We are now on DAY 36 of our epic road trip...not everything has gone according to plan, but everything has been amazing! I had grand plans of updating the blog more frequently, but that hasn't quite worked out. However, I have been keeping my Instagram pretty well updated, so if you're interested, check it out!The caravan situation: We're still TOTALLY comfortable and happy... actually, surprisingly so. Our caravan is only 24 feet, so I was prepping myself to feel cramped or easily irritated or claustrophobic, but it's felt more and more like home every day, and I still feel like we have more than enough space. We are comfortable, warm, cozy, and happy!
Mechanically, everything is pretty much 100% - yay! We've had some minor issues with the alternator not fully charging the main engine battery, but it seems to be due to a loose wire or something and thankfully Zach knows what he's doing and was able to rig something up and make it work until we reached my parents' house in San Luis Obispo. Then he took the whole thing apart, fixed everything, put it back together, and now we're good to go! So thankful to be with someone who understands engines.. plus, the cool part is that you can fix the engine from the INSIDE... sweet, huh?
The food situation: Everyone asks what we've been doing for food, especially the friends who know I've been in nutrition school for the last year or so. For so many people (and for me in a past life), road trips = fast food and drive-thrus, but thankfully we have a tiny kitchen that is surprisingly decent, and we've had tons of fun cooking! Eating well on the road has been no problem at all. The hardest part about eating intentionally has been something that I wouldn't have expected: friends! Haha. We have LOVED seeing all of our friends along the way and having a chance to hang out ... when we get into town in a new place, we obviously want to go hang out and celebrate with our lovely friends and so we've ended up eating out and drinking more than we are used to. No complaints here (but I may or may have not gained like 12 pounds in the last month, haha)! I'm tempted to blame this on a certain buddy in LA who pretty much forced cheese and champagne on me on a daily basis.... you know who you are :)
Initially, I was worried that I'd be lonely on this trip. Although I'm a huge introvert, I love having loved ones nearby, and I was worried I'd feel like I was missing out socially. However, the opposite has happened. I forget how many wonderful friends we have along the way, and we've been super busy! This has been one of the more social periods of my life and I'm loving it.
These are some shots from our first few stops, in Shiprock NM and then on towards Flagstaff and Sedona... both of which we loved! I miss the desert so much sometimes.
Four Corners (NM, CO, UT, AZ):
Making lunch in Shiprock:
Our good buddy Caleb insisted we head to Antelope Canyon... what a gorgeous place! I'm so glad we went :) Although it's clear I'm no landscape photographer, it's the most amazing place!
I feel like, with images of Antelope Canyon, a lot gets lost. Everyone's so focused on the stunning reds and purples and oranges that it's easy to lose a sense of scale. This tiny canyon is HUGE, and makes you feel so small :
Then on to Horseshoe Bend at the Grand Canyon:
While hanging out in Sedona, we met some awesome characters, including this kind, hilarious guy who has biked something like 50,000 miles with his dog. Let me emphasize: BIKED. WITH. his DOG. Not kidding:
Hope you guys are all doing well :)