Be Brave Traveler

The Last Time I Left My Comfort Zone

“The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.”

– Benedict Cumberbatch

In 2017, I definitely would not have understood that quote. I had my version of the American dream. A house, a car, a good job, stability, normalcy dare I say. And then life gave me a swift kick in the ass and told me to get out there, I was too comfortable. The company I’d dedicated 12 years to downsized, and I was suddenly unemployed, hurt, and lost. Fortunately I had a cross-country road trip already planned and that gave me the opportunity to live truly free. I still floundered around for about a year before I landed my next, and current, gig.

The Great Road Trip left me with a yearning to be on the road, and my current gig gave me the freedom to do so. But I had a mortgage, too much stuff, and cats that did not like to travel. I knew selling my house would be a bad idea because it’s in an area that affords me additional income, but what to do with all this stuff?

In August of 2019, I started purging everything. Anything that did not hold value to me ended up in a pile by the front door to be taken to donations. Items that my friends would get better use of (electric piano, instapot, microwave, grill) were gifted to those friends. I think I got rid of somewhere around 75% of my stuff over the next few months.

In October I bought an A-Liner trailer. I chose an A-Liner because it was something my Tiguan could tow, and I could easily set up by myself. All the while, I was flip-flopping between anxiety and excitement, and sometimes both at the same time. I was going to be a nomad!

I packed up the rest of my stuff, and moved it out to a storage unit near my mom’s place. The cats and I were going to make that home base, and I was going to rent out my house.

In February, 2020, my friends helped me move the last of my belongings to my new home base. We hugged, they wished me luck, they were excited and scared for the adventure I was about to take.

One week later, the entire world shut down. Covid-19 had taken over.

If I’d known that was going to happen would I have changed any of my plans? No. Not one bit. If anything, Covid gave me the time to become more confident and comfortable in my decision. As things got a little more stable, I was able to do some “shakedown” runs in Blackwater Falls, and Virginia Beach. My plans are not canceled, just slightly modified.