Oh, The Places You'll Go...And What It'll Cost
I'm still enjoying the sunsets here in Phoenix and finding my way around my new hometown. I 
started mapping out my 140 day odyssey, and tweaked my back from sitting on the floor in an awkward position for too long. I was finally able to finish it so I thought I'd post a picture of it.
Also, I have spent some time accumulating all of my credit card bills and banking expenses. I compiled a detailed spreadsheet, and have finally determined (with an accuracy of around +/- 5%) that the trip was terribly expensive. From what I can tell, the whole trip cost me: $25,481.11. Before starting the trip I had guessed that it would cost somewhere between 20K and 30K, which turned out to be a pretty good guesstimate.
I summarised the expenses into some broad categories, and here's where the money went:
Cash - $9,251.82
Flights - $1,183.80
Food - $2,406.12
Gas and Auto - $1,787.19
Hotel - $3,880.19
Insurance - $1,728.52
Other - $3,172.44
Sightseeing - $1,242.92
Technology - $828.11
Total - $25,481.11
Cash - $9,251.82
Flights - $1,183.80
Food - $2,406.12
Gas and Auto - $1,787.19
Hotel - $3,880.19
Insurance - $1,728.52
Other - $3,172.44
Sightseeing - $1,242.92
Technology - $828.11
Total - $25,481.11
So that about wraps it all up. Sure, I still need to find a job or career, and also will probably buy a house eventually, but for the most part, I am now done with the Road Trip...well, at least this Road Trip.
I really did have the time of my life, and I'm sure I'll take the things I learned and get out and see much more of the world.
Cheers,
Scott
13 comments:
I think I figured out the big theme of your trip -- dogs.
(Going to the dogs? Dog days? Dog gone?)
I see a dog in OH chasing a cat with a hat in IL.
Both thinking about the rabbit in TN.
There's a dog running East in MT, ND and SD.
A crazy looking elephant dog in AZ.
And a goofy cartoon dog with big ears in ND, UT and CO.
But then what's a Lincoln dog doing looking toward the ocean in OR and Northern CA?
buz - what were you smoking? Actually, I see what you are referring to, it's like seeing things in clouds, but the Lincoln in OR/CA is there.
You spent a lot of money on that trip!!! I hope if I ever do something like that, my trip is not as expensive.
Love
Maitlyn
It was about freedom and adventure! Like "Into the Wild" but with a better ending.
maitlyn, I did spend a lot of money. But it was all worth it. By the time you're old enough to drive, things will probably be much more expensive (inflation!). love, Uncle Scott
You type fast.
Dad just taught me what inflation is.
You have done what many of us have dreamed of--in one way or another. It has been fun looking over your shoulder for many months. Thanks for sharing!
Old Aunt
mait - lol, I wouldn't respond so fast, but because it was you, I jumped right to my computer.
I think that the "other" costs represent far too large a category not to have a more detailed breakdown. Inquring minds want to know.
Congrats on the closure to an expensive, yet worth-the-price-of-admission jaunt.
BS
BS - yes, the Other column is big. At first I had about 5 more categories, but when I put it into the pie chart, it just got messy. So I combined them with the Other category. Some of the categories I got rid of were:
Gifts: about 900, which included a pool for the treasons, cowgirl boots for my sister, nieces birthdays, and a lot of alcohol for bCollins in appreciation of the memorable floater day.
WalMart: I had about 10 items on my credit cards totalling nearly 600 at walmart, a bunch of the bigger ones were camping equipment.
Golf: Though i only did it about 6 times, it was still like 400.
Tshirts: I bought tshirts at most of the NP's I went to for a couple hundred.
And then there were just a lot of things that were one time only items that I just put in other, like the ticket I got for speeding or the binaculars I bougt for sightseeing, or random purchases of food and drink (both soda and alcohol) for along the drive.
Gambling would have been in this category, but I made money at it because of the good night that got me into the WSOP.
Oh yeah, I did spend a bit on your wedding gift!! and that whole trip!
Nicely done, Murph.
You Kerouac-ed your way all over the map, and those few months spent "On the Road" were more badass than 98% of the lives lived by 99% of the world.
You flipped off The Man, took your winnings and did something extraordinary.
It helped to be a finance nerd, no doubt, to nail down the particulars. But the biggest part of the whole adventure was the balls to take the first step.
Big Daddy SWZA is fond the idiom -- you can accurately judge a man (or daughter) by the quality of the company he (or she) keeps.
When he applies that wisdom to me and my friends, I know it is the highest possible praise.
You're more than a Road Tripper.
You're a Road Warrior.
-s
I now come forward to pay my homage at the asphalt alter to one "Road Tripper"
Having always wondered how a manual of freedom would read, i now have a much better idea.
Being straightjacketed by work, famlies, and their communities, most people would never dream of such an undertaking.
To me, it's been a nice retreat from reality, minus the pharmacological haze.
Your descriptions, along with the photos, have often propelled me into the shotgun seat of "Pre"
( at least in spirit )
Well Done!
It's been nearly 2 years since you each posted your comments SWZA and bCollins, but re-reading them now as I embark on another adventure, it is inspiring. And also daunting. I really hope I can reawaken in me the the passion I had for the previous trip that made you write such moving comments. Thank you!
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