Deciding Where to Go in 2026

How We Build Our Expectations and Travel Calendar

RV life can be so exciting, especially in the planning and anticipation. So we’ve been discussing where to go in 2026. Over time, it seems the process of deciding where to go shapes us as much as our actual experiences.

Beyond that, keeping our expectations flexible and realistic helps us stay calm when things work out differently than we planned. (I'm talking much more about me here than Roger.)

Choosing Priorities

Our calendar building starts with big dreams—anyplace is a possibility. Then we narrow it down with realities: how many miles, how much money, and how many days will it take? What places are worth revisiting? (For me, Yosemite National Park is always at the top of that list.) Some ideas that get knocked down by budget can be added back through creativity. And we generally engage in a few “disgustions” (that’s what it’s called when we disagree on priorities, ways, and means). Always, our final decisions result in successes, disappointments, and many priceless memories.

So, how do we narrow down our options? Well, taking this year as an example, some destinations are already built into our calendar: a month in England with our daughter’s family, an Alaska cruise with friends, a family wedding, and the Potawatomi Family Festival in June.

(Quick side story: Back when we were dating, Roger told me he was Potawatomi Indian and I laughed, thinking he'd made it up. He wasn't kidding. The Citizen Band of Potawatomi Indians is a federally recognized tribe and Roger's family can trace their ancestry back to full-blooded Potawatomi.)

Back to our plans. Other deciding factors this year hold high priority for us: visiting our kids and other family and friends in California, visiting new and interesting places, and checking off the very last state we haven't yet set foot in (Michigan).

Wisdom We’ve Gained

Whatever our choices for the road ahead, we always begin with great expectations. Back in 2022 when we hit the road as full-time RVers the first time, we expected to enjoy beautiful campsites and warm campfires, gorgeous scenery, and lots of meet-ups with friends and relatives. I was writing my book, Turning Your Inner Bullies Into Allies, and we couldn’t wait to get started.

In reality, those 15 months on the road brought some spectacular wins as well as disillusionment about life on the road. Colorado, Niagara Falls, the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont, beaches in Maine, and Deadwood, South Dakota, were all places we loved and want to revisit.

But the heat and humidity of the first five months—ugh. RV fails, like getting stuck in black sand (We Got Stuck in Black Sand) and not being able to back into our favorite campsite (The Rock Won) weren’t much fun, either, although they did teach us resiliency.

So with all that experience under our belt, as we map out 2026, we remind each other of how far we've come and what we value most.

Options: Our Favorite Word

I mentioned the Alaska cruise that's already on the calendar, along with our determination to spend a lot of time in California. Yes, booking a cruise is breaking a basic rule of RV life, to avoid setting both a date and a location (find out why in this post: The Sailing Story I Never Told My Parents). But we think it’s worth it to cruise with friends. Making it happen means options such as which airport to fly out of and where to store the fifth wheel while we cruise. The calendar isn't so bossy when we're flexible. And you can watch this blog to find out whether our best-laid plans unfold as planned.

Once the cruise is behind us, we'll take our time visiting several northern states on our way to Michigan. And still arrive back in Oklahoma by early fall. Maybe.

What Works for RV Life Works in Everyday Life

"Disgustions" aside, Roger and I often say “options” is our favorite word. Because having options implies freedom—freedom to choose, freedom to change course, freedom to make or change decisions based on new information.

Options also implies flexibility. Okay, I’m not so good at flexibility, but if I know it’ll be necessary, I can plan for it. And that helps quiet the expectations bully in my head. You know, the one that says I can’t be happy or satisfied unless everything turns out the way I hope for the cruise. Or unless we get to spend time with all our friends and family. The expectations bully makes me think my expectations are realistic, not entitled. And that everyone else should want to live up to my expectations.

When Expectations Become a Bully

Sorting out the expectations bully means reframing what I think I need, want, and am entitled to. Unrealistic expectations act like the enemy in the camp stealing my joy and contentment. From personal experience, I can testify to the struggle of maintaining appropriate, flexible expectations, especially in the face of high hopes for a particular experience or encounter. You’ve probably got stories of your own that mirror how we wrestle with the difference between what we want and what we get.

In my book, I describe how expectations discussions are not only enlightening, but great for building relationships. So when Roger and I get into a serious “disgustion,” it helps to back off and focus on honest descriptions of what each of us is envisioning and hoping for. Worth it, every time. That way, when we have to give up our favorite campground, we can remind each other that we didn't expect all our plans to unfold perfectly every time. We just call up the next campground and change our reservation to arrive earlier, no mess, no fuss.

So mapping out 2026 is more than just choosing places to go. We’re not only building a calendar; we're practicing flexibility. We’re refining expectations. Not just about maps and mileage, but about being teammates for life. And if we can navigate our road trip expectations, maybe we can navigate them everywhere else.

When have your expectations knocked out your enjoyment of the moment? Tell your story in the comments below.