“The true danger is trying to fit travel into your life, rather than life around your travel.”-Us

Returning home, we both feel slightly wrecked in the way that any good trip will do to you sometimes. It is a mighty physical and emotional effort to overland camp. The amount of energy it takes to manage your journey, your day, your safety, your resources, is tremendous. The danger is in having too clear a picture in your mind as to what the trip should look like, what it should feel like, and the way it will all unfold. This trip was unlike any we’ve attempted. We changed our minds, changed destinations, and the result was part chaos and part magic. We came home early this time, but only because you have to respect Mother Nature, (and, she wasn’t cooperating in any way, shape, or form)! We traveled over 1,200 miles in 8 days in order to find a patch of sunshine, and instead found high winds, sandstorms, snow, rain, and below freezing temperatures…no matter how far south we drove. Our mistake was planning on March for our month of travel. It works in our life, but not in ease of overlanding. It’s a very difficult month to find good weather and open parks. It can be wonderful, or it can be challenging.

We saw beautiful places and met interesting people. We battled the weather. We worked from small spaces and managed our work day without much interruption to our colleagues or clients. We wore heavy coats, hats, and multiple layers. We made freeze dried food and learned how to filter water when we weren’t near services. We ran low on gas and doled out propane as necessary. It sounds miserable, right? But, it wasn’t I promise. It wakes up my life to have these travel experiences. Balance is key, and this type of trip (and getting out of balance) always brings everything important into sharper focus.

What’s next on our agenda? Sleep. Cranking up the thermostat at home, and planning toward how we can do this better next time. In late March, we are headed back to Utah to ski, Idaho in April, maybe the Badlands in May and then someplace really special for our 30th wedding anniversary in June. Don’t laugh, but my next bucket list item is to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. It’s a 12-hour drive from home…but don’t worry, we have a full tank of gas again.