Refactoring at Scale

Chapter 4. Drafting a Plan

One day, I plan to complete the 4,500-kilometer drive between Montreal and Vancouver. The drive takes about 48 hours from start to finish, with the fastest route covering most of the length of the border between Canada and the United States. The fastest route isn’t necessarily the most rewarding route, however, and if I add a stop to see Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the iconic CN Tower in Toronto, and the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, I lengthen my trip by a few hours and about 600 kilometers.

Now anyone setting out on this journey knows driving it nonstop from start to finish is both impractical and dangerous. So, before I head out, I should map out a rough outline for the roadtrip. I should figure out how much time I’m comfortable driving on the road-heavy days, and which cities I might want to pop in to do some sightseeing. In total, I estimate the trip might take between seven and 10 days depending on how long I spend sightseeing. The flexibility allows for a few unexpected twists, whether I decide to sightsee an extra day or get stranded on the side of the road and need to call for assistance.

How do you know whether you’ve had a successful roadtrip beyond actually reaching your final destination? If you set a budget for your trip, you might have achieved your goal if your next credit card bill falls within range. Maybe you wanted to eat a burger at every stop along the way. Probably, you just wanted to see something new, spend some quality time ...