Can I Park Here? Rediscovering the Lost Art of asking another human for directions

On my birthday, March 16, 2020, I caught COVID. While many people fled New York City, I was locked down in my apartment. From there I focused on recovering, not getting anyone else infected and minimizing how much I scared my family scattered across the country.

During that same time, I was a Manager at Accenture and transitioned to the world of "wfh". For me that meant switching my traveling lifestyle as a management consultant, to leading teams from a poorly set up home office as we supported various Fortune 100 companies.

Five months after the start of lockdown, I was in search for a "covid deal" on a new place to live that would make it easier to work remote. While there were many deals to be had, I opted to trade in a one bedroom in the West Village for a diesel pickup truck, a trailer and a series of trailer parks, driveways, campsites and truck stops across the US.

The simple phrase "can I park here?" was the start of many adventures and unexpected lessons learned as I not only figured out how to operate a 50+ foot rig (something I had never imagined doing before); but also successfully led virtual workshops and met with executives of some of the largest companies in the world; all from my office on wheels…parked somewhere in the country.

Little did I know an intended adventure to safely see my six siblings, parents and the country (while also getting some skiing in), would present a series of unexpected lessons.

By asking the question "can I park here", I quickly found out there was just as much for me to learn from RV parks as there was from my efforts to "make it" in New York City.

More importantly, I discovered a common question Google Maps could not answer and in doing so rediscovered the lost art of asking another human for directions.

Six lessons I learned from the road:

1. Sleep on it
2. Before you buy your truck, know what you are going to tow
3. Make space for a win in every deal
4. Take wide turns
5. The best way to avoid chaos is knowing what you want (it's okay if that changes)
6. Shine the tires and fill the tank