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ɪɴᴛʀᴏsᴘᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀsᴘᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ
5.1.17 - 5.28.17

Day 3&4 - Colorado Part 1

5/6/2017

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Overview -
Aside from the pesky invader in the early hours of day 3, the rest of Wyoming passed by quickly. I climbed a couple ridges that looked interesting but otherwise just made my way down to Boulder, CO. I had planned to simply stop by and walk around Pearl St. on my way to Lakewood to meet up with my cousin Jason and his son Ethan.
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I ended up bringing my guitar with me to sit down and strum a bit as the Pearl St. vibe was really relaxed (Like a chill combination of Minneapolis and the 16th St. mall in Denver), a lady even let me take a photo of her and her toddler! I came across a gentleman doing live painting named Josh, and asked if I could accompany his display with some tunes. I didn't accept tips so they all ended up in his Jar and we had some great conversation amidst a beautiful sunny day and friendly onlookers. Near the end another gentleman with his guitar stopped for a bit and chatted both with Josh about his art, and myself about my music. He was encouraging and friendly even to strangers; something that I strive to do and am always excited to find in others.

On my way out of town I noticed someone had this space needle looking thing in their yard. Thats how ya know it's a cool place.
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Another part of the reason I picked some of the stops on this trip is to scout places I may want to relocate to in the future (I love Minneapolis but that cold tho...). After visiting Boulder for a mere 3 hours, I decided it deserved a pretty high rating on my "Places to consider living" list.
I continued on towards Denver then arrived at my cousins place in Lakewood around 8:30pm. My car hit the 1000 mile marker for my journey as I entered his neighborhood. We had a delicious home cooked diner and a couple mile jaunt for some after dinner Dairy Queen (Dipped cones are where its at) as brilliantly proposed by Ethan. 

The next morning Jason had made plans for us to see some of the area and spend time at the Red Rocks Auditorium where I could play my guitar and enjoy nature. The Park itself was breathtaking, seeing all the ancient sand deposits turned angular red rock formations stunned me and a pack of dear that came within 15 feet of me as I stood still.
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We got to the Red Rocks auditorium. The massive formations on either side create a natural acoustics marvel that allowed me to be heard throughout the amphitheater even though I was unmiced on stage while 3 guys power washed the seats from the night before's event. My cousin grabbed some really cool photos of me playing in different areas and a couple of the people there for exercise or enjoyment (Them stairs are brutal) complimented the mini performance. One of the photos I may turn into my next business card graphic! Jason an I grabbed a hearty breakfast in Capitol City that offered some fantastic home made Banana Nut bread.
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I then headed back to Boulder to meet up with Adam who moved from the Rochester area last year. I met a couple new cool people and learned about some of the major changes in town with the construction of a Google Campus and other growth factors as the economy is expands. This also furthered my interest in the area as a potential place to live and work. After a few hours I went back and met up with my cousin at Ethan's little league baseball game and ended the evening with an episode of Black Mirror with my cousin.
Perception:
Colorado is an incredibly beautiful area that may be the first place I've visited where the photos and hype didn't actually capture how truly fantastic it is. Even though I've known and been told how beautiful and impressive the area is, I was continuously blown away by the majesty of the landscape. At first I couldn't look away. I stopped a few times to take it all in so I didn't drive so distracted. I started taking timelapse footage that I may turn into a little video. Either way, taking the time to explore Colorado should be apart of everyones travel plans at some point.
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Introspection:
As soon as I entered Colorado, the energy of the landscape shifted. I felt insignificant in comparison to the monolithic formations of the rockies yet a sense of empowerment and motivation because I knew they could be conquered and climbed and enjoyed. On the way back from Red Rock, I had a great conversation with my cousin (it's the first deeper conversation I recall ever having with him). We discussed the lessons life has to offer, and how the most important things in life are not comfortable and require effort and practice. Contrary to societal concepts, always trying to be comfortable and not pushing yourself is a surefire way to stagnate. A big thing I took away from his words was a new view on how everyone faces struggles. Even if we succeed at overcoming a challenge in life, it can (and often does) repeat because theres more than one thing to learn and the universe letting us know there is more. I've had some repetitive struggles in my life the last 8 years and these words resonated. I'm trying to move forward by thinking about what I haven't learned yet as much as thinking about what I HAVE learned. This mindset is another helpful growth promotor and may help keep humility apart of my learning process.

