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Friday, January 10, 2014
Thursday, January 9, 2014
The Ultimate Cross-Country Packing List
One of the biggest problems for anyone considering driving across the country is what to bring.
What are the things I'll want - and need - for all of those things that
might arise as I'm traveling the (X amount of) miles it'll take to get there. So,
after reading over 50 packing lists, over 100 stories from people who
have made similar trips, and making a solo drive over 2,000 miles across America myself, I've compiled this complete packing list.
If you believe I've left out something important, please leave a comment
and tell me so that myself and others can benefit from
your experience as well!
*Notes: I am female; certain items may not be
applicable. I didn't stay in hotels for the trip I made this list for; I slept in my car and camped along the way. Some of these things might not apply depending on your travel plans. Certain items are optional but might be handy to have if your car breaks down (for example). As for
the clothing and miscellaneous items, this will change depending on your
trip. I was planning for three months on a beach in California when I
originally made this list and ended up staying for a year. Luckily I was well-supplied and had no problems.
 |
| Paul Bunyan had me in the palm of his hands at one stop on my trip. |
The Ultimate Cross-Country Packing List (updated on 1.9.14)
Camping Gear- Tent
- All-weather sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Blankets
- Pillow
- Plastic dishes and cutlery
Clothes
- Pants, shorts, and shirts
- Pajamas
- Bathing suit
- Tennis shoes
- Sandals
- Warm sweater
- Jacket
- Hat with a brim
- Wetsuit
- Socks
- Underwear
- Bras and sports bras
- Sweatshirt
- Nice outfit (for days off)
- Jewelry and/or accessories
Emergency Kit
- Battery-powered flashlight
- Spare batteries
- Self-powered flashlight
- Jumper cables
- LED road flares
- Tire gauge
- Pocket knife or leatherman
- Rain poncho
- Screwdriver
- SOS sign
- Tow strap
- Safety signaling cone
- Knit gloves
- Rope
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Sewing kit
First Aid Kit
- Cotton balls
- Ace bandage
- Safety pins
- Alcohol prep pads
- Hand sanitizer
- Cough drops
- Cold compress
- Heating pads
- Allergy medicine
- Ibuprofen
- Gauze pads (of varying sizes)
- Benzkalkonium wipes
- Triple antibiotic
- Band-aids
- Butterfly closures
- Cold medicine
- Kleenex
- Tweezers
- Q-tips
- Thermometer
- Tongue depressors
- Antacid
- Aspirin
- Non-aspirin
- Acetaminophen
- Gloves x2
- Medical tape
- Hydrogen peroxide
- CPR pocket mask
- Scissors
Toiletries
- Hairbrush
- Hair ties, clips, & headbands
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Shower gel
- Body lotion
- Body mist
- Razor
- Razor heads
- Pads and/or tampons
- Birth control
- Deodorant
- Nail clippers
- Make-up
- Q-tips
- Kleenex
- Dental floss
- Manicure set
- Mouthwash
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- Chap stick
- Contact lenses
- Contact case
- Contact solution
- Eye drops
- Poop shovel & TP
- Roll of paper towels
- Waterproof matches
- Small hand mirror
- Toiletry travel case
- Milk jugs filled with water
- Towels
- Sunglasses
- Laundry bag
- Water bottles
- Pens and pencils
- Mace and/or pepper spray
- Baseball bat or other blunt object
- AAA or similar service
- Driver's license and insurance information
- Keys (car, house, etc.)
- Wallet
- Credit card and/or cash
- Extra plastic bags
Optional Gear
- Passport and travel visas
- Thank You notepaper (if staying with someone along the way)
- Host gift (if staying with someone along the way)
- Sleeping mask
- Cooler
- Neck pillow
- Ear plugs
- Business cards (if applicable)
- Camera
- Tripod
- Extra memory cards (if using a digital camera)
- Travel candle
- Hard case for (sun)glasses
- Music and/or audiobooks
- Chargers (phone, MP3, camera, etc.)
- Headphones
- Cell phone
- Mace and/or pepper spray
- Baseball bat or other blunt object
- AAA or similar service
- iPod or MP3 player
- Computer
- Music speaker
- Reading material
- Photos from home
- Wrist watch
- Envelopes and stamps
- Notebook
- Addresses
- Journal (a neat memorabilia idea)
- Power chord
- Video camera
- GPS system and charger
- Power adapter
- Sports equipment (surfboard, snowboard, etc.)
- Hiking stick
- Water purification pump
- Camping stove
13 Things to Know When Traveling Across the Country
March 2012, I drove over 2,000 miles across the country. On my own, I slept in my car and camped in the woods (no hotels), and
along the way I discovered some very valuable advice for people who
are embarking on journeys similar to this that I would like to share with
you!
 |
| Here I am teaching myself how to unlock the trunk from the inside. I highly recommend becoming familiar with your vehicle's manual before leaving. |
1) If you need any sort of assistance while out on the road, call #55 -
this will connect you with the local highway patrol officers and can
expedite you getting the help you need.
