It's What Motivates Me

I'm a spur-of-the-moment kind of girl.  Not necessarily the drop everything and go kind of girl that I used to be, but an instant planner.  My husband can mention a random event in passing and 15 minutes later I'm bombarding him with the best dates to do it and how to get there and where we should stay and how much the whole thing is going to cost.  At that moment I am 100% ready to go....15 minutes (or less)...and my husband is left trying to remember if he was the one who'd set the whole trip in motion.

So, what motivates me?  Let me walk you through the three adventures I've wanted to embark on just this week.

To witness, or be a part of, history.
My sister called this week to ask what channel would be broadcasting the launch of space shuttle Discovery.  Three minutes before blast off we found it on CNN and then the NASA channel.  I recorded it and watched later with my family.  Watching instantly took me back to 3rd grade, sitting in my school desk, watching the launch and subsequent explosion of the Challenger.  It moved me.  It was my husband who later reminded me there are only going to be two more shuttle launches in the entirety of history.

Getting from Utah to Florida for a space launch is not an overnight jaunt.  Plane tickets, lodging and rental cars are going to cost a bit of money.  But can you put a price on creating memories?  The last two launches are scheduled for April 19 and June 28 and I want to be there.  When my children are writing school reports about space, I want them to have first-hand stories to tell.  When the world starts to forget this incredible part of United States history, I want to have first-hand knowledge to share and remind them.

Anything Is Worth Free
I have a NASCAR family (at least at the beginning of the season).  My dream would be to buy the RV infield weekend package and surprise my dad with the trip of a lifetime.  However, until I wake up in a bed of money, I'm more than willing to get in on the events more within my budget.  This weekend's Kobalt 400 race in Las Vegas is the closest the NASCAR circuit will come to me this year.

Of course I want to go.  At first it was just a joke with my husband.  It would get us out of a weekend of church stake conference meetings.  Then I discovered there are two days full of free activities well worth seeing.  On Thursday there are autograph sessions with drivers we follow and my dad's favorite racer, Danica Patrick.  Both Thursday and Friday you can watch practice laps and qualifying laps in the stadium for free.  And Thursday night the NASCAR car haulers parade down the Las Vegas strip.  After paying for gas and dirt-cheap Las Vegas lodging, it's an entire weekend of free!

It's There!
Utah is an extremely diverse state and I've explored nearly every inch of it.  I feel sad to talk with people who live here and have never ventured away from their mile of the Wasatch front-especially in Utah County. We're right in the middle!  Nowhere is too far from here.  Moab is the perfect place to get away from the mid-winter blahs!  I've learned that south of I-70 does not automatically guarantee it's always going to be warm enough for camping, but even in March the days are beautiful.  Fresh air and sun on your skin.  Who doesn't want a little bit of that?

Getting YOU Out There
Unfortunately, I'm probably not going on any of these trips soon.  We're working hard to pay off debt and save money for our 2012 multi-month get-away.  And so, if I can't go, I want to find an opportunity that will inspire you.  How great it makes me feel to pass on dates and times for local parades or festivals or share my travel "secrets"  when friends are heading out of town.  I love planning and finding good deals and am more than happy to do the dirty work if it will get someone else out on the road.

These are a few of the things that motivate me.  Traveling is what gets me excited.  Exploring and experiencing make up a huge part of who I am.  And I guarantee that this week I'll have a whole new bundle of ideas about where to go and what to do.  Want to come along with me?