<![CDATA[ⒶⓈⓅⒾⓇⒺⒹ ⒸⓇⒺⒶⓉⒾⓋⒺ ⓈⒺⓇⓋⒾⒸⒺⓈ - Road Trip Blog]]>Thu, 27 Jun 2024 02:01:41 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[5/26-5/28: The Tale of a Tail-less Cat and A Journey's End]]>Thu, 29 Jun 2017 01:12:16 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/526-528-the-tale-of-a-tail-less-cat-and-a-journeys-endI am going to finish recounting my trip with this post, so it may be a little longer than others.

I was making my way across Colorado for the 2nd time, enjoying it just as much. Mentally cementing that this is an area I would like to reside in for a least a small period of my life sometime down the road. I took a different highway though found the drive not as exciting visually as the interstate. Making it into Denver around 8pm I headed to downtown Denver with my cousin Jason for some Sushi and a stroll around 16th Street Mall. The last time I had visited the mall was during a Best Buy leadership training a couple years ago. I had been instructed in training to “meet at least 3 new people and start a conversation” as a way to practice interactions with strangers. I ended up saying hello to a woman on the 16th st. bus who looked very artsy and unique, my type of people!
Her name was Jazz and she lived nearby in Aurora though grew up in Greece. She wasn’t very interested in talking to a happy go lucky stranger so the conversation waned after that, however it inspired me to write a song that my music buddy Michael Loukes and I will be performing as apart of our set at Art Blitz in Rochester, MN this August 26th!
This time I didn’t meet any music inspiring people as it was too early for the night crowd and too late for the afternoon crowd so the 16th street mall was a ghost town. Jason informed me that shortly after I had spent time with him a couple weeks ago, a huge storm with hail the size of golf balls caused billions of dollars of damage in the Denver area including totaling his car. Aside from some impressive dents, his windshield cracked though didn't shatter. This was actually a lucky break as glass repair shops were quoting weeks out due the spike in broken windshields.
We ended up making it an early night since Jason had planned something for the next morning. I took a much-needed shower and slept well, waking up bright and early to hike the Flat Irons! It was a great hike and offered some fun climbing. A couple climbing groups were there doing some serious bouldering near boulder (hehe). We could see one guy climbing the rock face all the way from the base.
We both enjoyed the intensity of the hike and made good time. The public outhouse near the base of mountains blew my mind when I discovered it had Two-Ply toilet paper with cushioning! That’s the FIRST time in my life I have been given the luxury of two-ply from a publicly funded facility. “Only in Boulder” I thought. We grabbed lunch from an Indian joint and I left for Kansas City shortly after.
​The drive to through Kansas was…boring. When I entered the destination into my GPS from Denver it said to follow the interstate for 540 miles…so I just turned it off. It really was just a flat highway I drove on for 8 hours. I was able to finish and audio book and began writing a song about my all night experience in the desert. Other than that it was completely uneventful, and half way through it started getting dark. 
After the sun set I noticed hundreds of flashing red lights that were not equally spaced and briefly thought I might have been hallucinating again until I realized it was a field of windmills in the dark. I arrived late at my friends Madi and Alva’s apartment in KC but they are night owls so It worked out. I slept on an air mattress that didn’t like to retain air as much as others, and woke up with the air mattress more or less acting as a blanket I could wrap around myself. 
My hosts had breakfast ready to go and I joined Alva for a trip to BassPro as I’ve never been to one and he had to return a firearm that between inaccurate pricing and incorrect serial numbers had been through quite the ordeal. Regardless of the reason for the visit, the store itself had incredibly intricate wildlife displays, both taxidermy and live! A huge fish tank held thousands of gallons and tons of different fish alongside hundreds of stuff game from quail to buffalo to everything in-between. It was like visiting a museum while you shop.
With the remainder of my day I visited the Nelson-Atkins free art museum and I was a bit blown away by the selection of a free museum! It reminded me of some of the exhibits I was able to see in NYC back in 2014. I spent most of the rainy afternoon there and was especially taken in by the photo and French impressionism pieces. 