2) If you're traveling over great distances, start the trip earlier in
the day. Your body will have more natural energy, and you won't wear
down as fast as if you had started later in the day. Try to be ready to
drive the night before and get a good night's sleep so that you don't
have to scramble to be ready to depart.
3) Bring a tire pressure gauge and check your pressure every
fueling. Checking the pressure every time
you fuel could save you some major headaches - so far it's kept my vehicle on track with no problems. Make it into a habit that
you just do!
4) Avoid toll booths. There are plenty of roads that criss-cross the
nation, allowing you to get where you need to go. Making a trip like
this is expensive enough without having to pay a toll booth.
5) When you're packing, use several smaller duffel bags instead of
suitcases. Suitcases are great for flying, but when you're on the road, a
duffel bag is more flexible, takes up less space, and can be shoved
into awkward positions. Keep a smaller duffel or backpack near you with any
essentials you'll want easy-access to while driving to prevent stops.
6) Bring road flares - if you can, bring LED road flares. There are a
variety of uses for road flares, but the advantage of using LED road
flares is that they are either rechargeable or use batteries; either
way, you'll be able to use them more than once. This saves you money in
the long run, as opposed to using traditional road flares that you'll
have to replace once you've used them.
7) Bring a cooler and fill it with drinks and snacks purchased from a
grocery store. Gas stations along the road may be convenient, but are
way overpriced. By buying a 12-pack of your favorite drink and some
snacks, you can save yourself a small bundle!
8) Bring some jumper cables. Even if you have AAA or something similar
(which you should have anyway if you're traveling more than 100 miles
away from home), you can save yourself a little cash with some trusty
jumper cables and a nice person driving by.
9) Bring a couple jugs of water and keep them in your trunk. There are
so many different uses for larger quantities of water. Rinsing sticky
stuff off your hands, splashing on your face, using to brush your teeth,
or even filling an overheated radiator.
10) In some states it is illegal to have anything on the front windshield,
and so plan ahead if you will be going through a state where this
applies. Garmin offers a free (not even any shipping and handling fees)
Dashboard Disc, for those of you with a Garmin GPS device, that allows your
GPS to stick to the dashboard of your vehicle rather than the
windshield. The
adhesive disc adheres to the dashboard of your vehicle, and your suction
cup mount adheres to the disc. Those of you without a Garmin device can
purchase a two-pack of these for around $8 online - an excellent investment
item.
11) It is illegal in some states to carry mace and/or pepper spray;
please
note this if you will be driving through one of those states. Instead, a
baseball bat or other blunt object might be a good idea to keep within
arm's reach of you. Don't bring a blade unless you know how to use it;
this could cause you more harm if so.
12) Bring a cell phone. I know that some of you want to have the
adventure aspect, even myself. But this is the modern age, and there's
no harm in being able to get help when you need it. Make sure that
you're updating family and/or friends with your current location every
time you stop for gas at the minimum.
13) Play it like a Boy Scout and be prepared! Make sure you have
everything you need - or might need - for your trip before you leave. It
always sucks when you drive 500 miles, only to realize you forgot
something important. I've created the Ultimate Cross-Country
Packing List (Driving Edition) if you're wondering what to bring on a trip across the country.
If you think there's something else that should be on this list, or if you have any questions, write a
comment and let me know! Knowledge is power after all. For those of you who are wondering what to pack on a trip like this, check this out.
48 Random Facts About Me
Here's a list of facts to help you get to know me. Enjoy!
 |
| Did I mention that I love surfing? |
- People call me Annika, but secretly I want them to use my childhood nickname, Anninea
- I am technically homeless.
- I was born in 1992. In Colorado.
- I have worked with the YMCA as a camp counselor (though we prefer the term "facilitator") since 2008.
- When I'm bored, there's a pattern I flex my toes to.
- I never met two of my half-sisters until I was 18.
- I have worked at four different Y camps in three different states.
- I love the ocean. Also lots of tall leafy trees, and succulent plants.
- I am an amateur crafter, cook, and crocheter.
- I play 13 different instruments.
- I was once compared to the creepy girl from "The Ring", and dressed up as her for Hallween.
- I was a People to People Ambassador, and visited the United Kingdom & Ireland as a result.
- I’m the daughter of three, sister to three.
- "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe is my favorite Christian song. It is also the only one I like.
- The bike I got for Christmas last year was stolen, and I still mourn it's loss.
- I’ve visited 48 of the US states and 9 countries so far.
- I used to speak Russian and a little French, but now I only remember one. English.
- I eat junk food regularly.
- I used to pick my nose.
- I lost 15 pounds just by adding salad and surfing to my diet.
