HOW TO QUIT YOUR JOB AND HIT THE OPEN ROAD (IN A MOTOR HOME)

BLISS FOLLOWER AND MOTOR-HOME DWELLER

Obviously, quitting your job and taking off on a year-long (or longer!) road trip is not something everyone can feasibly do. But if you have that hunger, here's what you need to know to take the wheel.

CULL. Packing is a whole column in itself, but the mantra should be: "Is this really necessary?"

ORGANIZE YOUR MOTOR HOME. Set up an office area where you can deal with bills and documents, complete with highlighters, stapler and copies of all important serial numbers, phone numbers and receipts. Also make a command post in the front that is accessible while driving, with places for the things you'll need: todays map, a pen, water, thermo cup, garbage bag.

STUDY THE PLACES YOU'LL GO. The point is to be out on the road, to experience it all the time. Don't just wait for a destination. And because you have all this.time, stop at the small places. Go to the county museums. Pay the fee. Don't expect much, but go.

BUILD IN EXTRA DAYS. Don't structure every day. There's an endless amount to see along the way, and you always have to figure you may not end up wanting to get to where you planned for the night. Some of the best times are the unplanned ones.

BUY THE $50 NATIONAL PARKS PASS. It's totally worth it. Generally camping is great in the National Parks, and they provide a nice structure to be able to see the natural sights of a place and give you a community of travelers as well.

KEEP A JOURNAL. You think you'll remember all the places you go, but you can't. It's also great to read through after you finish.

McCarroll in Oklahoma

McCarroll had a successful public relations firm inFlorida, but in 1997 she got bored. So she bought amotor home and wandered the highways and backroads of America for three years, covering 41,000miles in the process (notbad for ageography major).Last April she decided to stay in Stockton, California,where she now works as a substitute teacher.