The Adventurous, the Comfortable, the Timid, and the Cow

The Adventurous

A modern day nomad and self-described vagabond, Coddy has spent the majority of his life on the road. From the time he was 16, he has been constantly moving in search of the next big adventure or experience. This drive has taken him around the world. Coddy has lived in a dozen states, 3 countries, and has traveled extensively through 46 states and 3 dozen countries.

After finishing graduate school in 2018, Coddy began his career in higher education working a dual role as a disabilities coordinator and as an assistant director of an academic support center. Even though he loved his job and was passionate about helping students, he couldn’t subdue his desire for the open road. After two years of saving, Coddy decided to take the plunge and return to a life on the road.

For Coddy, this trip is a homecoming of sorts. He is excited to return to full-time travel. He hopes that this trip pushes him to grow, learn, and to understand the world in new perspectives. Also, he hopes to meet like-minded people along the way that will enrich his journey

The Comfortable

Having grown up in a military family, Bryon spent the early part of his life moving every couple of years to various army bases around the country. As adulthood set in, Bryon began to focus on his career with the hope of one day being in a place that would allow him to travel. Unfortunately, as routine set in and bills began to pile up, Bryon’s hopes of extensive travel were replaced with the relief of an occasional weekend trip or vacation.

After a vacation in November, 2019, Bryon decided that he was tired of living to work and wanted to use work as a tool to live a more fulfilling life. After that trip, Bryon spent the next 7 months aggressively saving money and paying down debts to free himself up to travel more.

For Bryon, this trip is the chance to experience a side of life that he has always dreamed about but never had the opportunity to experience. He hopes that this trip will help him gain perspective on life. He wants to use this trip as a tool to unwind, relax, and find a renewed sense of purpose and passion.

The Timid

Amelia Earbark (AKA Millie) is a 3 year old Coton de Tulear who was adopted in 2018. Though her name is inspired by one of the most incredible explorers of the modern age, her temperament is far from adventurous. Millie is a very timid and very anxious pup who tops the scales at approximately 9 pounds. Millie is scared of everything… No, seriously. EVERYTHING.

In spite of her insecurities Millie has been able to venture to more than 20 states and will undoubtedly see many more in her lifetime. Even though Millie is anxious at home, she is far more relaxed when she is on the road. Past road trips have proven to be good for her, helping her to be more friendly to strangers, more open to exploring, and more agreeable on long car rides.

 

The Cow

Ellie who is affectionately know as “The Cow” received her nickname due to her intense love of all things edible. It is no secret that if she could, she would sell her human for a couple of pieces of kibble. This love of food led Ellie to put on approximately 20 extra pounds which only solidified her nickname.

2020 has been a good year for Ellie who was able to shed about 15 pounds through diet and exercise. This new found physique has also made Ellie more energetic which will help her better enjoy her time on the road. Ellie loves meeting new people, going on hikes, and chasing squirrels – all of which she will get to enjoy in excess throughout this trip.

 

The Plan

The plan for this trip is simple – There is no plan. We are hoping to fully embrace the spirit of life on the road by not setting any sort of expectation of where we are going and how long it takes us to get there. That being said, we have developed a few guiding principles to help us along the way.

The Rules of the Road

1. Drive time is limited to no more than 4 hours a day

2. As much as possible, we will depend on free campsites

3. If a place sounds exciting to either of us, we will make it a priority to visit

4. We must consider all recommendations that people give us, and try our hardest to visit

5. We must visit every national park on our route

6. Visiting family and friends throughout our trip is of the highest importance (even if it means driving a little bit out of our way)

7. We want to leave every place a little better off than it was when we found it

8. We each want to live frugally and spend money intentionally, but we will not stress about a budget

9. We are wanting to find ways to engage with the cultures that we visit and embrace the communities that welcome us

The First Few Stops

While we do not want to create an itinerary, we have put our heads together to come up with the first few stops on our trip. Our goal is to leave Lincoln at 11:00am on June 27, 2020 and head north. From there, we will stop in to see some friends before making our way into South Dakota and heading west through the Badlands and to Mount Rushmore. From there, we will head over to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming and then head south through Colorado before making our way to the Grand Canyon. While we are unsure how long this leg of the trip will be, we suspect it will take several weeks.

**We will be uploading new blog posts every Sunday, so please follow along and let us know of any suggestions you have for us along the way**