#1. Kara
With only a month left until the we get on the road, I thought it would be appropriate to explain the origins of The Open Rogue and our reasoning behind this journey. Over the past month or so, we have been meticulously planning a trip to drive cross country and back. Jess, one who is always looking for adventure, was the first one to come up with the idea (and then she obviously had to tell Shae about her insane idea). Shae was all for it and was excited to go on a trip not like any other. Obviously at this point, the trip was only an idea- an idea that couldn’t become a plan until it was realistic. Realistically, they both knew that their parents wouldn’t let them travel across the country if it was only them two. The two needed a third, or a fourth, and that’s where they found me. I’m always pretty much down for an adventure, which is why I took a great interest in listening to Jess as she told me all about the ideas she had for this possible trip. In the back of mind, all I could think about how perfect this trip would be for me considering how frustrated I was about the fact that I’m not able to study abroad. I truly needed an adventure; an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.
At this point in the planning process, we are completely booked. This trip, which originated as just a thought passing through Jess’s ingenious mind, is now very, very real. It is wild to think at in just a month, the three of us will be on the road and living out this adventure. I feel like this is kinda strange to say, but I’m really proud of us for pulling this together in the time span that we had. We’ve spent the past month non-stop planning this trip, and it’s safe to say that we haven’t gotten into any arguments or tiffs. Judging by how our personalities work together, I doubt we’ll have any issues on the road. With all that being said, this experience would not be the same without Shae or Jess by my side. I’m so lucky to have found them in college and I truly look forward to the 3 weeks that I get to spend with them on the road.
There’s a common phrase that gets thrown around a lot, “Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone”. I feel like I hear this phrase, or similar versions of it, at least once a week in college. College is the time where we learn what we want to do with the rest of our lives. I’m bringing this up because I truly believe that this trip will help us in finding what we really want to do with our time here on Earth. This trip is not just an excuse to get out of a job or to avoid responsibilities back at home, but rather an experience that will teach us lessons that we can’t get from a textbook or an internship. This experience will give us time to think. This experience will give us time to learn (in my case, learn how to drive). This experience will give us time to understand. This time away from our normal routines and responsibilities will allow us to realize what matters most to us. This time is what I’m most excited for & I can’t wait to bring you all along to experience it with us.
Well, that’s my train of thought for now. Sorry this got really corny.
-Kara