Author: Michael Eaton

Next stop was Aspen. The drive in is absolutely gorgeous, just like most of the drives we had been making the previous few days.

My original intention was to take Erika up to the top of one of the mountains via the gondola but that wasn’t possible. They had just closed the mountains down for the winter season and the gondolas weren’t up and running for the summer season yet. We caught it at a bad time.

Then I had another idea. The Maroon Bells are out there – they are very famous mountains near Aspen. Supposedly they are the most photographed part of Colorado. So we drive all the way up and we can see them in the distance. But we find out that the road up there is closed off at a certain point. It was scheduled to open the next day!

It was possible to hike there but it was a six-mile trek on way and it was already lunchtime. That was a bit of a letdown but we found another hike close by. It was pretty tough actually. About two and a half miles to the top and all of it was uphill. But the view from the top was really great. We were able to see the whole town and the mountain range beyond.

We went into the town for lunch and ate at this spot that was like half deli and half dispensary. It was kind of weird but in a good way. Erika hadn’t ever seen the inside of a dispensary before so I took her in. Long story short, the guy said he’d give me a joint for a penny if I gave the shop a 5 star Google review. And I had no problems with that!

I originally wanted to camp down the road from Aspen. BI didn’t realize that the mountain pass was still closed and we wouldn’t be able to drive to that campsite. So we had to drive back to Glenwood Springs and then down I-70 for a bit. But it worked out okay.

I found a free campsite near Eagle. We had to drive up this dirt road and it was a proper 4WD track to be fair. I was a little nervous but the van did absolutely great. I wouldn’t take it on sand or deep snow but on a dirt road like this it was fine.

The road took us to the top of the ridge and we found a great site overlooking the canyon and the highway below. Today was a lesson in being adaptable and resilient. Plans don’t always work but that doesn’t mean things can’t work out!

Not much happening in Rifle that morning. We woke up and did a walk around the lake, had some breakfast, and then we hit the road. Next stop – Glenwood Springs.

Erika was enjoying the camping (at least that’s what she said). But after four days sleeping in the van she was ready to get into a real bed and a real hotel. And Glenwood Springs was the perfect place to do just that.

The drive-in was really gorgeous. You drive through this really large canyon with red rocks all over. Promptly named Red Canyon. We drove this way going out towards Grand Junction but I was just focusing on getting out there I guess. I didn’t appreciate the beauty of the place until I was coming back this way.

We decided to stay at Hotel Colorado because it seemed to be the fairest deal out there. I didn’t realize that it was a famous hotel.

When Theodore Roosevelt made his trips out to Colorado he stayed there. And the legend has it that he was feeling ill on one of his stays. So a few of the hotel staff put together a stuffed bear for him. And that’s where the teddy bear had it’s start.

The hotel itself was a nice place. A bit old in my opinion. Obviously they know their history is their appeal. But the place could do with an upgrade or two to be fair. Especially in the bathrooms.

Glenwood Springs is known for its hot springs and that was our next stop. There are two places in town and I think we made the right choice. Right along the river, you pay a flat fee and you get to use the springs for three hours. There are a variety of pools at different temperatures and you can jump around as you please.

We had a really relaxing time there and in the town in general. It’s a cute mountain town and we found a really awesome restaurant to eat dinner at. It was a welcome change from cooking on the camping stove!

We got up early in the morning and hit the road. We had to drive towards Grand Junction again to get back to I-70 but it worked out well. Our next stop was Rifle but it was raining there in the morning. So, to kill some time, we took a look at the Museum of the West located in the city center.

The museum itself wasn’t very large but it was very detailed and thorough. It had a lot of information about the Spanish expeditions into New Mexico and Colorado. Apparently, the native people of Mexico can trace their lineage back to the peoples that lived in these areas.

The Spanish, hoping to find more gold, started exploring these areas but didn’t find much. The mountains and rivers were very hard to pass. The story goes that the Spanish explorers would meet natives and the natives would already have Spanish goods with them. The natives would tell them stories about settlers that looked like the Spanish. The legend of the lost Spanish colony grew out of these experiences.

