LAST UPDATED: December 19th, 2024
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Hard to believe, but we’ve been on the road a whole month already! From a little city on Lake Huron to an oceanfront view in Myrtle Beach, we’ve had quite the adventure so far, and we’re not even halfway through yet!
We’ve toured factories and a warship, relaxed on ocean beaches, walked insane distances, ate some delicious foods, and created SO many awesome memories!
Here’s a few things we’ve done and learned so far…
States we’ve traveled through:
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia
DC
North Carolina
South Carolina
Cities we’ve spent time in:
New York City, NY
Orange, NJ
Seaside Heights, NJ
West Chester, PA
Pottstown, PA
Washington, DC
Alexandria, VA
Rocky Point, NC
Wilmington, NC
Myrtle Beach, SC
Things we’ve learned:
1. How to add 30% to every price to compensate for exchange rate (definitely sucks!! We’re getting good at math though!)
2. NYC isn’t as intimidating as the movies make it seem
3. And the White House isn’t as impressive as the movies make it seem. We were both surprised at how small it actually looks when you’re standing in front of it!
4. Our days have naturally gravitated to start around 11am, and end around 2 am. We both function better like this, but many stores and tourist attractions tend to disagree
5. A fridge, stove, and microwave are luxuries we can easily live without
6. People are generally very quick to help, if you ask. A genuine smile can go a long way
7. Google literally knows everything. I don’t know how people used to survive without it in their hand. Especially using NYC transit!
8. There are ALOT of people WAY less fortunate than us
9. Free wifi is awesome, and can be found in MANY public places. Use it when you can
10. American phone plans are awesome. Unlimited data is a lifesaver, especially when searching for hotels and things to do. We used 15 gigs our first month, and would have been broke had we used our Canadian plan for that!
11. Free breakfasts are awesome, and must always be eaten (and grab an extra muffin or bagel for later!)
12. Look for souvenirs in the tourist areas, then go buy them in China Town (NYC travel tip ;))
13. 2 pairs of good sandals are definitely a good idea! Where one rubs funny, the other likely doesn’t. Rotate daily!
14. Always bring water
15. Dollar menus and ‘kids eat free’ days are the best way to eat out, and you can find those almost every day of the week
16. Car camping is fun, cheap, easy, and not nearly as bad as it sounds!!
17. Flying J gas stations are easily the cleanest, cheapest and nicest places to stop on the road and for the night.
18. Yelp reviews are beyond helpful, and exist for EVERYTHING. We are now Yelpers.
19. A 16″ gun is Really Big
20. A WW2 battleship is REALLY BIG. Well, it has to be.. It housed over 1800 men at one time, which is amazing to experience!
21. Based on our experience, most Americans don’t know where Alberta is. Or what it is. And that increases the more south we go… One South Carolina man thought it was a town in Arkansas. (Granted, it is the name of a town in Virginia, whose population was 298 in 2010. So I highly doubt that’s what he was thinking of when he guessed!)
22. Living near an airport/under an airplane-landing flight path is really loud
23. In much of the south, Sunday is actually a practiced day of rest by many. Meaning liquor stores are often closed. Madness!
24. We can handle alot more walking than we ever thought, but good footwear is absolutely required. 80 km in a week is our record so far
25. The NYC metro system is fascinating, always on time, and really the only feasible way to get around in the city. I will never attempt driving there
26. It is ridiculously difficult to buy one meals-worth of food from a grocery store, that does not require a microwave or fridge (unless you’re willing to sign your life away at the buffet at whole foods)
27. Waking up to waves crashing is the best sound ever
28. It takes 6 minutes to turn a raw potato into a chip, and they’re delicious right off the line!
29. Rest days are absolutely necessary
30. Pennies are annoying!
31. Balance is key: with money, food, energy, mood, conversation, accommodation…. everything, really!
32. There are SO MANY people choosing this nomadic lifestyle, if we keep our eyes and ears open
33. Happiness is easy when we stop being too busy to let it in
34. We are Inspiring! It’s amazing how many times we’ve heard ‘I wish I could do that’ and ‘That’s my dream, too!’ when we get chatting with people!
Our adventure has been amazing so far, we can’t wait to see how the next part unfolds!
