Recently I had to quit my job, I was working 16 hour days and have health issues that were making that absolutely horrible.. After the holidays and my next service on the mini due soon I'm going to pack it up and head out. I'm not getting any younger and now it seems to be falling into place. I've been fantasizing about doing this for years...... I think I may just leave new years day. I have a place to stay in a couple different points across the country with friends and family, and I'll probably bring a tent and/or sleeping bag otherwise, or spring for a hotel every so often. I asked some of my close friends if they wanted to join me but let's be honest, not many people are willing to up and leave their jobs or try to take a month hiatus to go explore this country. It looks like I'll be going it alone, figured I would post on this board to see if anyone would be interested in joining me on a leg or two of the trip. I havent really planned an exact course yet, I'm starting near Philly PA and ill probably head down the east coast to melbourne florida to stay with some relatives and then head directly west along the southern part of the country. I plan on spending a good amount of time out west, vegas, arizona, california, I was only ever to phoenix and I loved it.

Sad reality of cystic fibrosis is I may have 10 good years left, right now I'm on minimal medication and I can still get around well, I feel like this is something I have to do. Has anyone here done anything similar? For what it's worth I consider myself "religious" if you will, even though my faith is personal to me, I've been praying for years to be shown what God wants me to do in my life and it seems this is the answer for now. Enough rambling. I'm getting a roof rack and debating what type of cargo box to slap on top of my car, anyone ever try to sleep in a hatchback?

 

Awesome! Do it. That's a fantasy of mine as well. To a photographic triptych: you and the MINI in various places around the country, and please, please stop by Helix and take your first shot here.

 

That will be awesome to do. My suggestion is to plan the route carefully. I guess you can't wait for spring time to come to avoid the harsh weather of winter. Good luck and take a lot of pics and post.

 

Wow! Congrats on living large! My biggest fear is getting to the end and having missed it all.

I believe "living large" is different for everyone. I congratulate you for finding yours and going! Everyone's journey is different, but the courage to begin is the same.

Best of luck in your endeavor.

(I would go along but my husband might not understand, lol)

 

They say that you rarely regret the things you have done but always regret the things you haven't. Good on you for taking the plunge, I hope I have a fraction of the courage you have. If you motor through the Racine, WI area, let me know. I'll have a roof, clean bed and a warm meal for you.

 

I'm sure you will have an amazing time! Wish I could tag along as I'm sure that will be an amazing trip! Post many pictures!

 

Hi,

I also believe you are doing the right thing - particularly given the CF which will begin to limit your options as time passes so get on the road.

I will attach a link for a guy who did something similar on a motorbike back in 2007. He actively blogged about his trip and it attracted a huge following. He also did things on a shoestring and people came out of the woodwork to help him along his journey. Take a look as it might give you some ideas.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203720

Best of luck in any case.

 

What a wonderful thread! Can't wait to hear about your travel adventures!

 

Good luck and God Bless you!

 

Having made a similar trip several times, TN to S. Cal, several times, I highly recommend it. I did it regularly 1996-2006 and then got sidelined by a stroke. Is just now practical... well, do-able again. My favorite route is basically the Southern route - I-10, Loop down US 90 out of San Antonio back to I-10 in W. TX - is like driving through a vast ancient ocean floor. Some of my favorite spots turned out to be in New Mexico - great to just explore. My best advice would be to slow down and let fun things overtake you - rushing seems to have less of a payoff. Hope you have a wonderful trip!

 

Make sure you start a thread here so we can keep up with you.

 

Josh,
I think it's an awesome plan. I'm near Denver and I wish you the best trip ever, wherever it leads you. Keep us posted. My E-mail is knholsapple@aol.com if you have time to drop a note on your adventure.
The best of the best, to you.

 

One thing that I think would be cool is for everyone on here to mention somewhere cool to check out or highway to drive on from the state they are from.

I'm originally from Arkansas and I can tell you that the drive down south on HWY 7 from I-40 to Hot Springs is AWESOME in a MINI! Especially in the spring time. When in Hot Springs, you have to go to Oaklawn for the spring horse races, check out the historic bath house row, and eat at McClards BBQ - Bill Clinton's favorite BBQ joint!

As far as now, I live in Colorado and I can tell you that Estes PArk in the summertime needs to be on your list! On the way, you'll pass through Boulder, CO where you can check out the Univiersity of Colorado and Pearl street, and then the drive up HWY 36 is just AWESOME in a Cooper! Really curvy! Then, drive all the way through Rocky Mountain National Park. Go during the summer because it will be perfect weather! Lots to see and do there!

Enjoy!

 

Thanks! I have to head to a camera shop as my mom lost the charger to my camera but that was one thing I really planned on doing, taking a ton of pictures to remember the trip. May be hard to include myself in them as I'll be alone but oh well haha. I will certainly try to plan on heading in to visit you guys. I honestly never even heard of the place until you posted, just checked out your website, looks good maybe ill have to grab something for the trip haha You're right off the schuykill it looks like from a google search is that correct?
Yeah I have a general idea of where I want to head (I'll post that map in a little) I really do need to plan it out a little better.. I could wait until spring but my idea was to head south and west to get *away* from the northeast winters

Thank you! That's one of my very real fears too. If I can pull this trip off and manage to get myself to a tropical/white sand/clear water beach at some point before my time is up I will feel very happy and complete. You talk of courage to begin, that's the biggest hurdle I feel. I'm very excited but a little scared just the same. I'm not going to comment on the company I'm not a marriage wrecker haha

I'm amazed at the communites that exist on the internet. In a world as crazy and wicked as ours it's so nice to read what you just posted. I actually have a cousin not far from you in Chicago that was a potential stop (I need to get ahold of him we havent talked in years) I wouldn't mind visiting a fellow mini person for lunch or taking you up on your offer if my cousin isn't around or hates me or something haha. One of the biggest things I look forward to on this trip will be meeting new people and making new friends on the very short journey of life

Thanks! I sure will!