​Reminder to self; I do not and will not know everything, and to think otherwise is arrogant.
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Day 2 - Wind Cave National Park and Graywater Wildlife Preserve

5/3/2017

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It began as many days do, with the sun shining in my eyes, waking me up. Except this time it was through The windows of my 2003 Mazda and not my bedroom. Today's itinerary was to check out Wind Cave National Park and camp in the area, allowing myself to relax a bit. I ended up getting to Wrinkled Rock Trailhead campsite about 12:30 the night prior. The drive from Rapid City to the campsite last night was interesting. First, after about 11 PM in Rapid City, apparently most of the stoplights just flash yellow, turning hem caution signs so as to not require one to stop and wait for the light to change (very convenient). Second, the drive snaked through the mountainous terrain that surrounds Mt. Rushmore, which in the dark took some serious concentration. I've been to the 4 big heads a couple times already so I didn't add it to this trip, but I drove right by the entrance. I also had to periodically stop for deer that were just chilling in or around the road as I tried not to overuse my brakes going up and down the winding roads of the Badlands national forest.
The next morning was pretty lax, a couple with the baby had parked near me and set up their campsite. Turns out they're from Wisconsin and spending a couple days hiking and climbing the area. There was a big rock formation next to where I camped, so I spent a little time climbing. It made me feel like the video game "the climb". A few times that I had to navigate over large crevices reminded me of the guy who got his arm stuck in a boulder for three days.​​..
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Perception:
The Badlands National Forest is a beautiful area, I liked it more than I expected, and would love to go back and climb all the big rocks. When I got to the Wind Cave National Park it turned into a Prairie and the amount of wildlife surprised me. Bison, Pronghorn, and prairie dogs were scattered throughout, alongside the worlds nearly 5th largest cave system, the wind cave.
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The only natural entrance is barely big enough to fit through, and resembles a Bison head (I found alot of resemblances of things in the shadows of the cave as I point out in a couple photos in this post's gallery). Only 147 miles of the Wind Cave have been discovered so far, with potentially 100-900 miles more based on are pressure tests. However the cave so far only inhabits a square mile of land, making it the most compact cave system in the world. I took a guided tour, heard the stories about how the cave breaths and accurately predicts weather better than any new station as the cave's air current relies directly on the change in barometric pressure.
Most of the guided tour part of the cave was lit. At first this took away from the "cave" experience, but when it came to photos it actually helped incredibly.
I volunteered to be the last person in the line since I knew I would be taking my time with how much there was to take in with the 1.25 miles hike we took into the cave.
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I played some guitar on a bench outside the visitor center because the birds singing in the background was just too marvelous. I got some compliments from passing groups, then hiked the short Lookout Ridge Trail. Just over a mile hike, it offers a view that stretches out to the edge of the Badlands. As I reached the end however, a hailstorm started, so I briskly walked/jogged back to my car (See more on my Snap Story).
As I left the wind cave national Forest and noticed all the wildlife, I had a flashback to Ilex Forest in Pokémon Silver which is the only way your character could get to the next town. Since I was driving to Hot Springs, SD it felt like that was the main way to get to the town and therefore why I had that flashback. It was an odd feeling and brought me some nice nostalgia.
I drove to Hot Springs and filled up my water at their natural 87° mineral fed spring spout. Instead of staying in the area that night, I decided I had enough time to start making my way to Denver, and settled on the Grayrocks Reservoir in Wyoming as it was listed as a free camping site on freecampsites.net which is also how I found my campsite the night prior. The drive there took a little bit, but I enjoyed the view of the Wyoming even in the rain.
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The Mineral Water Analysis in Hot Spring, SD

For some reason Google maps took me through a couple ranches to get here, which were bumpy dirt roads where I drove 15 to 20 miles an hour, and occasionally I had to navigate herds of cattle... A true pioneer. When I got to the reservoir I parked right next to the water, made some dinner and a little fire, then as it started to snow, went to sleep in my air mattress cubby of a car.

Then it happened, around 3:30am...I noticed a rustling of a bag somewhere in the car. At first I thought it was underneath my mattress and just readjusted...But then it happened again, and again, until finally I realized it was happening even when I didn't move a muscle...I wasn't alone in my car. DUN DUN DUN!

