That sounds like fun and I wish that my circumstances would allow a road trip!

I have to say though that I am concerned about your abilities when it comes to your goal of being able to pay for your whole trip with your winnings. The fact that you make mistakes testifies to your lack of practice. And don't forget that you need to be able to do it perfectly without looking like you're doing it. The fact that you are are female though is great cover. Girls typically don't count for whatever reason. This will help.
Don't forget also that even if you count perfectly, anything can happen. Heck, the last time that I played, I had a super high count and played my max bet. There was one other player at the table. We both got 20s and the dealer was showing a 6. I was tempted to split for the heck of it (which I never do) but decided not to. The dealer turned over a 10 for a total of 16. Doesn't get much better than that right? She threw down a 5. Where did that 5 come from with a deck so rich in 10s and aces? Well, it was there and it came out at the worst time. A few shuffles later, I had a max bet out again and got beat with another 21 against the odds. It happens.
The comps that you are likely to get will help, but being able to pay for the trip with winnings is a tall order. I hope it works out for you, but I wouldn't count on it (no pun intended).