Prichard Learoyd had a photo gallery that beautifully used depth of focus to create points of attention on the human form against very simple backgrounds, and I was able to identify how he accomplished it based on the technical photography skills I’ve been honing! Monet’s masterpieces have always captured my heart and soul. A couple oh his works made a strong “impression” and I spent 5+ minutes simply admiring the character of the brushstrokes and the power of the mixture of colors.
Afterwards I drove downtown to visit Union Station and see downtown however the rain was off and on down pouring and I was only able to see it from inside my car but I grabbed a few photos. I went back to my friends apartment and Madi got done with her shift so we headed to see Alva at his work before grabbing some dinner and heading to the Crane Brewery for a tour and some local sour beer, yum!
There was a tail-less cat that keeps the storage areas free of unwanted visitors and it mostly jumped along the barrel aging brews as we walked throughout the backrooms. After the tour we returned to the apartment, shared some pizza, and had discussions and drinks into the night.
The next morning was a sad one; it was the last day of my trip. I had originally planned on visiting a couple people in Iowa on my way back up to Minnesota, however my schedule had been pushed back a day and I no longer had time. I ate lunch with another friend/coworker named Bethany in downtown Kansas City before starting the 6-hour drive back up to Rochester, MN. It hadn’t hit me until a couple days before that I would actually be returning home. And this last jaunt across Iowa (which was still more interesting than Kansas, it had slight hills with windmills!) gave me plenty of time to reflect on all that had happened over the last month.
This trip did a few great things for me. First, it gave me a renewed perspective on my life as a whole. Nothing I didn’t already know, but simply an awareness of where I tend to put my focuses and efforts and the results. Second, it refreshed my love for people, travel, and nature. It was like seeing the movie for a book I had already read; I was reassured that life is a series of experiences that help us grow and . I felt as though I had lived more in the last month than I had in years in terms of new memories and adventures. I was forced to look for people to meet and things to do instead of relying on my routines. On top of it all I stayed under my $2,000 budget mark ($1400 was on gas), and traveled just over 5300 miles!
This trip did a few great things for me. First, it gave me a renewed perspective on my life as a whole. Nothing I didn’t already know, but simply an awareness of where I tend to put my focuses and efforts and the results. Second, it refreshed my love for people, travel, and nature. It was like seeing the movie for a book I had already read; I was reassured that life is a series of experiences that help us grow and . I felt as though I had lived more in the last month than I had in years in terms of new memories and adventures. I was forced to look for people to meet and things to do instead of relying on my routines. 
I plan to continue traveling, pursuing photography, and cataloging my experiences with this blog. Currently I am finishing a trip with my sister to the North West part of our country and will be in Canada next month. I hope to travel to the East side of the country next year and return to places from this trip that I want to explore further (especially Zion and Yosemite).
 
Thanks for reading, I hope I made it an enjoyable recounting of my adventures while providing vicarious and informative stories =)
 
Until next we meet again.
 
- Nathaniel DeBoer
]]><![CDATA[5/23-5/24: A Canyon that's Grand and a Decade long Friend I'd Never Met]]>Tue, 20 Jun 2017 22:16:53 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/523-524-a-canyon-thats-grand-and-a-decade-long-friend-id-never-metI left Page, UT around 1pm after my quick nap. I made my way down to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Crossing back over the Glen Dam and the Navajo Bridge gave me a strange sense of nostalgia as I reminisced over the last 24 hours. Along the way to the South Rim I stopped at Coal Mine Canyon on a Navajo reservation. I was making my way to the 2nd lookout to obtain the best view, and I began to hear a distant yet distinct buzzing sound. Thinking it was flies I dismissed it.
I got within 50ft of the sign describing the 2nd lookout when some friendly perimeter guard wasps decided to check me out. I don’t like bees. Never have. So I promptly turned around and combination ran/hopped away as I was escorted for a couple hundred feet by the insect security force.
Walking back towards the first outlook over the canyon, I felt a powerful urge to see the canyon from the closer viewpoint (the grass is always greener afterall)…so I scaled down the side of the path about 15 feet and scurried (in sandals) amidst sand, cacti, and ledges until I reached the 2nd lookout but from a lower vantage point. The shot wasn’t quite as exciting as I was hoping, but the adventure was worth it. 