We got into Rifle around lunchtime and it worked out really well. The rain had just finished up so we drove through the town and into the state park on the other side. The main attraction here is Rifle Falls and it was a nice waterfall at the end of a two-mile hike.

It would have been nice to camp near the falls but there was no more availability. So we had to stay down the road at Rifle Gap State Park. The campsite itself was super nice actually. It sat just next to a man-made lake and the views of the distant mountains were beautiful.

That night was super cold though. Because it had rained most of the day it was difficult to get a fire going. We woke up in the morning and there was frost on the inside of the van walls! It was probably the coldest night of the trip. Erika was not very pleased with that. She’s from South America and isn’t used to that type of weather.

The next day we weren’t really sure what our plan was. I found a hike south of Grand Junction that had Native American petroglyphs on the trail. S we decided to give it a shot.

It took us a bit of time to find the right trail. We stopped off at a few different places before finding the right trailhead. The Dominguez-Escalante Nation Conservatory is a huge piece of land. There were several turn-offs along the highway to get into the park and honestly we were just guessing at random.

The first part of the walk was along the ridge of a cliff. The trail overlooked a cattle farm and the view was absolutely fantastic with the canyon in the background. Eventually, we made our way down the canyon wall and crossed the river.

We walked along the river for a while and it was really scenic. In the national conservatory, you can camp for free and there were several campsites along the river. You have to hike in and out but it might be a place to stop off at if I’m ever in the area again.

Eventually, we turned off the river and into another canyon. At this point, we had been walking for about two hours and we stopped and talked to a few people we crossed paths with. I asked them about the rock art and they gave us directions to get there.

We still managed to get a bit lost, however. The canyon had quite a few turns and sometimes something that looked like part of the trail just ended up leading to a dead end. We found our way eventually though.

As we walked along the trail I had a strange feeling and I veered off and started looking behind this gigantic rock. The people told us that we could find petraglyphs behind random rocks if we looked hard enough. Lo and behold we found some behind the very first rock that we looked behind. We hung out there for a bit and moved on further up the trail.

About five minutes along the trail there was another large rock with a large number of petroglyphs. It looked like a scene of some sort, perhaps something related to their spiritual beliefs. It reminded me of something I had seen in South Australia.

There was a small plaque there but it didn’t explain what the markings were about. We met another group of people who were camping out there for the night and chatted with them for a bit. Then we made our way back to the car.

It was good that we had difficulty finding the trail because we ended up finding a few campsites along one of the roads. Just random pull-offs along the dirt road. Perfect for van camping.

We had a great view of the mountains and just pulled up and made dinner while the sun set. We blasted the music and just had a two-person dance party right there on the road. It was a good ending to a good day.

By the time I got back to Colorado, I didn’t have too much time to rest. A few days to get some things together before Erika arrived in Denver. The plan was to take a bit of a camping trip, so I bought a grill and some other camping goodies and loaded up the car.

Story time. I first met Erika in Spain. An Irish Pub in Madrid of all places. It was my last night in there and I was just chatting up everyone. We spoke for a little while and exchanged numbers. I just kept texting her. She thought I was a bit strange because it seemed there was very little chance of us seeing each other again.

But the next year I decided to visit Peru and Erika decided to join me for part of my trip. Admittedly it didn’t work out that great. We were forcing things. It’s not easy travelling with someone you don’t know all that well. But it ended on a good note between us and I learned a lot about myself from that experience.

We’ve continued to stay in contact since then and the opportunity to see each other again arose. Erika has a sister that lives in Wisconsin and she was coming to visit her for a few months. We decided that Erika would come to Colorado and we would do a bit of exploring together.

The original plan was to hang out around Denver for a day or two and then head into the mountains. But it was going to be raining and snowing in that part of the state when she arrived. So I pulled an audible and decided to make the drive to Grand Junction and then work our way back towards Denver instead.

The drive itself was pretty tough – about six hours because there was a ton of traffic right by Breckenridge. The tunnel was closed and we had to go over the mountain pass. It was cool because the views were great but it was very slow going.

