Planning to be Spontaneous

It is very difficult to not compulsively sit down, get out the AAA literature, Google some destinations, and make reservations. But I am determined NOT to plan my summer vacation.

As I reported a couple of blog entries ago (Organizer has Trouble Not Planning), I’ve always had a fantasy about just getting in the car and driving. No destination. See where the road takes me. But it’s a challenge to wait that long.

My thoughts go something like this: “Maybe I’ll spontaneously drive up to Manitoba and hit Minneapolis on the way back.” Or, at the suggestion of a good friend, “Without planning to, what if I drive through Michigan around the north shore of Lake Superior, and visit Minneapolis on the way back.”

Not all fantasy road trips involve swinging by the Twin Cities.

Commenting on the previous blog, a friend suggests road tripping to the mountains of North Carolina – the eastern version of “the middle of nowhere.” Another friend invites me to visit the Lincoln-Omaha area, what I used to call “Metrobraska.” Either or both of those sound like fun.

I’ve thought about some travel themes such as visiting all the state capitals between here and St. Paul, which is next to Minneapolis.

Another fun theme: go to every town of Springfield in a 10 state region. Yes, there’s one in Minnesota.

But the goal here is to challenge myself to behave in a different way from usual. Instead of planning everything down to the minute, which is my natural tendency, I’d like to see what happens if I have no plans – just the wide open road.

Here’s as much as I want to prepare ahead of this trip which begins June 11 or 12 and could last as long as 10 days (so not really long enough, perhaps, to go all the way to North Carolina – Minnesota on the other hand …):

• Fill the tank.
• Pack a cooler with drinks and snacks.
• Fill a travel bag with cool clothing – I’m fairly certain it will be hot wherever I go. Hmm, the North Shore could be chilly I suppose. Ok, I’ll bring a jacket as well.
• Drive out to Monaco Parkway and turn either left or right.

After that, I’ll be as free as one of those truckers in a country western song, with only the stars and the radio to keep me company.

That reminds me, I’ll need to bring my iPod. Perhaps I should start a list.