I quickly grabbed my flashlight and looked around. out of the corner of my eye I saw movement. I Iooked but saw nothing...so I waited, and sure enough, a field mouse scampered into view on my passenger seat, 2 feet away from my face. The whites of its beady little eyes caused a fury of rage as I realized I would have to get up and out of my warm cacoon...the worst...

I spent 20 minutes reorganizing the front seats with no mouse to be seen. I hoped he had jumped out (Also how I hoped he had got in). Then after crawling back into my sleeping bag within a few minutes it happened again. I looked up towards the shifter, and eventually the mouse ran back down through the passenger footwell up towards where the foot air vents were...that sneaky bastard...(Honestly taking my shoes ona nd off annoyed me the most)

I spent another 15-20 minutes stuffing paper towels in the various places I thought the mouse could come into the vehicle from. Then finally settled back down into bed close to 5am, over an hour of sleep lost as the sky was beginning to lighten,

Lesson: When you invade someones home, they may try to invade yours.


Introspection:
I love exploring. I did this growing up, usually through my experiences with Boy Scouts. But climbing the rock formation this morning made me feel alive. After, as I was driving, I stopped at a lookout and took a picture. An Asian gentleman in a Volkswagen going the opposite direction stopped as well and we exchanged brief introductions. Then he was also on the guided tour of the wind caves a couple hours later. This made me ponder about coincidences and what brings people together at different points in life, making me also consider the people I am interacting with now and what significance they will hold in my future.
The biggest thing I noticed today inside of myself, was that while exploring the cave (although a part of a guided tour) I felt free. Like exploring an unknown land with no preconceived notions or boxes to get stuck in. Hearing the stories of how they discovered it, seeing the beautiful corrugated cardboard looking boxwork deposits (which can't be found anywhere else in that number as they're as fragile as a potato chip), and being hundreds of feet under the earths surface seriously peaked my interest. 
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Box Work Formations of Wind Cave

I began asking a lot of questions about how they discover new things and the process of getting involved with those groups. It requires some certification, and then your resume of cave exploring gets reviewed to see if you're capable of navigating it yourself. I decided I'm going to do some research when I return about finding local chapters of the National speleological Society for cave discovery and exploration. During the summer there's a spelunking tour you can do of the wind Cave, and I may just have to return in the future to do so. Jack of all trades, master of none…

Lastly, because climbing above and below ground made me feel so free, I realized what's been happening with the mindset of my career and creativity the last few years as I was driving to my next destination. I've been following a standard career path which has led me to think in the lines of the picture that society wants us to color in. I used to thrive on coloring outside the lines (being homeschooled I think helped in that regards), thinking outside the box, not being restrained creatively...not that I can't come up with a good idea every now and then, but I definitely feel like I've developed too much association with these boxes. I need to start approaching my career and life mentality again from an "outside of the box" method, because I think that's why I've been having difficulty with my creative side the last few years. "

Out of the box, out of the box!"...


... for those who love the cardboard world created by the Nick Jr. show "Out of The Box"...
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Day 1 - Intro / Black Hills National Forest

5/1/2017

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Introduction

I've been planning this trip for about 4 months. It started when my position as a 3rd party marketing trainer and rep ended abruptly (though not unexpectedly). I had to make a decision at a point in my life where I wasn't interested in being decisive; continue following a career path, my "American Dream" where income and stability was my focus, or use some of the resources I'd gathered and live a little. After interviewing and declining some mid level management jobs, I jumped into the later. I asked myself, "If I didn't have to worry about a dollar, what would I do right now?"

The Answer was traveling.

Now since Dollars do matter and budgets are a thing, I decided to make a road trip apart of my near future, one that I could meet friends along the way, and end up visiting some really cool places in nature where I could relax, draw inspiration for my music and creativity, and preferably end up somewhere warm! The route took the form of driving to California, to a hot springs and permaculture farm I had visited a couple years back, while camping at as many national parks and forests as I can fit. 
The RoadTrippers app made planning routes super easy and GasBuddy lets me know i'm getting the best deal on fuel.
The goal of this odessy is mostly to explore the country, see new things, connect with nature, and glean any relevance to my journey in life as many travelers do. The other big reason is to force myself to relax, which I am terrible at. If I'm not keeping busy and feeling productive, I find every possible way to achieve that. So I figured at least this way I would likely accomplish creative goals and personal growth rather than career and hobby based distractions.
Kernville Trip on Roadtrippers
Thanks to multiple people suggesting I journal this roadtrip in someway, ​I am making this blog (which is a first for me) and already enjoying it! I almost considered not doing this (since my grammar isn't quite spot on and knowing when I'll have internet connection varies). But one of my musical soulmates, Michael Loukes, told me I NEEDED to at least journal the things I noticed both outside and inside of me as I could look back years down the road and likely cherish it. So now i'm taking the time to do so along with the potential assistance in personal growth as "writing your thoughts" can typically accomplish. So Im calling this the Introspection Perception blog and making a goal to record my inner and outer observations.

