Now, I’m heading up the Pacific coast to Seattle before heading back to New York City . This has been the longest I’ve been away in many years, and I’m starting to miss home. I miss my bed, my friends, and my routine. I’m starting to feel disconnected from life in New York City; it’s becoming more of an abstract idea… just another place in the world, rather than my home.
However, as I write these words, they’ve made me I realize how happy I am. Travel should push you out of your comfort zone. It should make you feel disconnected and uncomfortable. It’s only then you begin to try new things, learn about yourself, and let go.
With another two months on the road, who knows what I’ll find out about myself.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be visiting Lake Tahoe, California wine country, the redwoods, Glacier National Park, and Yellowstone. I can’t wait to get out of the cities and explore nature. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on any extended hiking trips.
Upcoming Events
| March 26th | Las Vegas: The Writer’s Block @ 7pm | EVENT DETAILS | RSVP |
| March 30th | Reno: Sundance Books and Music @ 6:30pm | EVENT DETAILS | RSVP |
| April 8th | San Francisco: Book Passage @ 6pm | EVENT DETAILS | RSVP |
| April 13th | Portland, Oregon: Powells Bookstore @ 7pm | EVENT DETAILS | RSVP |
| April 14th | Seattle: University Book Store @ 7pm | EVENT DETAILS | RSVP |
| April 16th | Spokane: Auntie’s Bookstore @ 7pm | EVENT DETAILS | RSVP |
Costs
One of the goals of this book tour is to live the book and demonstrate how you can travel cheaply even in a developed country like the United States. As of my last update, I was spending $50.10 per day. Now how am I doing? After sixty-six days of travel*, I’ve now spent $3,249.41 or $49.23 per day. Here is the breakdown:
Accommodation: 426.85
Food: 1,558.64
Drinks: 213.75
Gas: 346.43
Parking: 243
Starbucks: 21.79
Miscellaneous (movies, toothpaste, shampoo, conferences, etc.): 170
Attractions: 230.45
Taxis: 41
Bus: 17.50
While it’s a slight decrease from the previous average, I think there’s still room for improvement. I’ve managed to keep my accommodation costs down by staying with friends and readers, Couchsurfing, and using hotel points. I’m burning through them fast as I’ve been having trouble finding Couchsurfing hosts in smaller cities. My food costs have gone up a lot. I’ve realized I don’t like cooking on the road. I know it helps to lower costs, but when I’m only in a city for a few days, I’d rather eat out than cook a meal. (Tip: Use ridesharing services like Lyft to get local restaurant recommendations!) As long as I can keep accommodation costs down, that’s fine, but if those go up, I’ll be back in the kitchen more often!
Traveling the United States on $50 a day is completely doable, even with gas prices going up. When my trip is over, I’ll be posting a guide and budget tips for a cross-country road trip so others can learn how to do it too (and learn from my mistakes).
P.S. If anyone has suggestions for my upcoming destinations, leave them in the comments!
