In Utah you can rent camping vans and they are all decorated a variety of ways. No more stares....My vehicle fits right in!

When I first started this trip, I had three bins: baking needs, shoes, and dog toys. I also had two suitcases, dog food and a cooler. It was overwhelming to pack and I ended up shipping three big boxes home. This time around I slimmed down a lot. I now have one bin, one suitcase and dog food. AND!!! I still think I brought too much. Overall can confidently say I'm becoming a minimalist and a professional at packing for travel. Now of course there are the basics like food and clothes that you can't go without, but I do have two items that I recommend no one travel without.
Here is my plug:
1. A gallon of water. The cap must twist on because if you accidentally tip it (which I have) the water goes all over the place
2. Baby wipes. Always good for freshening up!

!!WARNING!! Please don't drive alone!
Today I am on my second day in California! Crazy I know! All I can say is I can't believe I made it! When I first started, I just barely missed the snow storm in Iowa. Nebraska was completely painful to drive through but then came ahhhhhhhh! (That's me seeing the Mountains!) It is very hard to drive through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California because you want to take in all the beauty around you while you're driving. Very distracting. It is absolutely breathtaking. My jaw was on the floor the entire time. It's stunning to watch the landscape change from snowy mountains in Colorado, red rocks in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada and then all the green in California.

Hi all! I am back on the road again. It's a good thing I'm so excited to be back on the road because my first two states I'm driving through are Iowa and Nebraska...a smidge boring.
As many of you know, I did NOT get to complete my first leg of the tour due to Hurricane Matthew. I am now breaking the trip up into 4 parts:
First: NE Second: SW Third: SE and Fourth: NW
There are 2 questions people commonly ask me about my travels.
1. What is your favorite place you visited?
2. What was your favorite thing you did?
Both of those questions are so hard to answer and to be honest I still don't have an exact answer. Everything was fabulous. I know everyone is surprised that I don't say meeting Dolly Parton, but the entire trip was an adventure.  Twelve families were willing to open their homes to my dogs and I. I stay in mansions, apartments, simple homes, cabins and once in my car. I learned a ton about myself. Things I like, things I don't like and how for me life isn't about things. It is all about the experiences.  When I returned home, I purged a lot of my possessions. I made more thoughtful purchases. I connected with friends as much as possible. I worked the bare minimum (which is huge for me.) And lastly I made memories with my family!

The second time around I do have a few goals I would like to accomplish.
1. Pack lighter -  check!
2. Camp out more
3. Be better about blogging (I just realized I never posted about Virginia, so more on that later.)
4. And as always be safe!
Final thoughts!
I know now days many people look at the terrible things going on around us, and it is hard not to because that's all the news seems to share. I am here to tell you there is still a lot of good in this world. You can decide what to focus on and how to live your day and life. You can help create change. Smile, spread joy and make the world a better place. So far, I have shared my story and baking skills in 25 states. I have made new friends, created great memories and hopefully left a little bit of goodness every where I went and with everyone I met. Before I was always using #fortheloveofjo, now I am taking it one step further #bakingamericagreatagain. I strongly encourage you to share your passion with the world. In the words of Howard Thurman, "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."