In ROVA Adventure Eighteen, a bunch of our writers share stories of the unexpected.

Anna Elliott encourages us to ditch the predictable travel to-do list and enjoy the experiences that pop up as you travel; Beth Johnson shares how her life plan of becoming a doctor somehow morphed into a mobile photography career; Abigail Trabue learns that you can let go of the textbooks and your kids will still get a fantastic education on the road; and Lisa Jacobs shares that sometimes, despite all expectations, van life sucks.

Also in this edition, Sam Brown talks to musician Son Little about the expectation versus the reality of the nomadic life of a touring performer; Leland Nally investigates the rise and demise of the highway rest area; Ryder England shares his journey to living in a tiny home on the California coast; and we journey into the deserts of the west with Shea Glaser and Andrea Fumagalli’s stunning photo essay.

Out on the road, Caitlin and Tom Morton take us to Alaska in their Lance truck camper; we join Ellen Baker on an off-season climbing trip to Indian Creek in Utah; we explore Big Bend with Hank McCoy; and Matt Cortina discovers a truly unexpected white-sand beach in the middle of Nebraska.