Stories about me as a person.
In a day and age of hustle culture, there is an underrated value in doing nothing at all. Value in giving your brain a rest and accomplishing nothing. I once chided myself for spending three hours scrolling TikTok. But then I realized it was at… Read More »How much lounging is too much?
I took about four steps and had to take a break. The energy to lift my leg and take another step just wasn’t there. I was only hiking around 7,000 feet in elevation when the day before I had hiked to 11,000 feet. So lack… Read More »My tracking app lied to me
Note: this post contains affiliate links. Shopping through those links supports Right Kind Of Lost at no extra cost to you, for which we are eternally grateful! Travel does not have to be expensive. If planned right, it can be very affordable and within reach.… Read More »Great Basin National Park Expense Report
My friend ask me how I was liking the book I was reading while lounging in the hammock around the campfire. “Not that great,” I answered. “Actually, I’m trying to hurry up and finish it because I kind of hate it.” “Why don’t you just… Read More »The privilege of literacy
With record-high gas prices this summer, long and far weekend trips were not that affordable. The good news is gas prices have started to come down, and let’s hope they continue. But higher gas prices make you think twice about going on a long road… Read More »Vacation when you can’t
This is a story about a not-so-traditional adventure. And I can only call it an adventure in hindsight because the only option is to laugh at the fact that I managed to lock myself in a public restroom. During a heat wave in the summer… Read More »That one time I got locked in a public bathroom
I had heard Boston intersections were crazy, but it wasn’t until I was there that I got the full experience. And it wasn’t until I unexpectedly was looking to spend an extra day and night in Boston as well as a hefty vehicle repair bill,… Read More »Misadventures – frustrations of road travel
I opened the passenger side car door ready to hook the leash onto my dog harness. But instead of leaping out like Caddie used to do, she moved over to the driver’s seat. A clear “No. I’m finished hiking for the day. Thank you very… Read More »Loving a geriatric adventure dog
Every great trip has at least some element of misadventure to it. Troubles on adventures remind us that life isn’t perfect and that when a trip does go off perfectly we should consider ourselves extremely fortunate. Misadventures can make for a great learning experience and… Read More »Misadventures in Southern California
While planning for an upcoming outdoors trip to West Virginia, I texted my sister two campground options and something unexpected. One was close to everything but had platforms tent pads. I explained to her that when there are platforms, it’s harder to stake out a… Read More »Planning for the unexpected outdoors
Note: this post contains affiliate links. Shopping through those links supports Right Kind Of Lost at no extra cost to you, for which we are eternally grateful! Before my last trip to Southern California, I polled my friends and coworkers on fun things to do… Read More »Hipster or homeless?
For the first time on one of my trips, I lost my wallet. And when you’re 2,500 miles away from home, your wallet is not what you want to lose. Well, technically I only lost my debit card, driver’s license, some cash, and some medication.… Read More »SoCal misadventures – losing my wallet
This past week I spent nine days road tripping and visiting national parks in Southern California. I like to travel on a budget, so I tried hard to keep costs low. My best friend, Crystal, went with me, and that helped keep costs down. This… Read More »Channel Islands/Joshua Tree Expense Report
It seems a popular thought to “live more in the moment”. I agree that we spend too much time on our phones, checking out the ups and downs of other people’s lives. And by doing that we let our own pass us by. But I’m… Read More »Why I don’t just “live in the moment”
“Travel solo,” they say. “It will be fun,” they say. Well, this is one time you should listen to them. When you travel by yourself, it frees you like nothing else. You learn to rely on yourself both physically and mentally. Solo travel also gives… Read More »10 reasons to travel solo
As I walked out of the bathroom’s floodlight and into the darkness, I switched on my headlamp in order to see better. The stream of light illuminated thousands of tiny particles in the air floating around like snow caught up in wind. It was smoke.… Read More »Expectation versus Reality – Plan for Reality
A friend recently asked me for advice. She had a trip coming up where she would be traveling alone on a long car ride to meet up with some other friends. Knowing that I love traveling solo, she asked the usual things – tips for… Read More »Dealing pre-trip anxieties
Another trip, another expense report. With this blog, I want to help others have great adventures. It’s one thing to say, “You can travel for cheap!” But unless it’s not tangible advice, then it’s not that beneficial. With these expense reports, I write down all… Read More »Crater Lake/Redwood Expense Report
I topped a hill and saw the blaring lights of the town where I had planned to stop for the night. “Awe, it’s a little oasis,” I thought because I was tired as all get out. It was an oasis, but not the kind I… Read More »Three days of driving – was it worth it?
On a recent trip to North Dakota, I might have annoyed my brother by writing every little expense down. If filled the gas tank, I’d hand the receipt to him and say, “Write it down.” If he filled the tank, I’d hold my hand out… Read More »Why you should do a post-trip budget analysis
The less money you spend on one trip, the more trips you can take. When I travel I try to spend as little money as possible so I can go more and go further. On my recent trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North… Read More »Theodore Roosevelt National Park expense report
Does this sound like you? You love to travel, and talking about your travel experiences gets you excited and makes you happy. So you do it…a lot. But you don’t want to be that person who always destination name drops or has to top your… Read More »How not be a travel snob
Over Christmas break, I went on a vacation with my family. It was the first time my brother, sister, their spouses, my nephew and I had all been on a trip together. And because I am the one who has been bitten by the travel… Read More »Have I gotten too comfortable with solo?
Normally I solo road trip, but sometimes it’s really nice to have someone go with you. On my latest trip to south Florida, my best friend joined me. Because I knew the more expensive items like camping and fuel would be split two ways, I… Read More »Budget Travel – Everglades National Park Expense Report
Note: this post contains affiliate links. Shopping through those links supports Right Kind Of Lost at no extra cost to you, for which we are eternally grateful! Traveling solo doesn’t have to be scary, darning, or brave. I love a good solo road trip, but… Read More »Solo road trip safety tips
When my sister and I traveled to North Carolina a woman said to us at our campground, “Y’all sure come a long way to live like hobos in the woods.” It was funny and we love to quote her. In true Right Kind Of Lost… Read More »Hobos in the woods
With Instagram and Facebook showing us all the amazing times other people are having on vacation, sometimes it’s hard to remember that we are only seeing the highlight reel. You know, the best parts of the trip. But with social media giving everyone FOMO (fear… Read More »California trip misadventures