So here it goes...

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Day 1 - South Dakota / Black Hills National Forest

Today is one of the longer distances on my itinerary, Rapid City and Beyond. I got in the car around 1pm and will remain driving till until 12:30 pm or so. I took my Chiropractors advice of drinking lots of water to not only stay hydrated but also to force myself to stop every couple hours to stretch the body (I hung my camelback off the headrest of my drivers seat for easy access, it totally worked!). I had a 3 hour late start because I realized it would be the last time I slept in my own bed for a month and I hand't seen one of my best friends (My roommate Andrea) in a couple weeks due to our busy schedules. We spent a little time catching up over our breakie of cham chams. It is a great boost to any day when coffee and funny conversation fill your morning.

Perception:
South Dakota as we all know is very flat, but there is a beauty to this. Seeing long distances into the horizon produced an effect I found calming, and made for some great sunset photos as I chased the sunset (Which I got to watch for about 2 1/2 hours). I also realized how easy it is to convert old semi trailers into simple billboards as many people along I-90 have done.
As I've noticed plenty of times in the past, driving into headwinds destroys fuel economy, so I'm a little bummed that the weather wasn't as pleasant as I was hoping (About half way through it mostly cleared up though the wind was still there). I'm getting about 21-23 mpg going 67-70 mph (10mph below speed limit because 80 honest makes me uncomfortable after totaling my pickup earlier this year) when my car usually gets 29-31 highway so that's already adding up in gas costs.
I took a bunch of photos as the sun started to set (Caught a couple rainbows on my snapstory). At first I stopped to take photos, then I managed to photograph and drive which probably isn't safe or legal but hey, Im an artist, it's my process ;) (Though it made my detail focus in the photos crap). As cool as i think they are, nature and sunset photos have been done to death, but i'll post my favorites here. They're unedited so be gentle with the critique!
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Introspection:
I know I will get lonely on this trip. Part of that is intentional, but also so I can prevent distractions while I consider a lot of things in my life in terms of how I want to approach the next 5-10 years. I've already felt the pull of social pressure to succeed and make money, as well as increasingly noted how money doesn't bring personal satisfaction or happiness past affording basic living. Being a perfectionist who loves music, business, and being a jack of all trades, this leaves me with a huge list of wants and desires out of life. Most of these are not possible to pursue to their full extent if I commit to a traditional career that exchanges time and stress for a salary. I love working when I'm challenged, but I don't want to be defined by work more than I am defined by my personal interests (all about that give and take). So I am sorting out how to balance these in terms of time and effort so that I can succeed in creating financial security without sacrificing so much that my music and other passions are not followed to their potential.

As I write this, I am parked in a Qdoba parking lot after hours using their free wifi, I have a feeling I will become a free wifi finding master as this month progresses. its 11:05 and I have about 45 minutes to drive to my campsite where I plan on unleashing my twin air mattress and blankets for warmth and comfort! I don't know If i'll get a chance to put entries in every day (And this is likely the largest) but every couple days you should hear from me as it will also help me edit my photos. If I suddenly stop posting, I may have died, but It will probably have been a really cool way to die!

Im curious as too peoples thoughts on my format and approach so far. So a comment would be cool, especially if you've blogged (or read a lot of blogs) and have any suggestions. I'd say for my first this ain't half bad for sitting for an hour cramped in a car typing on my computer while I carefully watch slow moving cars hoping no body robs me in Rapid City's Qdoba parking lot...
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    From May 1, 2017 until May 30th I plan on traveling to the west coast by way of my 2003 Mazda protege5 hatchback, camping, meeting new people, and seeing friends along the way

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