I did decide to climb up near the sign where all the buzzing seemed to have been coming from and peaked my head up. The bees didn’t notice me only 10 ft. away but there was a swarm of at least 100 bees flying around what I’m assuming was a pretty big hive.
I hiked back to my car and continued towards the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, finally arriving around 5pm, I decided I was exhausted and napped for another 45 minutes. After eating a quick instant meal I started exploring the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The lookouts were iconic and impressive, the view is incredible in it's sense of scale and grandeur because you’re literally looking across vast distances. What seem like the closest opposing cliff faces are actually 8 miles away!
Since I only had a half a day at the Grand Canyon, I could only experience a tiny fraction of the park and decided I would stay and see how well the night sky appeared after having such a fantastic view the night prior. I visited 5 of the closest lookouts and decided on a spot for taking night photos that required I climb 30ft down to. As the Sun began to lower in the sky, I climbed down, setup my camera gear, and ate a large snack. I could see everyone else gathered up atop the railings of the lookout to watch the sunset all glance at me periodically as I sat perched atop my chosen rock ledge. I realized that everyone was looking at me and I was completely comfortable with it, in fact I enjoyed being the person who took a different path to accomplish their goals enough to attract others attention. In the end it’s doing what you do with conviction and confidence that makes you appear to be either accomplished or possibly crazy.
​The sunset and people soon were gone. I continued to take photos however the blue haze (Created by moisture in the air over the vast distance between the canyons) distorted a lot of my photos (I should have brought a polarizer, ended up having to finesse it out in post). Eventually the stars came out, though not nearly as impressive as the night before; only a hint of the milky way could be seen. I was getting a bit chilly since my perch was quite breezy, so I climbed back up to the lookout to continue taking photos around 10pm. As I made my way up I noticed a couple lying on the ground staring at the sky. We greeted each other and I made a couple friends for the night. 
Imran and Traci are traveling glass sellers for smoke shops across the country. We shared stories of travels and life experiences for over an hour. It was another great moment of connecting with new people. Imran told me of the best beef jerky in America located in New Mexico at the 269 exit off of I-10, and they both recounted stories of their favorite natural landscape, the Appalachian mountains (which are on my list to visit in the next few years). 
They shared some croissants and chatted as night sky darkened until I exhaustion began consuming me.
​I got in my car and looked up where to camp for the evening. I figured I could probably just fall asleep in my car, but I had plans to meet up with a good friend early in the afternoon in Durango, CO so I wanted to make some headway. I drove into the night not feeling as tired as I expected…I knew something was off when the white lines in the middle of the road began taking the shape of a deer or rabbit every now and then causing me to slow down until realizing I was seeing things due to exhaustion.
At first I thought it was the dark playing tricks on my eyes as I swore I was coming up on a slow truck trailer's red taillights, only to find it was a bridge with reflective markers. There was mist from time to time  made me feel like I was driving through narrow mountain passes only to realize I was on as flat desert terrain. It really dawned on me when I thought giant dark legs were descending from the sky and landing on either side of the road; my eyes were deceiving me. Normally I know I'm getting too tired because I can’t keep my eyes open or I feel my body produce melatonin, oddly neither of that happened so it took me off guard.
As soon as I realized the exhaustion for what it was I found a free campsite down the desert road in the next town I could (it took a bit of focus to maintain reality in the dark). The most notable visions of the night were a green dragon curled up in the middle of the road and a headless backwards-dancing turkey…my brain is quite creative regardless of 
The so-called campsite turned out to be a parking lot for a trucking company; it felt sketchy so I kept driving. Within a few minutes I decided it was unsafe to continue in my condition so I parked outside a dental office and passed into the realm of deep sleep around 1:30am.
