three months of winter, $3000
 

It's starting to look like from roughly the middle of this coming December to the middle of March I won't have anything to do, or anywhere specific to be.

I'm overdue to move (should finish this drawn-out degree in early Dec), but the middle of winter is an awful time to move to a new city (in order to start out on the right foot, anyway, without seasonal affective disorder coloring everything). I don't expect to have a job, and I don't expect to get a job anytime soon, although not for lack of interest or willingness. I've got some savings to live off of, and I plan to pare down my belongings to just what I can fit in my truck (which, really, with a good tarp, is still a lot of crap.)

At this point, all options are on the table. However, my preferences are:

- If it's in the continental US, stay east of center (I'd like to stay clear of the obvious option: bum around my parents' houses and friends' couches.)

- Comfort is a medium-low priority (this trip is a mid-winter post-college "what do I do now?"), and I consider comfort freely exchangeable for an interesting experience.

Point of origin: Western NY.

In 1990 or 91 me and a buddy drove cross country that winter, from Albany, NY in his subaru wagon. each day we'd get a copy of USA today and look for the warmest part of the country and head there. We ended up in San Diego. spent about 6 to 8 weeks visiting friends, camping, driving.

One of the best trips I've ever been on.

I's say, stash your stuff in a mini storage or a friend's barn or something and drive to where it's warm. Live cheap and have a great time.

Yes! Life is short, take an adventure!

if you're not going anywhere, you can't get lost or be late.

tour

Ski hard.

This. The south west is where you want to go. Looks for hot springs in national forests...

That was a sensational read. Really and truly. You should consider writing. You style is as entertaining as it is accessible.