We didn’t get in until late so we got into the RV park and made some dinner and went to bed that first night.

The next day we headed over to the Colorado National Monument. It’s a national park (I was kind of confused by the name at first) that consists of a plateau and a variety of different canyons. The monument itself is a monolith, a unique rock formation that apparently people are able to climb. Every July 4th someone climbs to the top and plants an American flag there. I thought that was pretty cool.

There is a ridge road that brings you around the edge of the park, which also happens to be the ridge of the plateau. A really beautiful drive with a great view of Grand Junction and the mountains beyond the city. We stopped and did some hikes along the way. too The park itself was very well planned and we had a really good time!

Not much happening after that. We stopped in town for a bit and then went back to the RV Park and relaxed for the day. Our plan was to leave Grand Junction and start heading west the next morning.

I only stayed a few days in Florida after buying the van. I did some shopping and got everything packed up. I had a long drive ahead of me.

The first day I basically did the whole state of Florida. From Fort Lauderdale to Panama City Beach. I think it was about an eight hour ride. Pretty smooth – no traffic outside of that first stretch. Not that much to see and that was to be the story for most of the way.

Meghan is living in Panama City Beach and I was able to stay by her place. She came back to the states from Australia shortly after I did. Her parents started a business in Florida and she was there managing the store.

It was really good to connect with her. We went out to dinner and had drinks the first night. And then we did some time on the beach the next day. I stayed over for the extra day because the states I had to travel through were getting pounded with rain.

The next leg of the drive was from Panama City to Shreveport, which is in northwest Louisiana. So I basically drove the length of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana on day two. Not much to see. My first night sleeping in the van was in a Walmart parking lot. Not exactly what I was thinking when I bought the van but it worked out just fine.

Then we had Texas. It was a pretty cool drive, watching the terrain change slowly. At first, it was very green with a bunch of prairies. But it slowly became dryer and browner and more like a desert. I drove a lot the third day. Probably 12 hours or so. I mean I drove the whole length of Texas and that state is huge.

I ended up in Raton New Mexico and then crossed the border into Colorado and slept at one of the rest stops there. Wow was it cold! A sign of things to come. Thankfully I had a few more blankets than I thought I needed. So I stayed relatively warm.

That next day was the home stretch and I just drove the length of Colorado to Denver. Way more scenic – just driving along the mountains most of the time. I got back to Alexandra’s place around lunchtime and took a much-needed day to relax and recuperate.

So after I got back from Key West I went straight into van buying mode. And I will tell you what, it was a much longer and drawn-out process than I was expecting it to be.

My original plan was to get something like a Ford Transit or a RAM Promaster. Something with a high enough roof in which I could stand in. But we quickly realized that older models of these vehicles (that were mechanically sound) were hard to find.

We were either seeing older models that had a salvaged title, meaning that the car was in a major accident and repairs were necessary to bring it back to a condition that it was drivable again. Or we were seeing 2018 or 2019 models with over 100K miles on them. I wasn’t comfortable with either option.

There were a decent amount of vans that we fairly new with a respectable amount of miles on them. But these were definitely out of my price range. I would have been able to afford a van like this if I had financed it. And I was thinking about it for a hot second. But I decided not to.

Of course, I wanted to get the best van possible. But I didn’t want to take out a large loan and commit to paying it down for 3 to 5 years. I’m unsure what my plan will be in two years’ time. If I was committed to living and traveling in the van for more than a few years then I would have financed and bought something larger and newer. But I felt it was better to buy something cheaper and retain that financial flexibility.

Once I came to that realization, I started looking at smaller cargo vans. And I found a few that fit my price range. There were a few issues with some of them and I finally settled on a 2008 Chevy Express.

Luckily, one of my father’s friends knew a mechanic in the area and he was able to take a look at the car for me. He had one of his mechanics take it for a test drive and they looked under the hood and told me that everything checked out.

The body and the interior were both in really good shape. The tires that came with the truck were top of the line and there was a ton of tread left on them. And the previous owners installed a rear view camera and an audio system in the car. All things considered it was a good bet that the engine and the other mechanical parts were taken care of as well.

