{"id":5710,"date":"2020-08-13T16:38:58","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T16:38:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/?p=5710"},"modified":"2020-08-13T16:40:49","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T16:40:49","slug":"lessons-of-the-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/2020\/08\/13\/lessons-of-the-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons of the Road"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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I recently returned home from a three-week family road trip.\u00a0 This was mostly a vacation but not entirely.\u00a0 Since I have been working from home since March, working from the road was fairly feasible.\u00a0 I coordinated to work about one third to one half time and take the appropriate amount of PTO to cover the balance.\u00a0 It\u2019s a uniquely COVID-related opportunity, at least for me, and my family took advantage of it.\u00a0 My wife and two boys, ages 6 and 8, traveled from our home in Wisconsin westward to Oregon and back, stopping at Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Craters of the Moon, and Glacier National Parks, and including some time with family in Central Oregon.\u00a0 I could write a lot about the scenic beauty and civic history we experienced, but instead I\u2019ll share some wisdom learned from the road.\u00a0<\/p>

  • Pre-plan what you can<\/u><\/strong>: Although this trip was determined only 10 days before we set out, my wife Erin and I planned a ton before we left. Lists were created, contingencies outlined, gear organized and tested.\u00a0 All of the problems we solved before we left were done more easily with the resources of home and bolstered our confidence and preparedness for the unknowns.
    • Campers pro-tip<\/u><\/strong>: prep meals (kabobs, curried chicken, shrimp fajitas, etc.) ahead of time, foil wrap, vacuum seal, and freeze.\u00a0 They kept our cooler cold with less ice (equals more food storage!) and were cooked simply by placing the foil over a campfire.\u00a0 No prep, no mess, gourmet meals in 20-30 minutes!<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
    • Take it as it comes<\/u><\/strong>: The road of life, and especially the road trip life is full of surprises. That\u2019s part of the fun! Be ready to accept what comes and pivot when necessary.\u00a0 Planning as outlined above is helpful but should not be maintained at the expense of opportunities and challenges encountered along the way.\u00a0 If it literally rains on your parade, in our case on a planned rest and water play day in South Dakota, be ready to make adjustments.\u00a0 Paddle boarding in a hail and lightning storm?\u00a0 No thanks.\u00a0 We\u2019ll shift to board games in the camper or adjust some campground reservations and drive to more favorable weather and play there.<\/li>
    • Be present<\/u><\/strong>: This was a constant reminder to our boys (put the screens down and look out the window at those mountains!) but necessary for the adults as well. There is considerable work associated with a multiple-stop camping trip.\u00a0 Be ready to stop what you are doing at any moment to soak in something special.\u00a0 It\u2019s the unique experiences that drew you out in the first place, savor them!\u00a0 Lay out under a clear and unpolluted night sky.\u00a0 Sip your morning coffee and listen to the birds wake up the world with their songs.\u00a0 Look at the window.\u00a0 Stop and stretch your legs at the scenic overlook\u2026<\/li>
    • Stock critical supplies<\/u><\/strong>: Don\u2019t run out of water or let your gas and propane tanks run low. Have back up food that doesn\u2019t require cooking.\u00a0 Carry cash (and quarters!!!) in addition to your credit and debit cards.\u00a0 Think ahead.\u00a0 It\u2019s not always possible to find specific items or reasonable prices at the last minute.\u00a0 Ice, medicines, coffee, whatever you deem essential, make sure you have it in good supply.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want to run out of Diesel Exhaust fluid at 11 pm in the middle of nowhere, roll with a full tank and top it off as soon as the first alert pops up.\u00a0<\/li>
    • Routine Inspection:<\/u><\/strong> Or, better yet, an inspection routine. Routine is the antidote to mistakes.\u00a0 Each day as I stowed our pop-up camper and hitched it to the vehicle, I did it in the exact same steps.\u00a0 In this way I ensured that I would not miss a critical step and leave a latch un-secured or safety chain off, or items forgotten.\u00a0 I practiced the camper routine a few times prior to departing and improved my routine as I got smarter from my experiences but followed it every day.\u00a0 The final and critical step was the walk around.\u00a0 Check, check, good, yup, ok, check\u2026. ready to roll.\u00a0 What may seem silly, repetitious or unnecessary, is not as soon as you notice you left a wheel chuck in place or a strap unsecured.\u00a0 Inspection is never a waste, it\u2019s an investment to safeguard you and mitigate mishaps.\u00a0<\/li><\/ul>

      While the suggestions and examples I\u2019ve provided are about a road trip, they are applicable to everyday life.\u00a0 Why not relish the moment, maximize your experiences, and minimize hazards every day?\u00a0 Get out there, have some fun and be traveler-savvy even when you\u2019re home.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      I recently returned home from a three-week family road trip.\u00a0 This was mostly a vacation but not entirely.\u00a0 Since I have been working from home since March, working from the road was fairly feasible.\u00a0 I coordinated to work about one third to one half time and take the appropriate amount of PTO to cover the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":5711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[2,5,12],"tags":[973,177,132,972,186],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLessons of the Road - REMANU<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/etereman.com\/remanu\/2020\/08\/13\/lessons-of-the-road\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lessons of the Road - 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