How to Get Lost & Enjoy It
Losing my RV virginity — what I learned along the way
Special thanks to Tribefy.com for sponsoring this article!
Ready, Set, Go
When I met my boyfriend, Billy, the desire to travel was a huge source of our immediate connection. I had just gotten home from a year in Italy with nothing to really show for it except a stamped passport, lots of stories, and the few bracelets that survived my cliff jumping in Amalfi. Billy was just waking up from the industry-induced coma he had been living in after 25+ years of stellar hospitality, holidays spent in a chef’s jacket, and unavoidable kitchen catastrophes. He had his own successful business and was ready to reap the benefits of his hard work; I had a notebook full of places I wanted to go and the ability to adapt to any of them. We were a match made in traveler heaven & we were ready to broaden our world, together.
It didn’t take long for us to figure out that my “love language” is a plane ticket and Billy’s is a spontaneous adventure. In almost 2 pandemic-stricken years, we (safely) made our way all the way up to Maine and down to Aruba with plenty of mountain getaways and city exploring in between. One trip always led to the next and each place gave us something to fall in love with for a different reason than the last. Part of the joy of each adventure was planning everything with Billy; we enjoy the same things & travel well together, which is huge. An ideal day for us looks like an early morning with a long hike and a boozy lunch to celebrate after, followed by an afternoon bike ride or a campfire by the water. We always manage to find the most local, authentic places & people because that’s what we value, although we definitely have fallen for a tourist trap or two. There’s been reasoning behind some of our trips, such as a wedding, birthday, or other obligation, but most of our moves are made per a suggestion, inspiration, or idea.
The PNW Draw
I have always been attracted to the Pacific North West for numerous reasons: the weather (I hate the sun), the mountains (absolutely massive), the people (mysterious & allusive), and the fact that it is literally on the other side of the continent from where I had grown up (perfect). Billy has always been drawn to anything exciting, adventurous, and over-the-top so he was down to go before I even had to state my case. We had been talking about the trip for months, sharing must-do’s and can’t-miss’s, before finally locking in that we would go in October to celebrate my 25th birthday.
Unfortunately, life comes at you fast and Billy’s business suffered a fire a few months before we were booked to leave. Although it felt like we didn’t have much, we definitely had time and continued through with our trip plans. It felt important to prioritize our mental well-being at a time of so much loss & despair. We thought we had a trustful company taking care of the business’s rebuild, too, but that’s a story for another time.
Plans & Packing Lists
For months, we sat at the kitchen table and mapped out this trip together. The plan was to rent an RV and navigate our way through the PNW before reaching his family in LA. I bought Billy an atlas after he explained to me what it was and he bought me a hammock we packed but never used. We used our hikes around Maryland as practice while we tried to imagine the mountains waiting for us out there. We weren’t sure if we were ready to fully commit to the #vanlife for 3 weeks so we booked resorts along the route as a little treat for spending 5 nights at a time in a house on wheels. We had miles worth of trails waiting to be hiked, firewood waiting to be burned, and a journey ready to give us a much needed deep breath.
ar(R)i(V)ing
Despite hours watching Youtube videos, preparing playlists, and scanning every article out there about popping your RV cherry, you can never truly be prepared to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere with a 29ft Class C recreational vehicle as your only safe space. Although it took some time to get acquainted, we got comfortable in Maverick (named by the owner) and began our journey of a lifetime.
I can’t even begin to explain to you the wonderful things we experienced on this trip, and it’s not fair for me to try. A road trip of this magnitude is something everyone deserves to experience at least once in their lives. The constant change in scenery makes every day an adventure, but not always the one you were looking for. We never really knew if we would be climbing sand dunes or mountains, whale watching or shopping, shucking oysters on the side of the road or spending the night on a vineyard, but we were always ready for whatever it was. Each day we traveled over 100 miles and the atlas became our best friend, riding passenger seat in my lap for each & every one. By the time we reached LA, we had driven over 2,100 miles. That’s a lot of ground to cover in 3 weeks, so you can only imagine how many times our scenery shifted.
Nature Unfiltered
Although my Instagram feed had been full of #PNWonderland posts for months by now, there is no filter, angle, or photographer that can ever truly do locations like these justice. To experience this place for yourself is to experience life in its rawest form: fresh air, leaves bigger than your face, rain sliding from your skin, and nature’s best hits playing softly in the background.
Because She gives you all of Her, this means you also must experience the merciless sides of Mother Nature. There’s nothing quite like feeling your foot sink into mud up to your ankle; like going to examine a shell and being slapped in the face by a wave; like breathing in the smoke as you past through forests forgotten in flames. As beautiful as She can be, She can be twice as harsh. It’s even more difficult during a road trip, because the only thing separating you from the elements is the tin can on wheels you found yourself in. Luckily ours had a bathroom.
Figuring It All Out
It wasn’t always easy, but it was always rewarding. The wrong turns that took us to the best diners; the conversations with bartenders that took us to the best camp spots; and the unexpected obstacles that forced us to get out of our comfort zone all added to the experience and made it so unforgettable. Although I would consider myself a seasoned traveler, there were many times when all I needed was not another blog post or Yelp review, but a genuine conversation with a local. This can be difficult to find, especially when you’re in a new place every day and you’re not even sure what that place may be when you wake up.
It’s crazy to me that up until now, there hasn’t been an easy way to see who’s around and connect with like-minded people. For adventurers like myself and Billy who value authenticity, I’m excited about how Tribefy will change the way we travel. Whether you’re looking for the best place to get local shellfish, what trails are closed because of COVID, or Forest Roads you can park on for the night, being able to connect with someone local to the area is really your best resource on a road trip like this.
To learn more about Tribefy, sign up here and get familiar with it now before you hit the road!