Overall I think I made a good choice. I will admit, at that when I had just bought it I wasn’t too pleased to be spending so much money at one time. It was my first used car buying experience and I had mixed feelings about it. I had never made this large of a purchase before.

I think it was also the stress of shopping for the car. Dad and I must have gone to twenty different spots at least. And we saw so many different types of cars. Different models, different years, different mileage. It was stressful sorting through all the information and getting a clear picture of what was possible.

I learned a lot though. For example – whatever the listed price of the car, it will definitely be more expensive. The low-end dealers will list the amount to finance after a down payment. So it’s the amount listed plus a 4K or 5K downpayment. The legit dealers hack on so many fees. It’s negotiable but the total bill is always higher than the listed price by a bit.

I will be ready to shop for my next car, that’s for sure. Until then let’s give this one a good run.

I only stayed in Pompano for a day. Sean came by on Tuesday and picked me up. Justin was with him too and it was nice to have a little bit of a reunion before heading off.

The drive itself wasn’t all that bad. Maybe four or five hours from Pompano to Key West. Compared to the distances I was driving earlier in the year, this was nothing. The drive down is really nice. All along the water like you would have expected. And the weather was clear and sunny.

We got into town early in the afternoon, checked into the hostel, and then we were off to meet everyone at the pier in the early evening. The bachelor party was that night and Sean organized a two hour boat cruise.

It was really great just seeing everyone. It’s been over a year. And it wasn’t just me that was having the reunion. It seemed that everyone hadn’t seen each other because of COVID.

The boat tour itself was pretty standard. We brought a bunch a beer and liquor and we had a few drinks while the crew brought us around to a few of the nicer spots in Key West. We passed by some mega yachts, saw a few dolphins, and then finished it off with a sunset on the water.

Afterward, we stopped by for dinner at one of the places I remember going as a child. That was pretty cool, to reminisce. Hunter’s wife, Vanessa, and her friends stopped by for a bit but we didn’t do all too much after that.

The next day was meant to be a chill day and Dio and I decided to golf at the only course in Key West. Again, a beautiful day for it, and we got paired up with a really good group. One of the guys had just gotten married a few days earlier and he was on his honeymoon. His wife went with him to the golf course and was riding around with him while he played!

I didn’t shoot all that great but it was my first round in over a year. I don’t count the round I had in Coober Pedy because there wasn’t even grass on that course.

That evening we just chilled. Grabbed some dinner and then a few drinks and went back to the AirBnB and jumped in the hot tub. Nothing crazy. I didn’t get much sleep the night before because the neighbors were yelling until 4 o’clock in the morning. So I was pretty tired.

The next day was the wedding and actually, everything went extremely well. I think everyone was expecting it to be a bit disorganized but I actually thought the ceremony was wonderful. Hunter is Jewish and there were various prayers and other traditions throughout the ceremony. One of Vanessa’s friends sang all of the prayers and she did beautifully. I’m not sure if she knows how to speak Hebrew but it sure sounded like she did.

I was really glad I came to be honest. Hunter and I are not as close as we used to be. I think maybe six or seven years ago we were really hanging out a lot. At that point, most of our friends had left NY and we were one of the few that were left there. So we kind of just bonded and saw each other a lot.

But it was good to be there and show support. You have to be there for your friends and focus on the good aspects of your relationships. When I was younger I always felt that I didn’t have that many reliable friends. Mostly because I didn’t really have any friends that were early childhood friends.

But I definitely have a good group of reliable friends now. It doesn’t matter that I met most of these people in college or even after that. I am good to them and they are good to me. And that’s all that matters.

My flight has been delayed by three hours. So I’m sitting here in a food court at Newark Airport waiting. I haven’t written anything in a little bit so figured this was about as good a time as any.

My two-month work contract is winding down. Monday is my last day, so I just have to tie up some loose ends and leave my team in a good position to pick up where I left off.

It looks like everything is settled for me to come back in July. I’ll have a few months off between now and then. And honestly, I am going to be pretty damn busy.