- I love a good yoga session.
- I get emotional whenever I hear classical music.
- My painting skills end with acrylics.
- I was a Music Ed major who decided life couldn't wait.
- I’ve decided to go back to school, but keep putting it off. Too many other things I want to do.
- I love chrysanthemums.
- Beef pad thai with thai iced tea is my favorite meal.
- I've moved seven times in my life so far.
- I’m 5'4".
- I played softball. I also ran track. Not because I was good but because my friends did.
- I graduated from high school in a class of 300 in Minnesota.
- My mom and I used to babysit reptiles and creatures like snakes, lizards, & spiders.
- I did better at parallel parking than my 90 degree back parking when I took the test.
- My favorite color is ever-changing, but is currently blue.
- I fed and was licked by a giraffe once.
- My hearing is so good I can hear artificial heart valves.
- I’m a perfectionist. Maddeningly so. Maddening even to myself.
- My mom is a financial aid counselor at a college, my dad has 3 jobs, and my biological dad is the manager of a supermarket.
- I fed a rhinoceros some apples.
- When asked what I want from the store, I always answer Cheez-It and a Coke.
- I am a "whatever religion you believe is correct is what happens to you". Therefore, I sincerely believe the afterlife is a build-your-own utopia.
- I don’t have a favorite movie or a favorite artist.
- I like killing a lot of birds with one stone. I’m all about efficiency.
- I have expensive taste. Unfortunately, I don’t have the funds to match.
- I’m good at starting things.
- I’m horrible at finishing things.
- I worry way too much about what other people think.
- I currently live in California and continually ask myself How did THAT happen? But I like it.
So You Think You Can Sew?
As some of you may know, I have a Bucket List. One of the items on my list was to design and sew an outfit, so for Halloween 2012 I decided to create my dream gypsy and/or belly dancer outfit.
 |
| The finished product at a local Halloween carnival. |
I started by selecting a pattern, which would guide me through the process of fabric selections, accessories, and assembly. Simplicity is my favorite brand for these projects, and I ended up with this pattern.
Then, instead of buying my fabric at Walmart (Which is a cheaper option for those of you who need a lot of fabric on a budget, as much as it pains me to admit), I chose mine at a local fabric shop. Not only did I get a deal on all the supplies I needed to create my costume, but it's always nice to keep your shopping local.
I spent the next week deciphering the (somewhat) confusing instructions for a beginner like me, but overall it was a pain-free process. Squeezing in time with the sewing machine between work and life, I ended up with an amazing costume that many people didn't realize was home-made! I got to show it off volunteering as a gypsy fortune teller at a local Halloween carnival.
 |
| Each piece is separate, for mix-&-matching options. |
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Sunrise in the Grand Canyon
August 12th, 2013. I got to cross watching a sunrise at the Grand Canyon off my Bucket List. After spending three days and two nights in the bottom of the canyon to watch the Perseids Meteor Shower, my friends and I woke up nice and early to begin what would end up being a 14-hour hike back up the 10 mile path to the top.
Hint: I'm the one making the most ridiculous faces.
Food for Thought: Standing at the top ridge of the Grand Canyon, you gaze towards the bottom, and can't see it. Camping out in the bottom of the canyon, as you stargaze, you see what you think is the top ridge.. but it isn't. The Grand Canyon is so vast, so big, that you are nothing more than an ant in a ginormous hill, waiting for the rock to crumble around you at a moment's notice. I was humbled by my experience in the Grand Canyon and move forward with intention.
Skydiving
What. A. Rush.
On August 3rd, 2013, three hours before the scheduled jump, my boyfriend and I arrived at Skydive San Diego, thrilled to complete the paperwork and training I would need to finally cross skydiving off of my Bucket List.
Afterwards, you spend at least an hour watching people fall from the sky in bright colors like yellow, orange, and green. Some people laugh, some cry, some don't jump at all.
I wanted to puke the whole 15-minute ride up to an elevation of 13,000 feet. My boyfriend wanted to (and did) laugh at me.
Then the doors open, and people leap out of the plane - veterans go solo and show only excitement. I watch my guy become a blip on the landscape.
Then Roberto (my instructor) is saying.. 1-2-3-JUMP!
 |
| Roberto was from Argentina. He jumped for the first time at 18 and found his life's calling. |
The wind slaps your eardrums for a moment before drowning in the mixed emotions - fear, elation, disbelief - and the incredible view that is mountains, desert, the ocean, the tiny dots that must be cars. You flip around until the parachute is deployed, and then you are a bird gliding through the scenery. Adrenaline chokes your nerves, leaving only admiration for the perspective of the world you had never known before.
The landing is easier than you imagine. Your cameraman gives you a high-five and tells you that your top speed was 120 miles per hour and that the jump only took 8 minutes.
