Number of first-time-visit states: 8
Specific towns visited: 20+
Days/nights on the road: 13 days, 12 nights
Number of at least partly-sunny days: 5
Number of mostly-rainy days: 6
Number of snow-filled days: 2
Number of nights spent in a motel: 2
Each of those numbers, even the number of rainy days, make me smile, because each one represents something I accomplished.
But there’s something I can’t put a number to that doesn’t make me smile.
I didn't keep track of the number of people who, when chatting with me or responding to my social media posts, shared either how much they would love to do what I was doing or that they had always dreamed of visiting a place I was visiting. Over and again they’d add, “but I could never do that.”
Every single time I heard or read those words, I wanted to put my hands on the shoulders of the speaker, look them squarely in the eye, and say, "Oh, but you can!"
While I don’t know all the particulars of those people’s circumstances, I do know that what I did can be done by almost anyone who is physically mobile.
Don’t believe me?
People in all sorts of circumstances travel alone all over the US and around the world . . .
people on their own, with a partner, or with a partner & children
people with full-time jobs, unemployed, or retired
people in their teens all the way up into their 90’s
people with limited funds — from a couple hundred dollars in their pocket to
a miniscule monthly Social Security or retirement income
people with severe physical limitations
people undergoing chemotherapy
people whose only mode of transportation is an on-its-last-legs vehicle
people on bikes and on foot
people not letting their circumstances stop them from achieving a dream
Your dream may not involve travel.
But whatever it -- your dream -- is, it’s time to stop thinking of why you can’t go after it and, instead, begin planning how you’re going to do just that.
As you read this post, I'm on leg 2 of my advanture. I hope you'll join me on Facebook, where I share a daily recap of where I've been and what I've been up to.
What an inspiring post! I'm looking forward to more traveling in the future. You help me be brave!
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