Let's Hit the Road

Farrah Kleeman

andwiched between two strangers, with a baby crying behind you, and a mother stifling her coughs. Stress becomes overwhelming along with the prices, and all you can do is hope you’ll be landing soon. This is the case for many who travel by plane, as the airline system becomes more crowded and cramped. People endure the traveling portion of their trip, waiting for the real vacation to begin. Many types of transportation when traveling make people feel this way. With scenery rushing by, too fast to see, how can one stop to enjoy the ride? Half the beauty of traveling to a place is the journey to get there, so why not slow down and find the beauty of the world, in more than just the destination? Stopping to enjoy the ride is only one of the amazing things that can be accomplished on a simple road trip. The United States, which offers a variety of landscapes, discovering the 4 corners is a challenge many take on. Traveling on the road has been 8 ingrained in every American’s history, even starting with a horse and a carriage. According to an article published in 2015 by Time Magazine, “A few hardy souls set off upon far-reaching expeditions between 1900 and 1910,” while others “simply sought an escape” from the busy city life. But since then, this trend has only grown in the number of people exploring by car/RV. Road trips are said to have a number of benefits and are enjoyed by a wide variety of people, young and old. In an international survey conducted by RV rental company Outdoorsy, “80% of travelers said that, compared to other types of vacations they’d taken in the past, their RV trip helped them feel more mentally rejuvenated and refreshed.” This only proves the fact that road-tripping can absolutely change a person’s life for the better, connecting them with nature, and helping them grow as individuals. Outdoorsy was founded in 2015 by Jeff Cavins, and his Co-founder, Jen Young. They too had realized the

Sbenefits of traveling on the road, and getting away from a busy and stressful life. So, to do this, they packed up their lives and set out to learn more about travel needs on the road. “That was our entire life in four duffel bags- It was like being in high school again,” Cavins recalls. As they traveled the U.S. by RV, they gained the inspiration needed to start their own business, not to coop people up in their homes, but to get people out into nature and experience true adventure. Since then, Outdoorsy has proven to be the fastest-growing RV rental company in

That was our entire life in four duffel bags- It was like being ”in high school again.

the world. “One of the things that Outdoorsy tries to help people do is put [electronics] down for a moment and restore our relationship with nature,” Cavins resumed. They do this by creating a more affordable way to get an RV, which, overall, makes gaining that connection with nature more reachable. Taking in the beauty of hilly countryside, a ghost town, or a mountainous scenery, road trips clear the way for people to sit back, relax, and truly go on a vacation. Apart from admiring the beauty of one’s own country, people choose road trips over other methods of travel for several reasons. One of the biggest ones being mental health and coping with even the biggest stresses of life . When placed in a world free of judgment, it’s easy for a person to carefully analyze themselves and come out as a better person. Road tripping has changed Youtuber Bryce Jurgensmeier’s life by helping him “[be] more open to opportunities.” Bryce and his wife, Nellie Jurgensmeier, have been running a Youtube channel/blog called The Jurgys since August of 2015. They were inspired to start traveling in an RV around the United States when they had a scare that Nellie had a cancerous lump in her chest. Instead of this fearful event holding them back, it actually “committed [them] to do something every week that [they] would not have normally done.” This gave them the motivation to discover this new beautiful realm of road trips, and grow by overcoming their fears and stepping outside their comfort zone.

Enjoying the ride is big for the Jurgys, especially when it comes to running a family. Sometimes it feels like you just need to “get through [your] flights, the layovers, the delays, until [you’re there], and [then you] can be happy,” Bryce reveals. But when on a road trip, everything gets to be on your own terms. You don’t have to “You learn to welcome at the moment and have a specific plan, and you can take care of problems as they arise, and then plan around them. Now living the life of parenting two ” embrace it, and that brings more joy. children, the Jurgensmeier family knows the way of the road. In fact, travel by car is one of the most popular types of travel with children. While some may want to pack up and hit the road simply to avoid the stress of bringing their kids to the airport, others have an alternate reason. When a family is brought together in a space free for reflection and the beauty of the outdoors, it can heal tension, reunite families who have grown apart, and even just be a place for memories to be made together. “We had a lot of

