Week 5, June 1-7
One Full Month on the Road
Thirty one days on the road! It's been a trip. Lots of very high highs and fairly low lows.
Every once in a while I pause and realize “I’m really doing it!”
Someone asked me if I'm getting tired of living in the van, being on the road, being transient?
I look back at the enormity of what I’ve gotten to do in the last month and I’m not regretting a single moment. I've gotten to see, do, and experienced so much!
And I have 7 more months of this to look forward to! I can't even imagine all the exiting things I'll get to experience in the months ahead, but I am beyond excited to find out!
Am I getting tired of this? Hell no, I'm just getting started!
Sunday, June 1. Day 28
It’s gorges here
Taos, NM
Actually made breakfast this morning! I feel like there was way more build up for that than there should have been. But I got to eat an egg and cheese sandwich in the golden hour light looking out over the Rio Grande River Gorge.
Life is good.
Took an early morning hike along the gorge and took tons of photos. There was a raptor soaring overhead but I couldn’t get any good shots of it.
Spent the day wandering around Taos, checking out the extremely dense artist scene. Without exaggeration, 70% of the shops in the city center are galleries. If you want southwest inspired art of any shape or kind, Taos is the place.
Checked out a famous old church in a brutalist design that’s a UNESCO world heritage site, and Ansel Adams photographed it.
Daily Listen: Banjo Bud strumming lovely tunes on his mandolin at the laundromat!
I thought maybe he was busking, but nope, he just brought it to play while waiting for his laundry.
Good: Dinner was Mexican street corn literally from the side of the street. Also got a huge container of fresh fruit from the guy next to the street corn. Ate corn and fruit while watching the clouds drift over the mountains.
Bad: I definitely got way too much sun today.
Unexpected: Fired up the generator this morning to make breakfast… and it wouldn’t start! It did start but then sputtered and cut out. I had an anxiety attack. I kept starting it again and again, thinking “that time it ran a little longer and sounded less bad, maybe this time it’ll catch!” And after way more attempts than I probably should have done, it did catch and ran smoothly for an hour. It occurred to me much later that it likely had to warm up before it could run, and not that it’s actually broken. In the evening it started up and ran without a hitch.
Monday, June 2. Day 29
Via con Dios New Mexico
Taos, NM -> Stonewall, CO
I did not expect to spend 2 weeks in New Mexico. I’m (mostly) glad I did, but it definitely wasn’t expected. On my original itinerary I was basically going to just pass through on my way to Arizona! Instead, circumstances conspired to let me enjoy and experience the state in an extended way.
On my last morning in NM (for now) I woke up at 5am to photograph the sunrise. I felt lame for sleeping through it yesterday and didn’t want to miss it 2 days in a row. Well, I missed it. The sky was overcast and intermittently rainy. When it did clear up a bit, it was beautiful.
Didn’t have anywhere to be today so I took my time getting going. Had coffee and hung out updating my blog and doing some writing.
I had a 3 hour drive ahead of me, and all day to do it. So I once again opted for the byways over the highways and was rewarded with spectacular views, even in the rain. Especially in the rain.
Mid day I passed through San Luis, the oldest town in Colorado. There was a church on a hilltop that seemed intriguing, and it was time to stop for lunch anyway. Had amazing pizza in the only restaurant in town that was open on a Monday. Then walked a half mile trail up to San Luis Church on the hilltop. There are these beautiful sculptures along the way of Jesus being put up on the cross and then ascending. But when you walk back down it’s Jesus getting down off of the cross and going back about his life.
Colorado kinda sneaks up on you from this direction. I finally arrived at the mountains that are way off in the distance for most of New Mexico. It suddenly occurred to me that I’m driving through steep mountains, dense with lush trees, yep, this is Colorado!
I had that revelation right around the time that I noticed my ears popping. I was at 8700’ and climbing! I don’t think I got to 10,000’ but I did flirt with 9900 on a few passes.
Driving through Colorado is a gift. I thought I knew what beautiful scenery was, but it was all just a warmup act for this. I was thinking about writing a whole blog post just about this one day of driving. It was that amazing. If I figure out a way to put it into words, I will.
Along the way There were tons of yards full of old rusty cars, which is like catnip to me. Plus I kept pulling over to take pictures of the mountains.
Between the hike up to the church, stopping at multiple junkyards, and pulling over every 5 minutes to take pictures of the mountains, the 3 hour drive to Stonewall actually took me 8 hours. And if I had more time, I’d have taken more time.
Daily Listen: Nature. The calm stillness of a place so far removed from human touch.
Good: Whatever suffering I endured in the past to balance the scales for me to experience this drive through the Colorado mountains, it was worth it.
Bad: FOMO for all the cool old rusted cars I couldn’t stop to take pictures of.
Unexpected: The amazing pizza I had in San Lois, the oldest town in CO.
