What We Wish We’d Known Before Overlanding Full-time (Part 8)

Welcome back, as I blog my in-progress ebook. This is Part 8. As a quick introduction, I’m Brittany Highland, and I’ve been traveling with my husband Eric full-time by vehicle since February 2014. The two of us are now driving around the world with our five-year-old son, Caspian. We originally spoke about what we wish we’d known before overlanding full-time at several events in 2021, including Overland Expo.

I have so much to share that I decided to turn our presentation into my first ebook. Once the ebook is complete, I’ll be emailing it to all our subscribers for free. That way, you can download the PDF file and refer to it whenever you want to.

If you want to go back and catch up, you can do so with these links:

• Part 1: Stuff is a sad substitute for experience
• Part 2: Stuff is a sad substitute for hands-on training
• Part 3: Payload capacity doesn’t go away if you ignore it
• Part 4: Overlanding involves intentional self-deprivation
• Part 5: Logistics involved (can’t play constant tourist)
• Part 6: Meteorology matters (chase the weather)
• Part 7: Internet and that gorgeous campsite rarely go together

Now let’s continue on to the next lesson!

8/ The United States is an amazing gift to overlanders

Ever since we started overlanding in 2018, we had a singular goal: drive around the world. Because of that, our focus was on everything outside the United States.

We had been traveling full-time since 2014, exclusively within the U.S. (other than fly-in trips to Toronto and Cancun). So we had seen enough to value the cultural heritage, regional diversity, and natural beauty of the United States.

At the same time, we couldn’t stop thinking about the food in Mexico, the ruins in Greece, or the Outback of Australia. In a way, our travels in the United States became a stopgap to fill the time, until we could get our act together to start our international journey. (It’s hard to admit that, but it does have a lot of truth to it.)

But a couple of things happened to teach us this valuable lesson.

First, our travel style changed. As part of redesigning our life for international overlanding, we changed our entire work structure in 2020 and 2021 to avoid the constant need for Internet (we fondly refer to this phase as “burning it all down”).

Once our work commitments changed, we could go farther for longer without the tether of connectivity. This freedom allowed us to explore areas that had been off limits to us, like the Mojave Road and a seldom-visited part of the Grand Canyon’s rim. It’s quite astonishing how the world opens up when you don’t need cell coverage at your camp site.

We thought we had seen the beauty of the United States before, but our fresh experiences impacted us even more deeply. There was something about being able to camp at these gorgeous areas with our overlanding rig that made us say, “Wow. I can’t believe we’re actually staying here tonight.”

And second, our perspective changed as our departure from the United States got closer. It’s the whole you-don’t-appreciate-what-you-have-until-it’s-gone thing. In April 2021 when we were last in Moab, it hit us that we didn’t know when we would be back. That level of perspective made us finally appreciate the treasure United States travel is, especially for overlanders.

Maybe you are stuck on a big travel goal, overlooking the opportunities that are closer to home. Did you know overlanders from countries like Germany and Australia dream of traveling to the United States? For those of us who call the U.S. home, maybe it’s time to stop and take a good look around.

Here are just a few reasons the United States is an amazing gift to overlanders:

1. It’s huge (have you ever seen a map that overlays the United States on top of Europe? Or TEXAS on top of Europe?). Yet this giant geographical area shares a common language, currency, and system of law.
2. Because of its size, the United States holds a rich diversity of culture and history within its many regions.
3. The natural beauty of the United States is stunning. People from around the world agree.
4. Travel is easy. This is one aspect that’s nearly impossible to appreciate until you’ve overlanded internationally. You can wild camp for free on the endless BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) out west, drink water right out of a spigot because it’s potable, and connect with like-minded travelers who will support you no matter which state you’re in.

So while you dream big, don’t sleep on the travel experiences at your fingertips. We drove around the United States for more than seven years, and it took us that long to realize we were barely getting started.

COMING UP: You and your partner might need different things

Stay tuned for the eighth lesson I share, as I blog my in-progress ebook. We’re on the home stretch now! If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up for a copy of my complete ebook, which I’ll email you for free as soon as it’s finished.

Thanks for participating in my blogging experiment. We’ll see you soon for the next lesson we’ve learned–the hard way!

-B