PRE-TRIP FRIDAY Q & A!

The Subaru's oil has been changed, gear has been checked, bags and boxes have been (mostly) packed. We're all systems go, ready to launch this wild road trip early on Sunday morning! Portland has been resting up in preparation for a busy next few weeks, and we can't wait to explore and experience the country in autumn, and spend time with so many friends along the way!

My goal is to post a blog entry each day, while stopped to enjoy coffee or local beer and enjoy a momentary connection to the internet. But, thinking realistically it may be a bit less frequent depending on how well I'm staying on schedule. The most frequent updates will certainly come on social media, so if you haven't already, be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

Before we go, I wanted to spend some time answering your questions about the planning process and what exactly goes into making a cross country road trip possible. Thank you so much to everyone that shared questions -- and a BIG THANK YOU to everyone that is following along in the adventure either here or on social media.

Can you share your route? - Dan

For safety reasons, I won't be sharing my specific route or stops until we're on the road. The most specific information, including campgrounds, etc. will usually be included in the next day's blog post. Here is a generalized map of my round trip route created using Bing Maps. For the journey west I'll be taking a pretty direct route. On the way back, I'll make some creative turns to keep things interesting and visit some places I love or have always wanted to visit. I'll spend six days traveling west at the start of the trip and six days eastbound at the end. In planning my route, it was important in to weigh the balance of traveling efficiently and spending enough time seeing the places that I'm interested in, or returning to places that are special to me.

Will there be other campers around? - Dad

Yes! It seems like even with weeknight stays a lot of the campgrounds are still pretty active this time of year. The only campgrounds I'm not sure of are the first come, no reservations campgrounds. I'm guessing those might be a little less populated. Not really worried about any campgrounds being full, although I did lose the opportunity to stay at Goblin Valley State Park in Utah on my way back because I waited too long to book. I want the peace and quiet of having space at night, but it's comforting to know as a solo camper that others will be nearby. In many cases, there is a host at the campground and if there aren't other campers I might try to choose a site that is somewhat close to the host. Don't want to get eaten by a bear after all!

What's your daily yoga plan for the trip? - Claire

I practice yoga every day, and travel doesn't change that. It will definitely not be the long, full length practices that I can make time for at home. It will be a lot of freestyle flows. I love creating these using inspiration from my surroundings and the vibe of my day. Sometimes it may be a quick flow to start my day while making coffee before breaking camp, or sleepy stretching at night by the fire. Whether I have 5 or 30 minutes to roll out my mat, yoga remains an important (if sometimes slightly inconvenient) daily commitment to myself, even when I'm on the road.

What kind of clothes do you pack for a three week trip where you’re going to places where the weather might be very different? Are there any must haves? - Mom

Layers. Lots and lots of layers! Fall weather is unpredictable. In three weeks of travel through many states I'll be facing so many different climates, elevations, and weather conditions with up to an 80 degree temperature span that I have to be prepared for it all. I broke out all of my fall and winter wardrobe to choose from for this trip so I have everything from tank tops to thick puffy sweaters and fleece lined leggings. Picture the outdoor version of the scene where the woman walks into a decked out walk in closet (I'm imagining Jennifer Garner in 13 Going On 30). It was sort of like that....I packed everything! Thankfully on a solo trip I'm not short on space. I have a large and small suitcase with outfits for a little over half of the trip so I'll have to do laundry in Oregon. As for must haves, I think just a good variety. I've been on trips where I packed too warm or not warm enough. For outdoors in October, plenty of warm things for cold nights at camp, fuzzy socks. A rain jacket is very important. As my best friend, Liz, once said, you can't let rain stop you from keeping up with your plans. Words of wisdom from a true Oregonian. The show must go on, regardless of weather.

What entertainment are you planning for your drive? Whats on your playlist?  Do you listen to any radio programs? - Mom

Still building the ultimate playlist for this trip, I'll try to share it at some point. I always feel like a deer in the headlights when creating playlists, but I've tried to include a mix of music made up of classics to sing along to (some Disney favorites in there), 90s music, anthems from past road trips, bluegrass jams, and songs by artists like Lord Huron that, for me, capture the spirit of adventure (Meet me in the Woods, etc). I'm also venturing into the land of audio books on Overdrive (FREE!) and have downloaded The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman and Cheryl Strayed's Tiny Beautiful Things to get started. Other books are in the queue. I don't listen to any radio programs, but last October I enjoyed REI's Camp Monsters podcast. I'm not really into scary things, but spooky is okay and the stories in this podcast are family friendly. I just don't know if I'll want to listen to them while solo camping. Not planning to tell myself any ghost stories around the fire.

Thanks again for all the great questions! I have a few more saved up that I'll answer throughout the trip. Looking forward to Sunday! Until then, Live Wildly.