The first took me up the East Coast, to see the major cities of the eastern seaboard with a friend from high school. We experienced the history and culture of Boston, the beauty of Vermont and New England, and the crowded interstates that line the coast. We swam in the waters of Lake Champlain in March and rode rollercoasters on opening day of King’s Dominion. We saw small-town Virginia, the back halls of the nation’s capitol, and visited friends and relatives.

Then I went to Europe for three months and learned how to write about my experience. I also learned how to travel without a car, a less-preferred but still interesting method.

The second trip took me and a college friend through the deep South, to see the historic settings of the Old South in Savanna, Georiga, exciting attractions in Orlando, Florida, and the cultural epicenter that is New Orleans, not to mention Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

The third, and arguably most epic trip took me and two traveling companions across the country to the Grand Canyon and back. Along the way, we traveled across the cities of the plains – St. Louis and Kansas City – and experienced a little bit of middle-American life before making our up over Denver and the Rockies. The apogee of our journey was the Canyon, which is everything you would believe it to be. On the way back, we came home through the Southwest, seeing Phoenix in Arizona, the spookily beautiful Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, and the expanse that is Texas. San Antonio was a personal favorite stop. I returned to New Orleans for a brief stop before making my way up through Birmingham, Atlanta and Charlotte.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering where that puts us, and I still haven’t answered the question of why this blog exists. As a 21-year-old graduating senior, I don’t know how much time I have left to finish seeing this country. So I’ve got to do it, and I’ve got to make sure I do it right. And that takes planning.

Welcome to me planning the best road trip of all time. Come along for the ride.

(This post will become the ‘About’ page for this blog.)