"Miles from nowhere, guess I'll take my time" -Cat Stevens

Zealand and I spent about a month drifting around Colorado. Almost every morning I would wake up with the sun, and open the doors not really knowing what view I would have. I developed a habit of staying as long as possible everywhere I went. When I finally got on the road, I wouldn't make it to my next destination until late that night. So, when I woke up in the mornings I would find myself parked on the side of a mountain on some gravel road on public land. I would swing open the doors in anticipation, and see some of the most amazing views! 

I knew that once we made it east of Denver, it would be the last of our time in the mountains. This thought kept me out there for as long as I could possibly push it. It got to a point where I was getting messages from friends back home telling me that I needed to get back. That I have a business that I started and I'll be missing the peak season. I knew that, but I also knew that I might not get this opportunity again. So, I stayed as long as I could. They knew that if I was gone any longer, there was a good chance I would stay on the road for a very long time. Having no where to go and all day to get there is a very intoxicating thing! 

Being on the road with only yourself to answer to is an amazing experience. Doing a solo drift has its tribulations too. If something goes wrong and you have no service, and no one really knows where you are or where you are going, it's all on you to get yourself out. Those are the moments where self reliance is put to the test. For better or worse, I loved that. I think it is important to push yourself to see what you are made of and what you can overcome on your own. There were plenty of times I would have to pull over, and crawl under Big Blue and try to figure out what needs to be fixed. Like taking apart the entire muffler line and reset it because the Vegas auto shop didn't tighten any of the connections causing it to almost fall off while driving over the Monarch Mountain pass. That was fun. Never the less, I loved every second of it! 

Those are the moments that make it a real trip, a true adventure. Surfing off the Oregon coast, driving through the Sequoia National forrest draped in a thick fog at 2 in the morning, exploring trails, Yosemite sunsets,  being stranded in Death Valley, needing a whole new motor, unplanned flights to CO, Grand Canyon sunsets, full moon over Zion, building your own hot spring, climbing with friends, throwing the frisbee with a homeless guy that just appeared in the middle of the woods, mountain biking with old friends in the highland desserts, all the secret spots I found when I tried the road less traveled, and visiting the family on the home stretch. I wouldn't change a single moment!