corporate world to see that while project management was lucrative, it wasn't what I wanted to do for the next 30-40 years of my life." Of course, her mother wasn't especially thrilled that her daughter had suddenly become, according to Kristen, "trailer trash," advising that she see a financial planner and a shrink to make sure she was making a sane choice to hit the road. However, they both sided with Kristen's dream to travel.

Kristen has some words of wisdom for other women interested in taking a long, adventurous vacation. She suggests trying it for a few weekends before taking off permanently. Also, knowing as much as possible about your RV and maintenance is absolutely crucial. Kristen found websites extremely helpful when learning about her vehicle.

"I've traveled a lot internationally, and now I'm finally seeing north America," says Kristen, thinking back to her experience so far. "After working 60-70 hour weeks for ten years, I needed this time for myself."

Visit Kristen's website at www.roadsweetroad.com or you can contact her on the road at Kristen@roadsweetroad.com Interested in campground discounts? Check out www.passportAmerica.com If you need a little assistance with a new RV, check out www.RV.net for more info.