Trip learnings...

Ok, so along the way there were a bunch of situations and experiences that made me think about stuff (and there was plenty of time to think!!)

Here are a few learnings to delivery strategic value and minimize unwanted "costs" (stress/anxiety) in one's life (yeah yeah, the corporate speak is alive and well!!):

How do you eat an elephant?
..."One bite at a time" (due credit to a wise manager from my past on this phrase ;) As I look back on the trip, I realize it would have been too overwhelming at the start to think about the whole 5,800+ miles ahead. If I had done that, I probably would have rushed through it. If you can enjoy where you are and what you're doing right now, you get the huge dividend in the end without even thinking about it! I definitely have the tendency to worry about things, but if I can remember the trip in the face of what feels like a mammoth task (e.g. getting out there and finding a new job) I think things'll be much more manageable!

Decisions decisions...
You know, the majority of decisions in a big company don't seem to be made by one single person - there are teams, meetings, consensus building, extensive data gathering and analysis, etc. as a means of risk reduction in decision-making. This trip was a really unique experience in that all day every day I was making decisions that would have direct and immediate consequences. For example, sleep here at a campsite with availability even though it's right next to a busy road and you know it'll be a light sleep at best vs. keep driving and try for something better (and perhaps have to crash in the car if things don't work out). Similar scenarios were abundant: finding food, getting sidetracked at the expense of getting to your high priority activity for the day ("...well, maybe I can do both"), heading out in the heat to play around and go on that bike ride vs. risk the storm later on and losing out, etc. In the early stages of the trip these little things would gnaw away at me. What I realized as I went was that when you relinquish the need for complete control over the outcome, everything becomes a lot easier. There's a fine line between getting stuck in the quagmire of "analysis paralysis" vs. being completely impulsive. As funny as it sounds, the road trip helped me to find a better balance on this scale. Regardless of the decision, I was able to deal with the consequences or make adjustments on the fly! To put this another way, nothing is 100% predictable so don't kill yourself to "get it right" - no matter what happens, you'll deal and get through it.

Attitude - cherish the adversity...
This is similar to the above on decision-making but definitely merits its own section. I suppose the adversity (e.g. getting caught out in all night lightning storms in a tent in the middle of the desert when you're already completely exhausted) is a product of your decisions. Again, I found that your attitude is highly correlated with your need to control a situation (or its outcome). When I realized this, I got to the point where I'd actually enjoy and find humor in the hairiest of hairy situations (and even seek them out to an extent) - no matter what, it was going to make for a better story! Whether it's sleeping with a hammer because of the multiple black bear sightings in camp hours before, getting caught on the top of a mountain with a flat tire as a storm rolls in without any means of fixing it and having a 2 hour hike ahead, or even being in the middle of a corporate restructuring/downsizing, get in there and "muck it up" - embrace it!!! Your attitude is your choice - given the fact that you can't control the situation, what attitude is going to enable you to persevere (and make appropriate further decisions) in your current circumstances?

Speaking of perseverance...
There is a certain degree of fear (of unknown outcome, making a mistake and dealing with consequences, etc.) in anything. When Habs and I went canyoneering in Moab, we got to the first ledge and our guide basically told our group to harness up and get ready. Not exactly a lot of instruction and coaching for "newbies". It also would have been nice to get the feel for rappelling on a 20 foot practice wall or something before jumping right into the 140 foot real deal! Anyhow, I remember Habs getting the final pep talk from Herb (our guide) before going vertical. You can imagine the nature of the dialog (especially from Habs's side), but Herb's response is the key point here: "I'd be really concerned if you weren't scared". I think it's normal to have fears about things (again, this can be extrapolated well beyond something specific like rappelling), but your ability to persevere and get through it is the key. In the grand scheme of things, your immediate problems will quickly pass.

Self-inflicted pressures...
Although I've technically worked for 3 different companies during my 14 year career, this is a product of corporate mergers and integrations - I've literally been in the same geography/environment for the entire time. Things tend to get habitual and routinized. Sometimes it's difficult to even realize this (i.e. being able to see the forest through the trees). One of my beliefs in this environment was that in order to be successful and happy, I had to climb the ladder into the highest tiers of the organization. On the trip, I met many people that are "doing it differently" than all of the "rules" that I was accustomed to, yet seemed to be doing just fine. For example, an auctioneer from KS, or a guy biking from Chicago to Seattle and doing his work projects by night, or a family from FL on a bike trip in Crested Butte. In essence, the opportunity to step back helped me to challenge my beliefs and realize that there's no one right way to go about things. Everyone can make their own path, and success/happiness isn't seen through a single lens. My strong work ethic and desire to excel in the workplace hasn't changed, however I feel less pressure to follow someone else's road to success and more motivation to follow my own.