Five years ago, I woke up I realized that
I was completely unhappy in my life It was passing me by faster than I
could blink an eye at and the only person who could change that was me
After college I worked four years as a chemical engineer
Sure, the money was good but I wasn't happy After watching so many peers fall into
the corporate trap, I knew I had to do something different
Luckily without any debt or personal commitments I was in a perfect place to make a radical change
I decided to leave the life of stability that I knew and take a chance on a more uncertain life
The only time I was happy was when I was camping, and I had to find a way to make a life of it
It took 26 years for me to realize that long trail runs, climbing,
and nearly daily exposure to the mountains were what I needed in life to make me feel complete
I quit my job, gave away most of my possessions, and came up with a rather
vague idea of how I was going to survive my new life on the road in my tag teardrop
I also quit my job and moved into the bed of my old truck
so that I could fully pursue my love of the mountains
I didn't know it at the time but it was the best and most life changing decision I would ever make
Even though it defied all common sense I never once regretted the decision to steer
away from the certainty and security that I had in my engineering job
While I was completely ecstatic that my new life was working out,
the one piece of the puzzle I never anticipated was meeting a partner to share this life with
Life on the road can be pretty lonely at times while I had no real expectations I have
to admit the idea of sharing a nomadic life with someone else was pretty exciting to me
I won't lie, in the beginning, figuring out how to share a space with somebody 24/7
was pretty difficult I remember spreading
all of our belongings across the yard and one by one deciding what to keep and what to toss
and after a few tears I remember learning a lot about each other that day
over time we learned not only to live and love together but also to work together
This would be the most important lesson of all for the following five years
Living on the road has taught us so much about ourselves, each other, and most importantly
how to enjoy every single minute of life Because of Kendrick I did so many things
I would never have done alone Early on I told Kendrick how much I
loved the Grand Tetons but that I would never be able to make it to the top of the Grand,
so of course Kendrick guided me
sometimes very nervously tied to a rope
And after having to turn around so close to the top He finally got me to the summit on
our second attempt We made it, wooo
Next he showed me that we could go higher in life that I ever imagined, Literally!
In Mexico, he calmed me down when I was nervous sleeping at 13 thousand feet
He held off a wild pack of dogs and he took me to a summit over 17 thousand feet
We did it! Well, we half way did it
Finally, despite my objections that I absolutely could not do it he showed me that I could in fact
climb 14 fourteen thousand foot peaks in 14 days Along with a few other fun things
I was already embracing a life of simplicity but it took a lot of encouragement from Mandy
to get me outside of my comfort zone of Colorado and over the years we've
seen some pretty magical places together
Our trip from the northernmost point that you can drive in Alaska
to the southernmost point in Mexico is something we'll never forget
In 16,000 miles we witnessed landscapes from snowy mountain peaks to rugged desert
breathtaking beaches to deep blue waterfalls and everything in between
Beyond the scenery it was amazing to experience cultures across three different countries
Because we believed in our dream despite all those who doubted us
our nomadic life in our tiny tab trailer allowed us to see things most people can only dream of
Another thing I've realized over the years, it's always more fun
to experience the beauty of a place when you have someone special to share it with
Mandy was a real trooper when she let me drag her 85 miles over 13 days
on some of the most rugged trails in one of my favorite places, the Grand Canyon
and all of that despite the nasty blisters she got on her heels on the second day of hiking
As we made our way across the rocky canyon trails,
we still found plenty of time to stop for the beautiful views
This difficult hike also happened to be over Valentine's Day
and Mandy's birthday which gave me a pretty good idea she wasn't your typical gal
Finally, I always loved taking photos with my iPhone but Mandy took my photos to the next
level by giving me formal training, and gear, that I needed to take things to the next level
I have to admit, it's pretty convenient having your own personal photography
and editing instructor on hand and on call 24/7 Now don't get us wrong, life on the road has
not always been sunshine and rainbows. Whether you work to live or live to work,
the word "work" is still in there We've definitely been through the ringer when
it comes to figuring out how to run and succeed as a self-employed business and do it together
Between all of the amazing memories, we've spent countless hours on the computers operating our
business, maintaining our websites, planning logistics, marketing, and of course spending
way too much time on social media and all the while, trying to find
beautiful boondocking locations where we can still get all our work done
While on the road we've made a lot of the same mistakes as everyone else out there.
Running out of propane, draining our battery, getting flat tires,
freezing water pipes, losing awnings to the wind, and having a mice infestation, just to name a few
but each one of these snags is a lesson learned, and knowledge gained.
We've come to embrace the experience and knowledge of our fellow "nucampers"
who have wisdom they are always willing to share, and we are always willing to accept
There are a lot of practical lessons to be learned while living on the road,
but far more important than that are the lessons we've learned about life
Primarily we choose to live a simple life. We may stray from time to time, but we always
come back to one thing: simplicity. Less stuff. A smaller footprint.
This approach to life has taught us to value experiences and relationships over possessions
The gift of an experience will always last longer than any item
The last five years on the road together have taught us to redefine our idea of home
Is it a big place filled with a bunch of things? For some people, maybe.
But for us, it's been our little castles on wheels:
Phoenix, Rocky, and Little Bear that have truly taught us the meaning of
"home is where you park it" Living full time in a camper
isn't a possibility for everyone, but what's important is to create
lasting memories and cherish the time you get to spend while in your camper
take the lessons learned while on the road and carry them into your daily life.
Remember the sights, smells, and feelings of being in nature.
Just when you need it most, close your eyes, and the feeling will be right there with you.
So, here's to the lessons we'll learn in the next five years!
Love & Light!