That's amazing, I'll read more of it, I made it a few pages and started to get caught up and almost neglected this thread His name is also Josh, must be an adventurous name I was thinking about being able to blog about my trip as well, and given the atmosphere and sense of community that NAM seems to have in my few short months on here, I think I will use the forum to do just that!
Thanks! Hopefully they're all good

Thank you! You too

Sorry to hear about the stroke, but thanks for the advice! I plan on taking about a month or a little more (provided I dont get too lonely along the way haha)
I believe I will

Thanks!! I'll keep this thread (and your email) and another thread going most likely the entire trip, wherever wifi is available or if i have the time and patience to update from my i phone! I have a friend im going to try and stay with in colorado springs, again, there may be another opportunity for a mini-owner lunch along the way?

That's a great idea! I think I will pass that way through arkansas on the way out going the southerly route. Now you guys have me debating waiting until summer time, however i wanted to have a job by then. I was driving tractor trailer locally and I know i can get a job at anytime, just the longer you're unemployed the harder it is.. Plus I would have to find one that is a little more accommodating to shorter days (hard in the transportation industry) But we'll see. How bad would the weather be out west in the winter time?



Last, here's a very rough premature idea of where I want to head, the pin points are places I either want to see or friends or family in that area.

 

Best of luck to you on your journey! I'm sure some members online will be more than happy to welcome you as you pass through areas.

 

I agree and will add that if you blog your trip that this will help publicize your location which will I'm sure will result in people reaching out to you to both meet up and provide you with a roof over your head for a day or two.

I hope you can see that almost everyone has a latent desire to do exactly what you are contemplating

Keep us posted on your thoughts as I think were all interested.

 

For years the extreme ski filmmaker Warren Miller end each of his annual movies with the statement "If you don't do 'it' this year, you will only be a year older next year". So true. My "hat" is off to you. Go for it. Life for everyone is too short in the grand scheme of things to be unhappy for too long.

A few suggestions:
- Buy a ScanGageII so you know exactly what is going on with the engine in you car.
- Buy a spare serpentine belt for the engine.
- Put the MINI road side service on speed dial (I've used them and they were great) and sign up with AAA as a back up plan.
- I know I am going to get "flamed" for this one, but buy some Run Flat tires and 16" wheels off NAM here and put them on your car. The last thing you want to do is be stuck on the highway with a flat 100 miles from nowhere. The RFTs on 16" wheels ride OK.
- When you get on road, an absolute must is to check your oil level every morning and top it off so it is full everyday before you start.
- When heading south, stop in Wilmington and tour the WWII battle ship there.
- Then stop into Savannah and eat at the Pirates House
- Head over to the Dragon and drive that road http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MINIs_on_the_Dragon
- Last suggestion is to take a day to do a HPDE ("high performance driver ed" otherwise known as "safely drive fast on a race track"). There are many organization that sponsor these events and I am sure you can fit one into your trip with a little planning. PM me if you want help with that one.

Good luck and best wishes on your adventure.
Keep us posted.

 

Be sure to watch the weather in Texas, NewMexico and Arizona. Watch weather channel EVERY night..The southern United States does NOT own very many snow plows or salt trucks. CHECK THE OIL EVERYMORNING.....A QUART OF OIL IS CHEAPER THAN A NEW ENGINE... Have a great time.....Get one of those frames that hold 400 pictures and constantly changes for all the great pictures you can relive the trip many years to come..Ask someone around you to take your picture everyone will help. Then you can see yourself in all these great places..ENJOY...

 

if your able to and havent been to, i would strongly advise you to go to yellowstone national park(in between j and k on your map) and to see mount rushmore/black hills and everything in south and north dakota. beautiful states and yellowstone is an amazing experience if you like the outdoors. you could probably stop there on your way from colorado to chicago. i was lucky enough a couple years ago to tag along with my uncle and cousin on a cross country trip similiar to this and we stayed in both of these places, and so glad we did. oregon has some really cool mountain roads and an amazing coastline as well. might be cold this time of year though.

anyway goodluck on your adventure and meet some people along the way. everyone has a story to tell and then come back here and share it all with us!

 

I'm pretty sure your hubby will understand if you tell him its for humanitarian reason, lol

 

I noticed that you are not heading to Washington state?

 

+1

Just a thought: You might get in touch with the CFF to get some vinyl made up:



This personal journey could also be a great opportunity to raise awareness. (My wife has CF; she just turned 35 and is coming up on 2 years on her second set of lungs.)

 

The badlands and Wall Drug!

 

Josh,

Good for you! Go do it. Make it a grand experience. I think there is no reason for you to be scared of this trip at all. Your whole life experience has equipped you with what you need. You have always had to work harder to get a breath than any of us have.

CF runs in our family. I know what you have dealt with. Make sure you map some CF resources along the way as well just in case you need a little help along the way.

 

+1