Vagabonding Check-in

Alone on the Road

Having been out on the road now for three weeks on a six week mini adventure, I've gotten a taste of solo vagabonding as a lifestyle. I've established a general routine which involves motorcycling with my gear 3-6 hours on a given day and then setting up camp either at a campground or motel for a couple days.  This permits me to have a chance to experience an area, while also avoiding the 90 minutes of somewhat tedious packing up camp every day.

The thing I've noticed most as I hike, explore historic sites, relax in camp, et al. is that my itinerary is totally up to me.  Which is to say if I want to sit down in the middle of a hike and listen to nature for an hour, read a novel in camp, or check out a location that doubles back on my journey so far, that's my call, hands down.  Obvious though it may be while solo-traveling, this flexibility soothes the often otherwise stressed building of an itinerary alongside another's.

Second, I've gained a deep respect for the infrastructure out there that makes solo-traveling possible. Which is to say, the vagabonding I'm doing is still dependent on civilization's foundation.  Taking a six-week solo backpack would present an entirely different paradigm.

On whole, the experience of vagabonding across country has been a mellowing experience.  The world seems to offer plenty of modest expense experiences, shelter areas, and nutritious deliciousness to satisfy me.  Personally, I feel I've developed a nature which is at home with the occasional conversation with fellows passerby, friends ala facebook, and via phone calls to real world friends.

Certainly every individual will have their own take on a vagabonding way of life, and even then that perspective will evolve over time given the specific circumstances.  For me, I feel the chance to explore the world on my own enhances my life perspective, and at journey's end will permit me to cherish the people in my (currently distant) inner circles even more when the road brings me back to them.