0
0
I still have exactly one week before I head out, but I thought I should take some time and write about what has gone in to planning this trip.
First, I have been enamored with the idea of being a Digital Nomad for some years now. But, what is a Digital Nomad?
Wikipedia offers the following definition:
“Digital nomads are people who travel freely while working remotely using technology and the internet. Such people generally have minimal material possessions and work remotely in temporary housing, hotels, cafes, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles, using Wi-Fi, smartphones or mobile hotspots to access the Internet. The majority of digital nomads describe themselves as programmers, content creators, designers, or developers. Some digital nomads are perpetual travelers, while others only maintain the lifestyle for a short period of time. While some nomads travel through multiple countries, others remain in one area, and some may choose to travel while living in a vehicle, in a practice often known as van-dwelling. In 2020, a research study found that 10.9 million American workers described themselves as digital nomads, an increase of 49% from 2019.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_nomad
For me, personally, being a Digital Nomad is about being able to explore the world and facilitating this by location independent employment. It is a mix of mobility and the ability to travel for extended periods of time without impacting one’s budget or one’s lifestyle. I am still struggling with the budget part, and am working on the lifestyle.
For this trip in particular, there were a lot of factors that helped to enable it. Alex and I had a long discussion on vacations and decided that, as I liked to travel much more, it was ok to take a vacation on my own. And, these were my dreams that I wanted to live out; I am not getting any younger and need to start making a serious effort to bring this vision into fruition, if it is going to happen. Also, I received a double blessing from General Mills this year. As this was my 15th year with the company, I got an extra week of vacation this year. And also, I received an unexpected bonus that is helping to pay for this trip.
Again, I have been saying that this was my dream for a long while now. It is time to put my money where my mouth is.
The actual planning of the trip began earlier this year in late spring. But, where would I go? I Googled and researched, and even enlisted Chat GPT in my search. I wanted to keep my trip at under 1,000 miles in one direction, to keep the gas affordable. But I also wanted to get far enough away from home that I was visiting someplace I am not often able to travel to. I debated on many locations such as Door County Wisconsin (where, ironically, my little sister Amy went vacationing this year), International Falls and Voyager National Park in Minnesota, and a handful of other places in a 9 hour driving radius from home. Finally, I decided upon a trip to the Black Hills and its vicinity. Honestly, there has always been a part of me that has been in love with “out west”. And I really have enjoyed my trips to South Dakota.
Once I had the general destination decided, I began to work on the details. Where all did I want to go? What all did I want to do? Originally, I had planned to just be gone a couple of weeks, working most of the time. But western South Dakota has so many things to see and do, it was hard to limit myself. And when would I be back again?
So, two weeks grew in to four, and the number of stops began to grow as well. Still, at first, I had planned to work most of the time while I was out there. That was a core part of the Digital Nomad experience: traveling and working at the same time. But I began to realize that there was so much I wanted to do that I would need time off for it. And I did have the vacation days. What was I saving them for? 
In the end, I decided on the entire month of September, and that I would only work 8 of those days. The irony was that I actually did have enough vacation days I could have taken the entire month off. However, I wanted to save some of them for travel in December.
Once I had general destinations in mind, the next step was to focus on logistics. Where would I stay? How much would that cost? What was my estimated spend on gasoline? How far did I want to travel in a day?
After determining where I would be staying, and making reservations, the next step was to start to look at specifics. Again, I turned to Google, as well as combing through a handful of books Alex’s mother Robin had loaned me. My original goal was to come up with a daily itinerary. However, as I began to plan, I soon realized this was neither realistic nor desirable. First, I will have Hayden with me for at least 3/4 of the trip and that will impact what activities I am able to do. For example, dogs are allowed in many state and national parks, but not Devil’s Tower. Also, I will need to be flexible and take advantage of opportunity and convenience. But last, this is a vacation and I do want it to be relaxed and include plenty of down time. Planning things out on a daily basis would probably inhibit my just taking it easy or being completely spontaneous.
The other main preparatory task was in compiling my packing and to-do list. I needed to think through all of the things I would need to do my job, maintain my daily routines, and keep house. Especially since I will be gone for an extended period of time, I need to be certain I will have everything I need. To an extent, I can always go to the store and buy anything I have forgotten. And part of the exercise is to ensure that the gear I keep in the trailer is what I need to maintain my house. But being prepared beforehand and spending less money are also goals.
With less than a week before my adventure begins, I am beginning to get excited (and nervous). I will spend the weekend packing and doing my last minute shopping. Sunday, I will take Hayden to the Hrbek’s so that he is already there when I go to pick the trailer up. Then, Thursday morning I will swing by and pick up Fred to help me with the trailer. Hopefully we will be on the road before noon that day, headed to our first stop at Grand Falls Casino!
And for more details … I will post those either during or after the trip! 🙂
Average Rating