Room for Improvement

Not shockingly, there were a few things on my first big solo trip that I would've done differently. Don't get me wrong, the trip was great-- but next time I might:

1. Look at the weather forecast on my way home

This should've been a given, but the blizzard I ran into on my way home caught me by complete surprise. I could've planned much better had I looked at the weather for my whole drive-- I'd looked at the forecast for Detroit, but Detroit didn't get hit with the storm. Just everywhere else.

Next time around, I'll check that out in advance.

2. Familiarize myself with my route

Losing my GPS signal at night in the mountains made for a good story, but in the moment it was mildly terrifying. If I'd looked at a map and drawn out a route, or printed directions up from Google in advance, I could've given myself a little peace of mind that I was at least headed in the right direction. If I didn't have a set destination it would've been different, but I had a hotel I needed to reach-- since then, I've been religious about jotting down some directions before I leave on any trip.

3. Plan out some stops

I like winging it, but the dingy hotel I stayed at on my way home was just a hair outside of my comfort zone. I don't mind some level of shadiness. This place, however, was extreme. Since I didn't want to reserve a hotel, I should've researched some options along my way BEFORE I was too tired to keep driving or care.

4. Take an extra day

Nearly 40 hours round trip of driving-- not counting the driving I did while actually in Colorado-- got to be a bit much for me. I'm not used to spending that kind of time in the car, and I was sore and crabby because of it. Giving myself an extra day to drive home, or to unwind in Estes Park, would've been very much appreciated. I loved that it was a whirlwind adventure, but now that I've had that experience I'll go ahead and take the extra day next time.

5. Take more pictures

When I travel, I prefer to live in the moment. But afterwards, I love having those pictures to look back on. I haven't found that perfect balance yet, so I need to keep looking. Also, I am really ambivalent over having my own picture taken, and I tend not to take very many selfies. Normally I'd say that's a good thing, but when it's just me on the trip and I want a picture of myself by a rock, I need to take that selfie. One goal for next time is to be more aware of good picture opportunities.