When you look at the footage afterwards, you make a mental note to wear jeans next time and to work out more. (120mph will make your body fat jiggle)
And you are never the same.
Bucket List
The Bucket List
Did you know that studies show people are more likely to do the things that they write down? Two years ago, when I learned this, I started my own Bucket List.
- Make a ship in a bottle
- Release a CD
- Make an instrument
- Travel to all seven continents
North AmericaSouth AmericaEurope- Africa
- Antarctica
- Asia
- Australia
Go skydiving- And bungee jumping
- Take my sisters to another country
- Ari
- Kim
- Audrina
- Write the score for a movie
- Experience Mardi Gras
- Finish college
- Disneyland
- Butterbeer at Harry Potter World
- Own my own house
- Russia with my mom
- Perform a concert with my bio-dad
- Build a website with my dad
- Write a violin concerto
- Learn to play the didgeridoo
- Go camping with my two families in Red Feather, Colorado
Design and sew an outfitGo dog sleddding- Safari in Africa
- Get scuba certified
- See the salmon run in Alaska
- Ride a camel in the desert
- See the pyramids at sunset
- Have a croissant at a French cafe
- Try escargot
- Road trip across the United States
- Battle in the Roman Coliseum
- Whiskey at a pub in Ireland
- Go to Oktoberfest wearing a drindle
- Visit that church made entirely of bones
- Open a Swiss bank account in Switzerland
- Stay in the ice hotel
- Go on a multi-day bike trip
- Be a conversational in seven languages
English- Set foot in all 50 US states: 48 so far!
- Stand atop the Great Wall of China
- Stand inside the Taj Mahal
- Ride through the Panama Canal
Watch a sunrise in the Grand Canyon- Taste 100 different fruits: 18 so far!
- Go para-sailing
- Swim with bio-luminescent plankton in Puerto Rico
- Attend Loy Krathong in Thailand
- Ring a church bell
- Attend La Tomatina Festival in Spain
- See the view from Coit Tower
- Go a week without speaking
- Throw a block party
- Zip line through a canopy
- Live in another country for at least one year
- Experience Carnival
- Go on a night dive with manta rays in Hawaii
- Sleep in an amazing tree house
- Start an annual event
- Do a two-finger whistle for a cab
- Learn to whistle first
- Have a holi color fight
- Linguica in Portugal
- Tango in a milonga
- Make a lei, then wear it while learning to hula dance in a coconut bra and grass skirt
- Surf of Lake Superior
- Gyros in Greece
- Walk on a tightrope
- Ride an elephant in India
- Go to the Amazon Rainforest
- Go on a cruise
Thinkers VS Doers
"They say there are two types of people in the world: Thinkers and Doers. And I'd like to prove that you can be both."
- Annika Truebenbach
 |
Here I am tandem skydiving with Skydive San Diego. (8.3.13)
|
You, my dear readers, may be wondering what my life's motto means.
"How can you be both a thinker AND a doer?"
It's
not easy. As an introverted person with extroverted fantasies, it can
be hard to connect the thinking part of my brain to the doing. But I
persevere. And in the two years since I've adopted this policy, I find
myself happier than I've ever been before.
Here's how it works:
Every day, I read about and talk to people who are unsatisfied with their lot in life.
"I envy you. You're so lucky! Wish I had a mindset like yours.."
To which I always reply, YOU DO. Let me repeat that, YOU DO.
See, the problem is that we let ourselves get tricked into thinking we, as people, have to be able to fit into a category. (Right brain vs left brain, nerd vs jock, smart vs dumb, etc.) If we force ourselves into the idea of "thinkers vs doers", here's how I figure it plays out:
People
who place themselves in the "thinker" mindset will often discuss all of
the amazing things they're going to do in life, plan it out the best
they can, and then what? They'll talk, and talk, and talk, and talk it
out until they feel prepared enough to go for it. But most of these
thinkers, at the last moment, will talk themselves out of doing it. Why?
Because they over-think the situation. Thinkers lack the drive to DO things, and therefore miss out because they'd rather stick with the familiar rather than the foreign.
On
the other hand, we have the "doer" mindset. Ready to dive off the cliff
at a moment's notice, party 'til the break of dawn, and still have time
to rock the business world with all the things they do. At
first, this seems better than the "thinker" mindset. After all, at least
the "doers" are doing things right? Wrong. The problem with doers is
that they will do just about anything - good, or bad. A doer often ends
up in the police station, because getting a photo with Captain Morgan on
the roof of the bar seemed like a good idea at the time. Doers lack the drive to THINK things through before doing them, and therefore get into trouble with their antics.
So I asked myself, why do we continue to perpetuate these ideals?
In
answer, I threw the expectations of society away, and wrote my own
ideals. I truly believe that you can think about something, plan it out
to the best of your ability, and then get out there and do it.
And I encourage you all to do the same.
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