Tuesday, June 3. Day 30
RV and Chill
Stonewall, CO
A legit chill day! I didn’t even leave the RV until noon! I have nowhere to be and no time I need to be there. Today was just about getting myself together before spending 5 days off-grid.
This was the first time on the trip that I paid for an RV campsite with “full hookup”. (Water, power, sewage)
You know how you’re always checking your phone’s power level to make sure you have enough to get through the day? Well I do that with my house! Always checking and worried the RV house battery will run down. That’s why the generator issue was so critical to get fixed.
Staying at a campsite where I’m plugged in all day (called ‘shore power’) plus water and wastewater removal was so freeing! I left the lights on. I did dishes. I took a hot shower! It was still tiny and cramped, but it was a long shower!
I even “baked” a banana bread! It was in a pot on the stovetop, but it worked! Came out perfect, cooked all the way through and not burnt on the bottom. Tasted great!
I also cut my hair!
Baking and cutting hair, I’m a domestic bachelor wizard!
Daily Listen Watch: A couple episodes of Andor Season 2, since there’s decent wi-fi! It’s weird seeing Star Wars that is relevant and prescient to what’s going on in the world today.
Good: 2 weeks ago I accidentally put sulphur water (rotten egg smell) in my freshwater tank, and it’s stank for 2 weeks! Now that I have a water and sewer hookup I could finally flush that out and put in fresh non-stinky water!
Bad: The town I’m in is called Stonewall, for this beautiful granite fin that runs for miles. Except the biggest and most visible part of the rock formation is on private land with “no trespassing - will prosecute” signs everywhere. F*** the rich people who think they have the right to own nature and keep it to themselves. Screw them, I went in and took pictures anyway.
Unexpected: Being in an RV with full hookups is like camping on easy mode! I can’t afford to do this much, but now that I know what it’s like it will be easier to justify the cost occasionally.
Wednesday, June 4. Day 31
Time is just a construct
Stonewall, CO -> Apogaea Burn
One month on the road! I am enjoying this so much more than I ever could have expected! There is so much more I’m excited to experience!
Starting with something called Apogea, a “Regional Burn” in southern Colorado.
If you’ve heard of Burring Man, the 100,000 person week long bohemian festival in the desert every summer - regional burns are smaller versions put on in different areas around the country. Pennsylvania has one, there’s a very popular one in Miami every February called “Love Burn”.
This will be a 5 day festival where the point is “radical self reliance, radical self expression” - bring everything you need for 5 days. And be yourself! Whatever that may look like.
A celebration of art, expression, self, and community. I’ve never been to one before but have wanted to check it out. Excited for the new experience!
The short drive there was - of course - amazingly beautiful!
I also stopped at a store on the way for last minute supplies and do a load of laundry. As I was waiting, it was neat seeing all the people stopping there on their way in to the event.
The festival, even on the first rainy day, is huge and colorful and full of life. Different groups - called camps - set up elaborate theme camps with DJ booths, sitting areas, food and drinks, and often something fun and clever associated with the camp name.
I’m with friends at camp “Ravers vs Pirates” and there’s a lot of pirate themes decorations, like a mermaid skeleton in a hammock, and two skeletons ’69’ in a wrought iron cage.
The whole event defines description, but I’m going to try and put my thoughts down in a blog post, when I figure out what to say!
Daily Listen: The sound of heavy rain on the roof of the van
Good: I’m excited to take my van - my home - to this 5 day off-grid festival and see how well it works out being self contained and self sufficient.
Bad: It rained heavily all afternoon. Although it stopped by the evening, the ground was a muddy mess. Slippery, sticky mud that cakes onto everything.
Unexpected: I wanted to explore and meet people and dance Weds night, but I came down with some extreme fatigue and couldn’t hang.
Thursday, June 5. Day 32
Feeding the extrovert
Apogaea Burn (Valdez, CO)
I slept really well, despite the thumping bass of EDM music and general partying that went on until 4am!
Refreshed and excited to see what the day would hold, I set out into camp to explore.
One of the first things I came across was a 40’ tall tower with an observation spot at the top. I contemplated if I wanted to climb this tower first thing in the morning. But I saw a bunch of people at the top, and my goal for the day was to socialize and meet people, so up I went!
And it was a success! I met a handful of people that I saw again throughout the coming days.
I was also carrying around my Canon 35mm film camera and taking B&W portraits of people I encountered. The Canon is a cool vintage camera with a classic ‘film camera’ look. It’s a conversation starter and a good way for me to introduce myself to people.
Throughout the day I met a lot of people and had great conversations. Sometimes sitting for a while and other times just in passing. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming; whether they were longtime ‘burners’ or first timers like me.