I awoke around 6:30 feeling much better, but my teeth felt disgusting. I did a quick brush and spit and was on my way to Durango to meet up with my friend Bri who I'd never seen in person before. I met Bri online in high school back when YouTube was a social media platform. We conversed for years over Yahoo and MSN messenger but never had a chance to meet in person because she lives in New Mexico. When I started this trip I sent her a snap and we snapped back and fourth until we realized I would be passing by her neck of the woods later that month. It ended up working out for us to meet up and check out Mesa Verde National Park.
I passed through more beautiful terrain and right by Ship rock (didn’t have time to stop this trip), I met up with Bri and we carpooled to Mesa Verde. It was like seeing an old friend from high school that I used to hang out with even though I had never physically been around her.
Mesa Verde was interesting. It has a number of cliff dwellings that are rich with history. There are lots of little sites of agricultural and religious centers we could walk through, however most of the actual cliff dwellings require guided tours. The larger of the 2 self guided cliff dwellings, which I had seen when researching and was excited to check out, was closed until further notice. Unfortunately the rock face overhanging the dwellings is starting to fall again, it has been repaired a few times in the past but now a major overhaul was happening and would likely keep the ruins closed for years. We checked out the smaller one which required a short intense elevation change. 
I was a bit disappointed with how many full dwelling we were able to see, but still had a great time with Bri catching up and checking out the smaller ruins and sites. The park as a whole was not nearly as exciting as other parks I’ve visited on this trip but I still enjoyed the history and taking a moment to think about life during a different era of our world.
​We got done earlier than expected and I hadn't found a place to camp that night so she offered me her couch! We drove back to her car in Durango and then back to her place near Farmington, NM. I got to meet her family and her awesome pets. One of them is a Bull Python named, and I enjoyed hanging out with him way more than I expected! I ended up playing with the snake every chance I got and realized that I really enjoy reptiles as pets. First there’s no fur so my allergies don’t affect me, and second they are far less needy than pets I’ve had in the past. I’m thinking I’ll get a snake in the near future.
I met her family who showed tons of old photos of each other, a couple of which I remember seeing when I was 13. We played some video games, hung out, and watched Odd Thomas (I vaguely remember parts of it from breaks at work and thoroughly enjoyed seeing it in its entirety). Bri made me a hearty and delicious rack of pork ribs. After living off of nuts, meal bars, and instant meals the last few weeks it was a great dietary break. I slept soundly, said goodbye to her and her snake the next morning, and headed back on my way home.
The next morning I began my route to Kansas city which swung me back up through Colorado to spend another night with my cousin Jason. The drive was peaceful, a little rainy, but otherwise fun as it winded around all the mountains.
]]><![CDATA[5/22 - Spending a Night in the Desert with a Stranger for an Impromptu Photo Op While in an Alternative State of Mind.]]>Sat, 17 Jun 2017 01:40:45 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/522-spending-a-night-in-the-desert-with-a-stranger-for-an-impromptu-photo-op-while-in-an-alternative-state-of-mind11am
I left the phoenix area around 11am saying goodbye to Troy, Katrina, Anne, and Mya. I was still a bit drained from the prior day’s jaunt up Echo Canyon in the 100-degree heat, so my goal was to reach the Grand Canyon and take some night photography without too much exertion.
​
12pm-3:30pm
The landscape starting shifting around Flagstaff from the flat desert to the beautifully carved canyons and colorful rocks I had witnessed near Zion. I only missed one turn off!

​Around 3:30 my legs were in need of a breather and I was coming up upon the Navajo Bridge. I stopped and walked across the pedestrian bridge 467ft. above the raging Colorado River, taking photos of the quickly rising elevation and landscapes. 
I noticed a few people with some nice 500mm lenses pointed towards part of the cliff face and saw a rare endangered condor nested there. A then saw a fellow solo traveler and photographer also taking in the sights. I was simply looking for hiking and/or photo spot recommendations so I said “Hi.”…and that one friendly outward interaction opened the door to the following 16-hour encounter that felt like another world.
​
As a preamble, this night was by far the most positive, creatively interesting night that I’ve spent with someone I’ve never met before. I decided to trust them for no other reason than to let life guide the way and maybe glean some food for thought.
