When your camper van breaks down mid-expedition, you learn two things fast: patience is non-negotiable, and sometimes the most memorable parts of a road trip happen when you are forced to stay in one spot.

My girlfriend Paige and I aren't the type to over-plan our lives in 15-minute increments. But when you set out from our hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, to drive a 35-year-old, 1991 Ford Econoline camper van over 7,000 miles across the country, flexibility becomes your best asset.