Ever heard of overlanding? It's defined as self-reliant adventure travel where the journey is the ultimate goal. I only just recently learned the term, but it perfectly describes my Summer 2020 travel.
Like so many others, my company was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result, they laid off 90% of their US staff this summer, including me. Contemplating a job search in the middle of a global pandemic and recession has been nerve wracking to say the least. Low level, general anxiety can be paralyzing for me and I found myself doomscrolling all day, eating with abandon (pint of haagen daz and a party bag of doritos after dinner? yes, please!), and watching a lot of TV. I knew it was toxic and that I needed to break the pattern somehow, so I decided to plan a trip doing what always makes me happy - hiking and taking pictures!
In June, when the National Parks were just beginning to open back up, I embarked on a two-week solo car camping and hiking trip across Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. I had a rough plan of places I wanted to hit - Steamboat Springs, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone and Glacier National Park (Bryce and Arches were added later), but no set itinerary and no campsite reservations. Of course with COVID-19 concerns being top of mind, one of my main goals was to travel as self-sufficiently as possible and limit my exposure to others. So, I packed enough food for the trip, set up my mattress, pillows, and sleeping bag in the back of the SUV and set off on the road.
For someone who lives and dies by a schedule in my work life, I cannot tell you how absolutely liberating it was to drive out of Denver not really knowing what the next 2 weeks would hold. I drove under blue skies, singing along loudly to a soundtrack heavy on Led Zeppelin, Leon Bridges, and the Beastie Boys. Frankly, I was just happy to be somewhere, anywhere, that wasn't my house. When I spotted a pretty scene, I stopped for a photo. When I was hungry, I ate. When I was tired, I climbed into the back and slept. You can see my set up in the photo below.
It was simple and certainly wouldn't work for everyone, but it was perfect for me. I emerged from that trip energized and feeling more relaxed than I had in months. Looking forward to sharing more in upcoming posts.
Stay tuned!
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