Below is a photo from when I was hanging out with this small group for a long while, when suddenly the chair I was in ripped and I fell through onto the ground! (also, yes, I'm wearing a kilt)
In the evening my camp did a big bbq cookout. One of the tenants of Burning Man is gifting. The concept of giving something for the sake of giving. Not barter and not transactional. No money is exchanged at all at a burner event. The leader of the camp I was at gifted this bbq. I was glad to help out in the kitchen cutting and cooking vegetables, and generally helping where I could. Plus when the food was ready I didn't have to wait in line! I just grazed from the kitchen.
Daily Listen: EDM dance music continuously from 10a-4a the next morning.
Mandatory quiet hours from 4a-10a. Hooray for 6 hours of sleep!
Good: The only thing I wanted out of this whole event was to meet people and have lots of different and great conversations. And I had that in spades! I even stayed up until dawn, wrapped up in a conversation and not paying attention to where the time went!
Bad: Did I mention the part about staying up until dawn!? Ooof, I can’t hang like that anymore!
Unexpected: People frequently mistook me for a long-time burner and were genuinely surprised to find out this wasn’t just my first Apogaea, but my first burner event at all. I think I come off as calm and confident in how I carry myself, and people interpret being comfortable as being experienced. IDK, I could be totally wrong.
Friday, June 6. Day 33
You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here
Apogaea Burn (Valdez, CO)
Having stayed up until nearly dawn, I slept in pretty late. I did get to walk around camp and continue taking film portrait photos of people I encountered. Met a few more people and had more good conversations. At a small (<2000) event like this it's possible to keep running into some of the same people. That's how I met Mary and Aaron.
Also, I met more Aarons than literally anyone else! Including a couple Erins and one Aaryn (F).
In the afternoon I took a much-needed nap and woke up feeling ready for a long, fun night.
That didn’t play out the way anybody expected.
Daily Listen: The quiet sound of heartbreak
Unexpected: (I have to list this out of order or else it won’t make sense) Friday evening it was announced that the event was canceled and everyone had to go home. This was beyond shocking. A sadness and a pall hung over everyone, people were walking around in a daze. We were asked to leave as soon as possible, but given until Saturday afternoon if we needed time to pack up. I wandered around feeling unmoored, not knowing where I was going to go so unexpectedly.
Bad: I was hoping to reconnect with some of the people I met Wednesday and Thursday, but wasn’t able to find them. They likely had already left camp.
Good: The theme camp I was at had brought a crap-load of food to cook and serve again on Saturday night. Instead, we scrambled to make it all Friday night and serve people at the event.
For more than a decade I used to run a volunteer kitchen that served meals to people in need. On Friday night I naturally fell back into that role and ran the kitchen. In a strange way it was enjoyable, using this skill set that I never expected to use again! The other camp mates I worked with in the kitchen were amazing. We were all supporting and encouraging each other. Everyone rose to the occasion and did the hard work to make this happen.
It was also wonderful being able to serve and feed so many people from the event who were uplifted by this act of community support.
In the end, working so hard all night, running the kitchen and cooking for everyone ended up being extremely cathartic for me. Despite it being so disappointing that the event was canceled, I ended up having a good night.
Saturday, June 7. Day 34
Cereal Killer
Apogaea Burn -> Walsenburg, CO
Everyone was supposed to breakdown camp, pack up, and leave asap. I walked around in the morning and saw all the elaborate camps and art slowly disappearing.
However, my camp was unrushed and unperturbed.
Around 1p the camp leader suggested making food. I offering to cook and made 2 dozen eggs and a couple pounds of bacon. That at least helped me feel productive.
Even though I was ready to get out of there, I was “camped in”. (It’s like being parked in, but by tents!)
When I realized nobody was going anywhere I asked my camp-mate to move their tent to let me out, and I finally made my exodus.
Drove into the town of Trinidad, CO. An old mining town. Main Street was made up of almost all vintage and thrift stores.
I’ve driven through a LOT of Main Street USA towns, and the overwhelming majority of them have been struggling economically. Lots of closed storefronts and sun-faded ‘for sale’ signs.
Trinidad was different, it didn’t seem to be struggling at all. Main Street was full of shops, not an empty storefront to be seen. In the short drive around town I don’t recall seeing any abandoned buildings. IDK what their economy is, but it’s bustling.
In town with time to kill, I found a Coffee/Comic shop/curio shop. That also served bowls of cereal with a display of more than a dozen options!
I chose fruit loops. There was a black light room with funky UV concert posters and a Super Nintendo.
Good: had a huge, delicious bowl of Froot Loops!
Bad: Oftentimes highly processed and high fructose corn syrup causes a fatigue response, which is what happened after the big bowl of Froot Loops.
Unexpected: the way the camp-mates were so nonchalant about packing up camp and leaving. It felt sad and weird hanging around at a dead event and I was anxious to leave.
And that wraps up week 5 on the road!
The start of a new month and new adventures in Colorado.
The week ends on a bit if a sour note, but I promise you that week 6 kicks off in a c'est magnifique way!
I'll be spending most of June in Colorado, so look for all the amazing landscape photos I hope to take!