​
​The traveler’s name is Talor (Taylor without the "Y"), and she hails from Vermont. A former OCIS officer of the Air force (think NCIS and Law & Order SVU combined), she is now a veteran and a manager of social media influencers. Alongside being a fantastic photographer, Talor is preparing to begin her PHD study of neo-liberal economic trends impacting third world economies (the stuff I dig a lot in economics and business). Atop of all of this, 2 months ago, her husband’s years of infidelities were revealed to her through extortion efforts by one of his multiple lovers. This prompted her to take a spur of the moment 5-month cross-country trek across the United States. 
Her stories were unique, quirky, and unbelievable at times. I told her that she needed to write a book, which she is already planning to do. She showed me an excerpt and her writing had me hooked after only half a page. From her first memories (drowning at the age of 4), to the intense recounting of assault and discrimination in the military, to backpacking across Switzerland to have the her recently deceased mother's cremated remains forged into a diamond…her life has held the highs and lows comparable to that of Greek tragedies.
I learned these pieces of her life throughout the remainder of that day and the following morning. And now I will recount the 16-hour encounter that followed this happenstance of adventure.
​
4:00pm (Hour 1)
The encounter began as an offer to hike down to the Colorado River to ascertain some sand for her collection (she puts them in labeled bottles as a record of her travels). It was more of a carpooled drive than a hike, but we made good conversation and I happened to have a sharpie to help her label her samples. She made comments about meeting so many new people on this trip and loving to let life have the reigns. 
​
6:00pm (Hour 2)
As we headed back to my car parked at the bridge, we discussed more of where we had traveled so far on our journeys. She had been traveling the opposite direction as I had, so she was headed for some of my stops as she continued north towards Canada.
She was lucky enough to witness a blood moon at the White Sands Monument in New Mexico. She passingly mentioned how she really would have liked to trip while the red moon soaked into the glittering sands, but doing so alone in a desert isn’t a smart idea or as fun without someone else. I said that would be a great experience to share with someone. We laughed about at first, then decided that’s what we we’re going to do; Alter our minds in the desert with a stranger while taking photos. We hopped in our cars and headed north as we knew that was where we both were originally headed, we decided we would figure out a plan for that evening along the way.
​
8:00pm (Hour 4)
She got a recommendation to camp on Lake Powell from the couch surfer host she was originally going to stay with. After an hour of driving north we reached the Page canyons. We stopped at a couple overlooks and spent some time at the iconic horseshoe bend to take photos. Horseshoe bend was fairly busy for a Monday, and I was asked to take photos by multiple groups (I felt like I took more pictures for other people than myself).
Talor had paid for a tour of  the Rainbow Arch scheduled for the following day (hence the reason she was headed to Page), so we passed the area she would be departing from and stopped at the Glen Canyon Dam. As the 4th tallest dam in the U.S. it has an interesting history; it essentially created a reservoir that turned Page from a dusty canyon land into a tourist Oasis.
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10:00pm (Hour 6)
We made it to the national park camping area as the sunset offered it’s last breath of color. We found a spot on the beach between the rows of RV’s for our blankets, cameras, and snacks. The sunset faded and we realized the new moon gave us an incredible view of the Milky Way, which neither of us had seen in person before due to light pollution where we lived. At first we wondered why the sky looked a little like it had a fabric sheen, then after realizing what it was, the Milky Way without the moon blew our minds. By then the “effects” had started to kick in as we swapped life stories that mostly dissolved into puddles of giggles. 
The photographs we took were amazing, especially when our altered states actually made the stars dance and trail visually in the sky and also on our camera screens. We nerded out over passionate technical and academic topics as the night continued (her undergrad was sociology, part of mine in psychology). We grabbed more blankets and relocated my vehicle closer, continuing to share our pasts, as we both are open and talkative people. 
​
12:00am (Hour 8)
She mentioned she only has 6 CDs in her car to listen to on her 5-month journey (as she left without much preparation), and began listing them off. One artists she prefaced as “someone I likely hadn’t heard before”. It was Damian Rice. He’s one of the artists I discovered during a low point in my life and helped me through it. I've  been in love with his raw acoustic music and the incredibe power of his emotional voice.
