The First Part Has Come to an End

This is a pretty long process; actually it doesn't end until my life comes to an end; everything in between are just parts, stages, whatever you want to call it. But this part of the process has several mini parts. The first part of this was to pack my "few" things and drive across the country to get to my first destination. This is the second time that I make a trip like this and I never stop learning. I actually think that this is a great exercise. If you ever have the opportunity to do something like this, you should definitely do it. I know from experience that it is not easy, but trying to live part of your life story in a different place is refreshing. Besides you are forced to learn and grow. 

I thought that since the next mini part is very different to what I have already done, I could write a last blog from the road with the lessons learned. I hope you enjoy it and that it is somehow useful. 

First of all, it doesn't matter if you think that you are ready to leave. There is always something else to do, and sometimes you need to let it go. I am almost convinced that you will always have to let something go. Second, it doesn't matter if you think that you got rid of everything you could and if you think that you are great at packing: there will always be more things to get rid of and a thousand tries to pack.  Third, it makes it a lot easier to not have a plan. I know that this is not always possible: there are time restrictions, budget restrictions...weather, but everything is always subject to change. I am not stubborn (at all...) so I insisted to go to Yellowstone in this trip. I have been wanting to go for a long time and that was the plan since we left, but it didn't happen. Even one day before we were supposed to go we were trying to find the way to do it. But it didn't happen. The worst time of the year to want to go. Well of course we could have, there are always ways, but we didn't have the money. So the route changed as well as the stops along the way. (I think I am going to stop counting lessons learned now. I have several random conclusions and I am just mentioning them as they occur to me. So I don't think it is necessary to keep track of how many I have so far.) On the other hand, nowadays it is really hard to discover or experience the true essence of towns a long the way. We tried, more than once, to find a local restaurant to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. It just keeps getting harder and harder. Everything you find is chain restaurants that we all know. More than once we tried to get out of the route to try to find something else and ended up in subway because we couldn't find anything or because it was closed. It is very sad.  An important piece of information is that a trip like this can last an eternity: you will always learn about a place you didn't know and of course, you are dying to go once you learn about it. It is hard to let them go, but as I mentioned in another post, the longest the trip is the harder it is to continue. You get more tired and you don't enjoy as much. 

I learned something interesting (I'm from Mexico City where weather doesn't really change that much). Temperatures below zero in a sunny day in the desert are delightful and temperatures in the teens in a humid and windy place make you freeze. Lesson: don't ever underestimate the thermometer and always be prepared for anything. 

I don't want to make this post really long. The last thing I want to mention is that the person , or persons, who go on the trip with you is everything. I am deeply thankful for having such a wonderful person with me on this trip, especially for putting up with me, because I'mççç not that easy.