Hi, my name is Katie, and I’m an overplanner.

I have to-do lists, packing lists, itineraries, shopping lists and multiple Google calendars all synced with one another. But I borrowed a friend’s Wayfarer Van for a week, and took the least planned trip of my life.

And honestly? It was great.

When the best-laid plans fall apart

Originally, everything was planned. Our family fall break trip through New Mexico had been mapped out for months, with viewing the bats at Carlsbad Caverns as the crown jewel of the trip. The plans were dialed.

Then October 1 rolled around and the federal government shut down, leaving the gates closed to both Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Parks. As fall break inched closer, and the standoff continued, I realized we would have to pivot.

After a few afternoons looking at Google Maps, I decided the new highlight of our trip would be a one-night backpacking trip in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. It would be my seven-year-old’s first backpacking trip since I had carried him in a pack as a toddler. I snagged a backcountry permit and started to rebuild our itinerary. 

Pivot! Pivot! Pivot!

Just as things started to get back on track, I felt like Ross in the episode of Friends as he desperately tried to help get the couch up the stairs. A week before our trip, southern Colorado got hit with severe flooding. Roads were washed out. The hot springs I planned a hike to was underwater. Half of our new plan was suddenly not an option. 

I realized we would have to pivot once again. And this time I decided just to wing it. 

We had three days to get from Colorado Springs to Canyonlands. Three days to get home after the backpacking trip. And a van that could handle whatever we threw at it. 

Life without reservations – literally

We’re normally tent campers, so I research, check the weather and make sure our reservations are set. Especially with a kid I want to make sure we have a solid plan. But with the van, I knew that even if we ended up somewhere less than ideal, we’d be safe and warm. The heater allowed me not to stress about the weather. The power station gave us a place to plug in our electric blankets. And the electric cooler kept our food cool without stopping for ice.

So we just went for it. We stopped when something looked interesting. Followed road signs like they were invitations and figured it out along the way.

Some of my favorite moments were never planned:

• Stopping for lunch at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
• A detour into Ouray to wander along Main Street and grab ice cream and baked goods at Mouse’s.
• A roadside campsite overlooking where the San Miguel and Delores Rivers meet that had the BEST view imaginable.
• A night at the Needles Outpost Campground, where we enjoyed chatting with the owner and visiting the resident dog and cat in the general store.
• Meeting bikepackers from Spain on a rainy morning near Moab and paying forward some good karma by refilling all of their water and cooking them pancakes and bacon.
• Touring the Hidee Gold Mine, where my rock-obsessed kid got to chisel out his own little piece of gold.

A week of breathing room

For the week we were in the van, I used my phone less and played Uno more. We didn’t follow an itinerary, but followed our curiosities. I booked less online, but talked to the locals more.

And while I still believe being a planner is helpful in 99.9% of life, stepping out of that role for one week felt liberating. 

Sometimes the best plan really is no plan at all. And we may just have to plan a no-plan van trip again soon.