I had to laugh at her mention of him and got up to grab my guitar. I proceeded to play 9 Crimes and Blower’s Daughter on my acoustic guitar. Trying to whisper sing as quietly as possible in order to not disturb the people around us in the near pitch black while in a non-sober state of mind was more difficult than I anticipated, but fun none the less.
​
1:00am (Hour 9)
Eventually the cold got to us, and since we had essentially been taking the same photo over and over for an hour (albeit a beautiful photo), we decided that our energy would be better spent preparing our sleeping arrangements. After we cleared everything of sand (I hate sand, except my feet, my feet love sand, especially that night), I set up the blow up mattress in the back of my car. 
​It required some serious reorganization efforts (Since I’ve been slacking in putting everything back after waking up), but soon we were looking up out of my moon roof at the amazing night sky. The covers and platonic cuddling retained our heat as the cool desert breeze brushed over our faces.
We continued to exchange stories. I learned about her article 15 administrative reprimand in the air force (Preventing her from ever receiving another promotion). Because she come forward with a group of women about being assaulted by a male officer and he denied it, her military career had ended. Sadly he didn’t stop those actions towards women and was shot and killed while assaulting another woman years later in self-defense…a sort of satisfying vindication for Talor after being denied justice so harshly. 
We discovered that both of us experience Synthesesia; a condition where sound triggers additional senses, in our case it takes the form of light across our visual field. That was the first time encountering someone else with this condition. Her Synthesesia manifests as angular and sharp images in relation to any jolting or continuous sound (like a water drip or a door being slammed) making it hard to ignore, whereas mine are fuzzy like visual static and I can usually ignore it.
2:00am (Hour 10)
Our conversations continued, and around 2am, bright headlights swept across the lakeside and blinded our eyes. A couple pick-up trucks were off-roading up the side of the canyon about a ½ mile from the campsite. At first we were confused and couldn’t believe people were being so rude as their high beams and engine revving were very prominent in the otherwise quiet night scene. They did this on and off, cresting the canyon ridge for over an hour, it got really annoying. 
3:00am (Hour 11)
Around 3am we both realized that the Milky Way had shifted its latitude and was perpendicular with the night sky instead of across it. I looked at Talor and said that we needed to take photos of our silhouettes against such a majestic show of nature’s grandeur. At first the idea of leaving the warm enclosure was not appealing, but eventually our creative energy encouraged us. We got out, shedding layers for figures’ sake, and held statuesque forms for 25-second exposures while standing atop her car. With the Milky Way as our backdrop, the photos turned out to be my favorite shots of the whole evening. Though the color depth on her Fuji 10TX camera surpassed what my T3i’s image sensor could produce. Photo Cred to Taylor Stone, her camera caught the shots and she set the initial one up.
We took turns pressing the shutter button and counting down the excruciating seconds as we watched each other hold poses balanced atop a brisk Honda Civic (It surprisingly felt longer behind the camera than atop the car). After about 10 of these night shots we called it good and were back within the comfort of my protégé around 3:30 am as the rude off-roaders finally left.
​
4:00am (Hour 12)
We continued to chat and laughed at the whole situation of spending an evening with a complete stranger in the desert and the trust we put into life to guide the way (I’m sure she could have kicked my ass with her military background). The happenstance of seeing someone on a bridge, choosing to say hello, and the metamorphosis into a night of enjoying each other’s company and nature was so coincidental it seemed ironic. 
She used the word serendipitous when describing the whole situation, as her grandpa Pat Patterson had a sailboat by that same name. Serendipity is one of my favorite words along with “sonder”. I hadn’t heard another person use that word in conversation before and I have been keeping that word in my head for writing a song someday…It may be a sign that Its ready to be used... 
One of the last notable conversations we had involved laughing over how I would try to describe this night to anyone else. Being a romantic at heart, “of course I would find a chick who I didn’t sleep with but still managed to spend a night in the desert with under the milky way taking photos, nerding out, and cuddling on a blow up mattress in the back of a hatchback.” Our mind altering had peaked around midnight so we were descending the stairs of overstimulation. Our conversation waned and we peacefully passed out around 4:30am for maybe 30 minutes of sleep.
