Traveling is all fun until you run into one problem that attracts two more, especially when road-tripping across the US. Speaking of which, I have been traveling across the US as a digital nomad for the last three years, and so far, the journey has been great.
Despite what everyone says about the road trips across the US, I have been amazed by its beauty since the second year. Second year? Let me explain. For the first year, the journey was rough because I wasn’t able to figure everything out on my own, but I eventually did. It was rough.
To save you from such trouble, I will be sharing some tips with you that are going to come in pretty handy for you while you road trips across the US. Sounds great? Let’s get into the details.
Do Your Research Beforehand
I know most of you reading this might hate planning or just don’t think it’s that important. But hear me out, it’s not like that. It’s essential to do your research and then plan accordingly. Why? Let me explain that with the help of an example.
The example: if you are planning to visit the beach in Miami during a summer break, you won’t be alone on the beaches. There will be tons of other Americans visiting the beaches to soak themselves in the bright Miami sun. Now I am assuming you didn’t do planning, and the first thing you see there is a sea of people before seeing the sea. You try to find hotels and they are all booked.
Now, you will reflect back on the time when you intended to go on the road trip and think to yourself that you should have done some research. Research and planning is that important. It will help you cut the hassle and will improve the overall experience of the trip.
Anyway, next time you are thinking of going for a road trip, go for it but after some research and planning.
Get Ready to Spend More Than Your Budget
Whether it’s road trips in particular or any other trip, making a budget is important. But you know what is more important? Keep in mind that this budget might not be enough.
I have been on multiple trips and apart from an occasion or a maximum of two, I had to spend over the budget merely for necessities like food and hotel stays. Trips, particularly road trips are unpredictable – you won’t know when you’ll need to spend a night in a camp, or when you have to overpay for some stuff. Knowing that you might spend more and planning accordingly will save you from major troubles.
Backup Your Data Before Leaving
This one came from my personal experience, and I regret I didn’t follow it earlier.
I was running across the trail, and my phone fell out of my pocket. I spent hours trying to find it, but everything was in vain. Nothing I regretted more than losing out on my data. Neither was it backed up, nor had I a copy of it.
But now, every time I leave my home for a trip, I back up my data in my Google Drive. Some of the files are heavy, but it’s not a problem for me because I have unlimited Spectrum Internet data at home, and Spectrum customer service is just a phone call away to keep things running smoothly.
You can create a backup on your laptop or an external hard drive, but it won’t be available on other devices. Whereas, if you can upload it to your Google Drive or Dropbox, you will have access to all of your data at any time of the day and anywhere (provided you have an internet connection).
Make Early Reservations
This is one of the most pro tips that any road-tripper will tell you – make reservations before everyone else.
Here’s the thing: when it’s the season, a large number of people will be making reservations, and this will increase the demand. The more the demand, the more the price (and fewer options). So, make your move before anyone else does. This will not only save you money, but it will also give you more options and flexibility.
Last but Not Least, Stay Flexible
Staying flexible is one of the most important skills not just in your life but in your road trip experience as well. As I said earlier, trips are unpredictable. When you are on the road, anything can go off track, your tire might get flat, you might need to camp or overpay, and there is so much more that can happen.
The only way to deal with all of that is by staying flexible. So, yeah, you should try to practice flexibility in your life, so that you won’t have problems when the time comes