things that we couldn’t have planned, that you learn to welcome at the moment and embrace it, and that brings more joy,” Bryce recalls. And, of course, the aspect of cost always goes through people’s heads when it comes to travel. “You watch all these cool, exotic travel things like Bali, but not

everybody can just get on a plane and go, so we wanted to show in all 50 states that there’s adventure right in your backyard,” Nellie noted. On a road trip, the only expenses necessary would be gas and the food you bring along, with the addition of the expense of renting an RV/van.

For bloggers Carrie and Shawn Barrett, road trips are a way to reset and

relax on an adventure, while finding hidden gems and meeting new people. The importance of road trips for mental health and gaining inspiration was one thing that

Carrie is very passionate about. “It has reaffirmed my faith in humanity, many times,” Carrie recalls, “and it has inspired me to just appreciate the natural pace of life because we’ve gotten away from that.” This is something that many people can relate to. Whether at school or at work, staring at computer screens, it is hard to put time aside for the outdoors. But not only is it good for the emotional aspect of life, but also the social aspect. “We have had really great interactions with people at various campgrounds that I know we don’t agree with politically, but we can sit and have coffee with, and you realize, Oh, we’re all human,” Carrie explains. By being brought together by a common interest, people can forget their differences which usually set them apart and just decide to be sympathetic and be kind to each other. In a world

It’s really simple things I think that have made the most impression.”

where society is almost split into two, interactions like these are crucial to the building of a good person. It’s little moments like this that make the experiences of a road trip worth every hour. On a road trip, what you remember most may not even be the events you planned far ahead, but a hidden gem along the way. You might be able to “just pull up next to a lake, hang out and have lunch, even if it’s just an hour-long picnic,” Shawn adds. “It’s really simple things I think that have made the most impression,” Carrie agrees. When a person can get out of a rushed society and come to terms with nature, it hits them hard how beautiful their country really is, outside of all of the commotion. You can finally realize that you don’t need to “hop on planes and go to Rome or Paris, when there’s so much beauty [going] unnoticed [while] people are worried about seeing everything else,” Carrie points out. Shawn and Carrie know, just like many others who are willing to try the freedom of the outdoors, that happiness in life most definitely comes from the little things.

While traveling by car or RV, there is always the opportunity to have free adventures by discovering the “hidden gems” of this country. Some of the Jurgys go-to places are hikes and national parks. “In Utah, there are five national parks- and then there’s Yellowstone, Tetons, and Glacier National Park, which are some of the biggest,” Bryce points out. There will always be fun and sometimes unexpected adventures along the way. Jeff Cavins also mentions Yellowstone as one of his favorite national parks. In fact, he explains that he “could get lost in Yellowstone and never come out,” just because of the pull of its beauty. You never know what’s going to happen on a road trip, what kinds of sights you are going to see, or people you are going to meet. Road trips have much to offer, and happiness to bring, as long as you have 4 wheels and a seat to take, you are set for one of the best adventures of your life, with the United States at your fingertips. From the mountainous Montana to the scorching beaches of Florida, and all the way to the rocky roads of Utah, the US really is a beautiful place. Moreover, it’s what is in the middle of these gorgeous destinations that is what truly matters the most.

We wanted to show in all 50 states that there’s adventure right in ”your backyard.

Dog brought on a road trip sits on a bed inside an RV parked in Montana. Courtesy of Jeff Cavins from Outdoorsy.

Packing Advice Fall 2022 Farrah Kleeman

Are you ever unsure of what to pack when you travel?

This packing guide has your back! Feel prepared for your next adventure across the globe as you check off items on a hand-picked list created by travel professionals and youtubers. These items may even be tips to pack that you’ve never even heard of before.

“Look for the things that balance or help you feel rejuvenated.”

- Bryce Jurgensmeier

“You basically need like three pairs of underwear, two shirts, and a pair of leggings and like you’re set for life.” - Carrie Barrett