I’ve often used the parable (we’ll see if this is the right word) to equate analysis paralysis to a one thousand lane highway. Every lane is open as far as the eye can see. No “correct” lane to choose. Eventually that particular lane results in something. Cannot know what it is. Which one would you pick? Welcome to the next year of my life. At least, that’s what I anticipate it to be. An endless list of possibilities, limited only by choice.
If you’re starting here after my launch on socials, feel free to scroll down a bit. If the thought of doing that induces some level of “nah” then let me summarize here:
- Leased a camper van
- Drove it from San Diego to Charlotte
- Lived out of it for a few weeks in Charlotte
- Road tripped it to Louisville, St. Louis, Kansas City and Wichita
- Will spend my 48th year traveling the country, exploring all of the lower 48 states
You’re basically caught up on the blog. Oh, you can follow me on Instagram @ LerveTravels if desired also. I’ll post all the pictures both places and detail the day here. I enjoy the journaling and I suspect I’ll look back on this for many years to come. Yes, you’re reading a blog. It is the year 2026.
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| The first (of many) rest areas US Hwy 400 in eastern KS |
So…I woke up at a Hampton Inn in Poplar Bluff, MO. Not actually “in” the hotel, rather the parking lot. The first rule of Van Life is finding a place to overnight. I suspect I’ll lean fairly heavy into hotel parking lots, rest stops, Cracker Barrel’s and anywhere I can make friendly-like with the locals. Since the vast majority of my time is urban, that’ll be my go to. But I’d rate this spot a strong offering. Sans the neighbor’s dog that absolutely full voiced for about 2 hours.
250 mile drive east, cold and overcast but an easy one to complete. My mission was an Amazon locker inside a Ross Dress for Less. Just how everyone should kick off a road trip. Hey, was low on my fav Mistral soap. Boom, bars secured, I ended up hanging out in the parking lot for a few hours talking on the phone. It was a welcomed haven as I candidly didn’t know what I was going to do for the day.
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| The co-captain chair is going to get a LOT of use |
Decided I needed some movement, mostly because one of my biggest missions on this adventure is to get back into consistently exercising. And, in the process, lose some weight (today’s starting weight is 219.8 lbs, which is a far cry from my lowest of 175 in July 2023, goal this month is to be under 210 lbs). Decided to target the Richland Creek Greenway at McCabe Park. The location couldn’t have been better as it basically was the parking lot of a Publix grocery store which was also on my list of things to do. Going to ease back into running, so I went for a jog/walk — 3.25 miles where every 0.3 miles I switched. The jogs averaged around 9’24” and the walk pace in the low 14 minutes. Heart rate averaged 152 BPM, which is a good thing for the desire. But seeing my heart rate get above 170 while jogging reminds me I’m out of shape. This is not a news flash.
Groceries secured, I headed to Panera. While the van has batteries, I’m trying to keep those powering things like the fridge, so I did some blogging while charging. I’m in the Belle Meade area of the city. I just happened to be here as I randomly chose the locker on the west side of Nashville. Definitely gives off the affluent vibe, lots of young professionals here, trail was extremely active with people of all ages. Drove through some nice neighborhoods, definitely seeing rebuilt homes into bigger properties. Just pulled up listings and yes, new construction going for that $500/sq ft. Good, not great condos at around $300/sq ft. Pricey. Census has only 2,600 people here, so I suspect most of this area is incorporated as Nashville.
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| Marquee is all right with me |
Shame on me, but I forgot about how much damage happened with the weather recently. Tons of brush on the streets, looks like they tried to use the month of February to get it all cleared. But there’s still a lot around. Golf course I jogged around was closed, but looked nice for a municipal.
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| Brush with nature |
Showered and cleaned up at Planet Fitness, which will be my go to for hygiene while on the road and then over to Streetcar. Unfortunately, I desired a cigar and their back patio was covered which threw my plans out the window.
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| Hey, the water was delish |
Ended up deciding to try and find a place to park for the evening and while doing so, found this little area on the other side of the trail, Murphy Road. Ended up watching Sisu with a few gentlemen out back while enjoying a cigar. Caught the last few minutes but, definitely an intense movie. Upon getting back to the van, I found one of Nashville’s finest patrolling. Chatted him up for a bit, learned a bit about the area and was grateful for the time.
Needless to say, a great ending to the evening. Those connections are what make it great!
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