Pages Wander

Today I had lots of plans but ended up abruptly leaving the city. As soon as I got on the road on my way to Rocky Mountains National Park, a sense of peace and tranquility came over me. The magnificent view of the mountains on the horizon was whispering home to my heart. 

Soon enough I had no cell signal and it was just me, the road and the country side. I was in awe with all the shades of green of Colorado in the summer time. I was blasting the music, singing to the top of my lungs, letting all my worries go away if even just for a few hours. 

The river was making me company alongside the road, the pine trees kept getting greener and lusher as I drove more and more into the mountains. The river’s crystalline water over the rocks brought a strong memory to my mind. I was back to last summer at Yosemite National Park admiring the majestic Vernal and Nevada falls. Memories of my year on the road started flooding me, filling me with a bittersweet nostalgia and deep gratitude. 

I started my hike feeling excited and light-hearted; like I had already left some of those heavy emotions I was carrying wash away on the road. Immediately Mother Earth covered me in the scent of pine trees and the feel of a subtle breeze of fresh air. I was HOME. I started saying thank you out loud LOL I think thanking nature, thanking myself, and thanking life for taking me here. The trail was full of all sorts of green, and yellow and lilac wildflowers everywhere, sparkling under the morning sunlight. I was happy. 

Throughout the journey to get to my hiking destination, I was experiencing an emotional & mental journey back into the last year and a half since I quit my job and went to live on the road. I remembered that one time on a hike when I turned a corner and there was a young bear playing with a tree trunk. I remembered going up the cables of Half Dome with my friend Derek (I still can’t believe I did that), getting lost while hiking in snow for the first time at Great Basin, all the people I met on the trails and all the literal and figurative mountains I’ve conquered. 

At the end of the trail, Ouzel falls was waiting for me, its waters wild and free. I took my hiking boots off and without a second thought got my feet into the water. It was freezing cold! The cold temperature was creeping up my body but I didn’t care; it was as if it was awakening me all over again to the beauty of nature that I never want to become immune to. 

I’ve been feeling out of balance and ungrounded lately and most recently getting kind of down on myself, but all these memories and this present experience brought a certainty to my heart of how strong I truly am. I felt like a wildflower, swelling from tender bud to full bloom but also fragile and aware of the swift passage of life. And I was ok with it.

Living on the road is definitely a trial and error process. My first few weeks on this trip have been fun and funny; full of beautiful sights and interesting challenges.

So here are some of this journey’s anecdotes and lessons:

• Perfecting the art of “peeing in your car”– I quickly realized I needed to find a way to urinate in my car. I do use a female urination device and a Nalgene canteen while I am hiking and camping. But after a failed attempt using these in my car… I needed a different method. Since I am not planning on buying diapers anytime soon, I found a few items that make this mission possible: a towel (to cover yourself), toilet paper (pretty self-explanatory), a 30 ounce smart cooler (to urinate in) and no shame. Say what you will, but it works perfectly!

• Getting overly excited about a night out – These days my diet consists mostly of fruit, tuna, granola/protein bars and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. So I was thrilled at the prospect of having dinner at a very nice Texan restaurant. I had a couple of margaritas, very spicy fried oyster nachos, a salad and dessert. It was delicious and a blast. The after dinner situation was another story. Let’s just say I spent a while hugging the toilet and then laying on the floor of the bathroom. After twenty-four hours I was back to normal. Sadly, recovery is not the same as when I was in my twenties.  

• The danger of new surfaces – On the second day of my trip I twisted my ankle while going down the stairs of the Airbnb. The next day, in a different place and while icing my painful ankle, I bumped my head with the kitchen counter. I had immediate swelling and pain for days. Evidently, I am a “bit” clumsy but still, I think it’s important to emphasize watching your movements in new environments.

• The ever changing weather – I have been monitoring the weather since before the trip. My biggest worry was  being cold at night inside the roof top tent. Then, I get to the Big Bend National Park area and it was extremely hot. To be transparent, we did camped for a few nights but not as many as I was originally planning. Thankfully, we found a cabin with air conditioning. Afterwards, we have experienced unexpected wind and snow storms as well. The lesson here: plan all you want but be flexible and safe.

• Do you really know how much stuff you own? – I thought I had very little stuff for the trip. The morning of our departure, I packed my car up to the roof. I had to admit then that more storage, giving away and getting rid of was needed. After doing all of the above, I created a new rule that I could only have one of any particular item. While I still have several face creams, underwear and sunglasses, this was definitely a lesson on letting go. Having your whole “life” in a car is not as easy as it might look.

• Buying a US park pass – This $80 pass, which saves you lots of money if you are visiting several parks, needs to be purchased online. Also, you should buy it prior to starting your trip when you still have a permanent address. When I was in Alpine, a town in Texas, I wondered where I would mail mine to. I ended up mailing it to the post office; literally in the middle of nowhere. Next day I go to Big Bend, the ranger at the entrance tells me I could have bought the pass at the park. I don’t think this is the case everywhere so I strongly recommend to buy it beforehand.

• Be careful what you wish for –Rocco, one of my dogs, has always been a nervous pup.  Recently, I bought a cbd oil that was recommended by a friend. I really needed to rest after a long drive, so I decided to give Rocco a good dose of it. After a while, he seemed pretty mellow and I was very pleased and looking forward to a good night sleep in our roof top tent. A couple of hours later he vomited on one of our blankets. It was dark outside and freezing cold so my mission was to contain the vomit and avoid getting anything else inside the tent dirty. He proceeded to puke about ten times, some on my pillow and two sheets. Between taking care of him, cleaning and keeping ourselves warm it was an insane night. But he’s all good now!

• Giving yourself a break from a break – I find that it’s taking me some time to get used to this new lifestyle. I still feel and act as if I was working a high stress job at the hospital. Even when not working a regular job and with days mostly consisting of driving, exploring and hiking, rest and self-care are needed. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to do, do and do. But sometimes we need to stop, be still and just relax. Today I took a rest day to read, give the dogs a bath, write and cook. I had a woodpecker and a hawk as unexpected visitors. It was a beautiful sight and a magnificent day.

In conclusion, the nomad life has been a challenge in many ways but anything new is. Always keep that in mind. Don’t let fear stop you from shaking things up, changing or taking a leap into the unknown.

That’s all for now.

See you on the road,

Elaine