One day I woke up from a nap and got this crazy idea. An idea that seems unrealistic to most. This goal consists of living in a van and traveling the United States with just my dog, Bisket, and me.

First, I'm going to work my butt off for seven to eight months. one-hundred-hour weeks working and then hustling to make money on the side. I have a job that I do that at now, so it won't be difficult. The hardest part will be saving up my money so this trip can be possible.

Then, I'm going to buy a van and renovate it however I want. It'll have all the usual necessities. A bed, a counter with a stove top of some sort, a retractable table, plenty of storage space, a spot dedicated for my pup, a pantry, a mini-fridge, and a solar panel. Beyond the basics, I plan on decorating it accordingly. As far as decorations go, I'll have things like Aztec seat covers and a few velcro-able tapestries to keep the sunlight out when I want privacy or when I am sleeping. When I said accordingly, I meant according to my personality. It'll be interesting.

When I take off for my first trip I'll have it all mapped out and sort of planned but I'm not one for planning and I like to get up and go so nothing will be set in stone. I'd like to visit multiple beaches, parks, cities, country areas, and any other place you can think of. I'm going to bring a bike, so I can park my van and bike to more secluded areas.

Something that will be difficult for me is the part where I can't bring all my clothes and the belongings I hold dearly, but I know that I'll have to bring what I need rather than what I might wear. So instead of bringing a certain pair of shoes to match an outfit, I'll have to bring a few pairs of shoes for different hiking and weather situations. Things I know I'll need for sure are my camera, my laptop (for writing, of course,) my hygiene necessities, and my dog leash. Other than clothes and shoes I can't think of anything else I'll absolutely need.

I'm excited about this for so many reasons. I want to find happiness in solitude and I want to stop replacing my emotions with busy work, and I know this trip of a lifetime will help me do that among many other things. I want to make new friends and have friends all over the US, so that when I eventually find a place to make a home I'll be able to call them up and talk about life because that can be enlightening. I want to document every day of my trip through writing and photography and publish it in a book or online somewhere because that is what I love to do. I want to find out who I am outside of doing what society tells me who I should be.

Stay tuned, this is only the beginning.