What if, on your next trip, you were brave enough to book the flight but leave everything else undecided?

I'm talking about applying JIT (Just In Time) principles—the Japanese manufacturing philosophy that revolutionized Toyota by having parts arrive exactly when needed instead of stockpiling massive inventories "just in case."

Applied to travel: Only plan the next step right before the last one ends.

The result: You become responsive to what actually emerges rather than forcing predetermined agendas.

Last weekend, I tested this. Booked a flight to Montana with nothing else planned—no hotel, no rental car, no destination beyond "somewhere epic."

That decision led to a bus ride I never would have taken and a conversation that reminded me why some of the best stories happen when you stop trying to control every variable.

A Bus Ride to Nowhere I'd Planned

A few days ago, a bus ride through Montana wasn't even on my radar.

Rental cars near Yellowstone were $400 a day, so I found myself doing something I hadn't done in decades: buying a Greyhound ticket to Butte.

There's something about unplanned adventures that opens you up differently. Maybe it's the surrender to circumstances, or the way uncertainty makes you more present. Whatever it was, as I settled into my seat with the endless Montana landscape rolling past my window, I felt compelled to do something I rarely do with strangers.

I turned to the driver: "Can I learn more about how you found yourself driving the bus these days?"

And that's how I met Hailey.

From Northern Swampland to Big Sky Country

Hailey's been driving buses for seven years, four of them on this route. She came from Wisconsin—"northern swampland basically, woods and water everywhere"—because she wanted something different.

"Very big state, very respectful people for the most part," she tells me about Montana. "You notice that as soon as you land—there's a lot of space, it doesn't feel busy."

She works four days on, three days off. Ten-hour shifts driving the nine-hour route to Spokane, staying overnight in a hotel for just enough time to sleep, then back again.

When I ask about the best part of her job, she doesn't hesitate: "I get to see everything. I'm in my comfort zone, got the tunes on, just chilling. It's like a beautiful living desk."

The hardest part? "Being away from home with my kids."

Three Kids and Winter Roads

She has three children back home. The youngest is "headstrong and brilliant." Her middle child has ADHD and autism—"He wants to do good, but it's just so hard for him." Her oldest has what she calls an attitude problem: "If it's not her way, she's throwing an absolute fit."

During summer, she brings the family out once or twice. But winter changes everything.

"I don't even bother in the winter because the weather's so unpredictable," she explains. This summer has been chaotic too—"I've avoided a lot and had a few near misses the last few years. More exciting than you want life to be, I guess."

But here's what surprised me: Hailey loves winter driving.

"People ask me what time of year I like to drive most, and I tell them winter. They're like, 'You're nuts, why do you?' The challenge of it. You have to actually focus on what you're doing. In the summer, I just zone out basically."

A Dream in the Country

When I ask what she'd do if she could do anything, her voice changes. The practical tone softens into something more vulnerable.

"Move out to the country and not have to chase the dollar. That's my lifelong goal."

She describes it like she's been there before: "A two-story cabin, middle of nowhere. Chickens, goats, a garden for food supply. Work because I want to, not because I absolutely have to."

When I press for details, she continues: "Keep a couple animals for pets for the kids to take care of. Not necessarily super remote, but I just want less clutter, less people."

"At this moment, it's a dream," she admits.

Land can be expensive in the mountainous regions, she explains, but there's cheaper prairie land around Billings. The challenge is water supply—without it, the land becomes less desirable, harder to work with.

Three Permission-Less Insights from Hailey's Story

1. Everyone Has Already Made Permission-Less Moves

Hailey doesn't think of herself as someone who takes big risks, but she left Wisconsin for Montana because she wanted something different. She chose long-haul driving because it fits her need for space and autonomy. The insight: Most people have more courage than they recognize—they just don't frame their choices as brave decisions.

2. Dreams Become Real Through Practical Steps, Not Perfect Plans

Hailey's cabin dream feels distant because she's looking at the whole purchase instead of the next action. But she's already proven she'll choose space over convenience, challenge over comfort. The insight: The gap between dreaming and architecting is often just one small, practical step taken consistently.

3. Unplanned Encounters Reveal Universal Truths

This conversation only happened because JIT principles forced me onto a bus, and Permission-Less thinking gave me courage to engage authentically. The insight: When you stop trying to control every variable, you create space for the connections and discoveries that matter most.

Your turn: What's one trip you could approach with JIT principles? Book the flight, then let what emerges inform the next decision.

Sometimes the most profound encounters happen when you trust the process enough to take the next step without seeing the whole staircase.