This blog has been quiet for the past couple months, which has been killing me but was something I decided was necessary during the adventure I was on. Having my head down to be typing on my laptop while I was exploring the country would have meant missing out on some of the best things that come with traveling by car. But after a couple of months away, I’m back at home in Asheville and eager to write. 

To back up, once James and I made the decision to postpone our wedding from July 2021 to July 2022, we both agreed that with the time we now had on our hands we needed to make the most of our summer. A road trip around the US intrigued us and with the flexibility of our jobs, logistics weren’t much of a problem.

We spent the months beforehand planning out where we wanted to start/end, how far we wanted to go, and what we wanted to see along the way. By the time we left for our trip in August we had an itinerary of travel times, reservations for places to stay (campsites, hotels, and Airbnbs), sights to see, friends we’d visit along the way, and trails to run. We had a flexible plan and a good idea of what to expect, but what I didn’t anticipate was how much I’d learn (and maybe grow) from that time on the road. 

So, I thought that over the next couple weeks I’d share a few of the most valuable lessons I learned while road tripping. 

Lesson #1: 

It’s about the journey. 

I know, I know… it sounds so cliché.

“Enjoy the journey” is one of those trendy quotes we see etched on jewelry, tattooed on bodies, and plastered on walls. I promise I’m not here to preach about how “the journey is just as beautiful as the destination,” but the idea behind that did become so much more significant, taking on a new meaning to me last month. 

I’ll explain…

One thing I’ve always prided myself on is my efficiency. I like to get things done, I get anxiety when things sit on my to-do list for longer than a day or two, and I strive to get from here to there as soon as possible (I suppose that’s why I became a competitive runner).

In the past, traveling to me was always about getting where I needed to go. Minimal stopping, pushing the speed limit, beating the time on the GPS (I’m also competitive… again, must come with being a runner), and not relaxing until I was unpacked and settled in the new destination.

I knew going into this road trip that I’d have to be open to slowing down, but that was a scary thought. It’s easy to fall victim to a fixed mindset – a mindset that says, “I am the way that I am, I can’t be anything different.” But I knew that challenging myself to shift that way of thinking was a long-time coming and something I wanted to do. This was the perfect opportunity to go for it. 

I mentally prepared before this trip. I told myself that the point was not to beeline for the next place we’d be spending the night, but instead it was about seeing as much as possible along the way. I gave myself permission to take my time.

Because I allowed myself to accept and embrace an attitude of going with the flow and being spontaneous, James and I were able to meet the most interesting people and experience such unique cultures around the country.

We did things like…

• stopping in Des Moines to go to the Iowa State Fair
• chatting with a bar tender about travel at a dive bar in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• exploring the small dirt road town of Bowman, North Dakota
• getting a photo with the World’s Largest Czech Egg in Wilson, Kansas
• devouring a pound of huckleberries at a farmers market in Missoula, Montana
• watching Olympic Athletes practicing ski jumps into a pool in Park City, Utah
• Running through the Grand Canyon

None of those stops were planned but they were some of my favorite memories. And do you know what I probably won’t remember down the line? The hotels we slept in for 6 hours to break up the drive (the “destinations”).

So… what does all of this have to do with running?

A lot, actually.

Like travel, for a long time running to me was about getting from one place to another – the starting line to the finish line. And it was about doing that as fast as I could. I chased the post-run sense of accomplishment, the “calories burned” screen I’d see flash across my watch after stopping, and the ability to move on with my day because my workout was done.

Long before the trip I had already begun making huge progress since the days where running was an addiction mostly motivated by staying thin, but the idea of taking my time during a run wasn’t something I was super comfortable with. James has been a big help in challenging me (in the best way) to take in what’s around me during runs, but it’s not easy for me (I still like speed & efficiency, and I’m definitely pretty stubborn). During our trip, though, I told myself I’d put in more of an effort in that area.

We ran through the cornfields in Iowa, up mountains in the Grand Tetons, through the red rocks of Zion, down into the Grand Canyon, through the deserts of Taos, and more. When you’re running through places like these, it can’t be about the finish line. It’s unfathomable to think about the things I would have missed if I had been focused on pace, the “beep” of my watch at every mile or on how far I’d have to run if I was going to burn off that Cinnamon Toast Crunch milkshake I had eaten the day before (on another note, I highly recommend “Zombie Burger & Drink Lab” in Des Moines).

Some of those runs were at intense elevation and in 100+ degree heat (I’m looking at you, Grand Canyon) which meant our pace was slow. Very, very slow at times. But guess what? It didn’t really matter because I was in the GRAND CANYON. And how lucky was I to have been running through it?!

Our minds are so powerful – It’s really pretty amazing how a mindset shift can alter entire experiences. Maybe even entire lives. I told myself that I needed to embrace the travel part of traveling and because of that self-talk I had a new sense of freedom and made some of the richest memories I’ve ever made while traveling. I now have such a special appreciation for slowing down both in life, and in running. I’ve run fast thousands of times and fast running will always have it’s place, but the things you can appreciate when you take your time are immeasurable.

Check back soon for my next post: Road Tripping Lesson #2: Routine isn’t always a good thing.