i am off on a solo road trip today. i finally have a week off of work – my first real time off since march 9 – and am taking myself to the mountains for a few days of hiking and reading and solitude.

as a person who finds some way to get out of town every 6-8 weeks, 5 months of being in memphis and cooped up in my house has been a struggle. i continue to be grateful for the timing of our trip to new york the first week of march, and i continue to mourn the three trips i had to cancel in april and may.

traveling right now is still a little tricky, and i am taking as many precautions as i can to make sure i am being as safe as possible. i know there are some risks i cannot account for, but below are the things i did to prepare myself.

i packed my own food. i have road trip snacks, hiking snacks, fruit, stuff to make sandwiches, and tupperwares of pasta that i made over the weekend. this way i don’t have to go to a grocery store, nor do i have to go into town for any meals [i’m not eating out in memphis, so i am certainly not going to do so in a different town].

i have protective equipment. i have 3 masks, hand sanitizer in a variety of containers, and a few pairs of gloves and some lysol wipes [primarily for when i have to stop at gas stations]. i also have mosquito spray because woods.

i am staying in an airbnb on my own. it’s a studio apartment that allows for self check in, it has keyless entry, and it has its own entrance.

once i’m back i will update you and let you know how it all worked out. this is going to be how we travel for the foreseeable future, and while i need the getaway i also want to ensure i don’t contract the virus nor unknowingly pass it along to anyone else. i am so, so grateful that i am in a position to take this trip, because i know not everyone can.

most of all, i look forward to putting all of my devices on airplane mode and unplugging from the world for a few days.

xx