My first stop is Florida. My friend Hunter is getting married in Key West on Thursday and I’m pretty excited about it. A lot of my friends from New York will be there. It is going to be awesome to reconnect with them and hear about all they’ve been up to.

The plan is to stay in Florida for a few weeks. I will stay with my parents for the majority of that time and I’m also pretty stoked about that. I think this has been the longest we have gone without seeing each other. About 15 months at this point.

The goal is to get a car and that will be on top of my list while I’m down there. It’s going to be a pretty good initial outlay of cash. But I’m confident that this is what I want. My desire to buy the van and fix it up hasn’t diminished in the last few months. I’m still just as excited about it as I was when I came back in February.

Dad will be a great resource. I would go out and try to get the best deal if I was on my own. But I know that with Dad by my side no stone will be left unturned. We will find the best deal out there. No doubt about it.

From there the plan is to drive all the way back to Colorado. I don’t think I’ll be making many stops along the way. I might stop in a few places in Florida to see a few friends. Tobin is somewhere north of Orlando. And Meghan is back in the United States. She’s over in Panama City.

A stop in Charlotte is also possible. Tom has moved down there with his fiance and he’s really working the real estate market down there. I’d like to check out the life he is making for himself. Especially because I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to his bachelor party in May.

Erika is coming to visit me in Colorado the second week of May. It’s been years since I’ve seen her. I’m really excited to reconnect. The plan is to go out on a four of five day camping trip in the Rocky Mountains. It will be the first test for the van.

The fun doesn’t stop there. Afterwards my plan is to head back to New York. My friend Chris is having a bachelor party in the Poconos and I want to go out there to support him. Plus I can use the few days in NYC to reconnect with some people. It will be a good.

Then back to Colorado because Mom and Dad are heading out there for a few weeks. I would imagine that I would spend a good deal of this time working on the van. My plan is to get the van upgraded in installments but I would like to get the electrical system set up and a bed in there to start.

Matt, Luke’s brother, might head out towards the end of May for a week or two. So maybe I’ll be heading on another camping trip around then.

So yeah a very very very busy summer ahead for me. But I don’t mind. It’s all going to be about reconnecting with a ton of people that I haven’t seen in a while. What more can I ask for?

The last month or so has given me a taste of what I left behind. The long hours and the tight turnarounds. The stress and the unreasonable amount of coffee. And I’m confident that the decision I made a year ago was the right one. More now than ever.

Not that it’s be a bad experience. I’m happy to be making money. Ans I’m also pleased by the actual work that I’ve been doing. It feels good to be given a job and to excel at it. I feel more useful.

But having to do this type of job for years at a time is unreasonable. I’m lucky because in my work when it is busy it is very busy. They need the people. So I always have the opportunity to pick up work when tax deadline comes around.

I definitely feel more stress. Noticeably so. And I can more deeply understand how stress and being pushed away from my creative outlets affects me. Before I didn’t understand the difference as deeply. I’ve had the autonomy to choose how I use my time over the past year. And now that I don’t have that choice (at least temporarily) I can see the difference.

But it looks like this type of gig will be sustainable for at least a few years. I can come in off the bench when my help is needed and make some money. And then I can exit and live the way that I want to.

I’m so happy and so proud. This is going to be such a good deal for me. It’s just the perfect balance in my opinion. I can have the freedom a majority of the year and use my skills to make a good chunk of change in a short period of time.

Anyway, there hasn’t been much else going on out here in Colorado. I played golf once. It was unusually warm one of the weekends and Luke and I got out for a quick nine.

The rest of the time the weather has been pretty shit to be honest. It has snowed so much. We got a good storm in the beginning of March that dumped close to two feet of snow on us.

I was able to ski once as well. Joe, one of my friends from New York, came out and we went to Breckenridge for the day. It was business as usual. Sure there were signs and some precautions but a day at the mountain today isn’t much different from a day at the mountain pre-COVID.

I still don’t feel shocked or overly stressed by the masks or any of the other measures. I mean I’ve been keeping my head down and working. So I haven’t had much time to worry about it to be fair.