Untethered
2 min read

Untethered

Or, why a road-trip was necessary.

Hi everyone,

Writing to you from my car. You see, I’ve packed up my belongings and hit the road.

Remote work doesn’t seem to be going away. Armed with a laptop and an internet connection, it’s now possible to work from just about anywhere. This seemed like an interesting opportunity to try something different.

Today marks the beginning of a cross-country road trip I’ve been thinking about for a while:

I had a few requirements planning this trip:

  • Stable internet. I plan to continue working during this trip and wasn’t willing to sacrifice bandwidth Monday - Friday.
  • Proximity to National Parks. One of my goals this year was to travel to 3+ destinations I’ve never visited and write about the experience. I spent February snowmobiling through Northern Quebec, but COVID put my travel plans on hold. This is my compromise.
  • Accessible campsites. After spending Memorial Day in Mammoth Lakes, I wanted to spend more time in a self-sufficient environment.

The plan is to spend the workweek in an Airbnb and the weekends camping. I’m using a Verizon MiFi 8800L as a hotspot during the week. On the weekends, I’ve got a Jeep loaded with camping gear and enough trail mix to fill a Costco shopping cart.

I’m not sure how long the trip will last. I’ve mapped it out until the end of July but there’s no firm commitment to bring me back to a “normal” situation. With most of my life packed away in storage, it will be easy to travel lightly.

If you’re a subscriber you can expect to receive more frequent emails with photos and writings about the trip. The beauty of writing online is the ability to publish from anywhere — something I’ll be taking full advantage of. If you’re considering the “digital nomad” lifestyle but want the full scoop before trying it for yourself, then you’ve come to the right place.

I hope everyone is having a safe and healthy 4th of July weekend. Try not to blow any fingers off playing with fireworks.

Thanks for reading,

Phil

P.S. If anyone has recommendations on places to visit I’d love to hear from you.


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Sunday Scaries is a newsletter that answers simple questions with surprising answers. The author of this publication is currently living from his car and traveling across the United States. You can subscribe by clicking the link below. 👇

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