5:00am (Hour 13)
I awoke with my left arm feeling like it was in 3 places at once (that was my honest first thought, that it was physically in 3 different places). A quick survey of my surroundings showed the sun was rising. At the same time, the moon was also waning above the same horizon as the sunrise (The serendipity continues). It was another magnificent showcase of the desert sky performing a dance of colors across the atmosphere. 
We realized our bodies were in serious need of sustenance and that we should probably take a photo of the sunrise (hanging out with a fellow photographer is dangerous for slacking off in these parts of the country). So we got ready to face the chilly desert morning, packed up our cars, and headed for the entrance to grab a few photos on our way out.
6:00am (Hour 14)
After snapping a few pictures, we located a Denny’s nearby in Page offering 24/7 greasy food to please our stomachs and we departed the camping ground. We got there around 6:30am and ordered huge breakfast portions. Soon after we began to feast, our bodies quickly realized we were eating food with less than ideal nutritional value (junk food) and neither of us finished our plates as we felt like we may explode. Taylor’s car had thrown a check engine code when we left Lake Powell so we waited for an auto parts store to open to have the code read. The engine light was simply a delayed response from an oxygen sensor and I had some spare Seaform in my car to clean the lines.
8:00am (Hour 16 - The Final Hour)
Shortly after 8am our journey concluded. Talor had to find a way to sleep enough to go on her all day hike to Rainbow Arch and I needed to get the Grand Canyon portion of my trip underway. We exchanged multiple forms of contact info and both left knowing we would remain a special type of acquaintance in each other’s memories. That serendipitous encounter added to a small chapter to my journey and I’m happy that it all happened the way it did.
All in all, I learned something valuable on this trip, and meeting Talor only solidified it. As she put it, "Kindness is a universal trait. When given a chance, most people choose to be kind." Her life has held numerous moments when things have fallen apart and her mind has been plagued with the words “but I’m a good person, why is this happening to me?”. Hearing this broke my heart because I could sense the same desperation for closure I’ve felt in my past. 
​Talor has a story the likes of which I haven’t encountered even in the media I consume. Game of Thrones is about the only thing that has thrown me for that much of a spin. Her story however, being genuine, hit my empathy like a wrecking ball…though the evening’s choice of recreational activity impacted that as well.
What inspired me the most about this stranger, is that through it all, she has remained positive, logical, and willing to show compassion and kindness to those around her (even her now ex-husband). These are the same values I personally strive to show the world everyday. It’s not often that I meet people with a similar passion for that disposition…like a distant flame in the night shining brightly for all those looking for it to help guide them along the way...
After we said our goodbyes, I returned to Denny’s for another few hours as my body, soul, and mental capacity replenished thanks to the free coffee refills (I was able to show my receipt and continue to receive refills from my earlier breakfast, I gave the first server and then the 2nd who replaced her a nice tip for my being there). I probably consumed 2 pots of coffee.

While in Denny's I wrote down most of the outline for this blog post, finished my post about Zion, and edited a bunch of photos. All the while I considered the encounter of coincidences I had just undertaken and recognized that it was a highlight for my trip in the sense of living life in a new way. It was simply and wonderfully platonic. Taylor and I coming together as travelers sharing our stories and exchanging life in a way I’ve never experienced before with a stranger. By the end I sensed an almost familial bond similar to what I share with my sister and close friends in life. This incredibly refreshing moment is one of the many staples repairing my faith in humanity.
Around 12:30pm I exited Denny’s and proceeded to take a 30-minute nap in my car in the hot desert sun. I couldn’t manage to sleep anymore due to the heat but I felt fairly alert considering the lack of sleep so I headed towards the Grand Canyon. Though now I would only get to spend ½ a day seeing the South Rim instead of the 2 full days I had originally allocated, I felt like the trade-off had been more than worth it. =)
 
I will leave you with the words of a song that touched my soul as soon as I heard it. I have found it to be more and more true as life passes by:

"Its not a matter of time, its not a matter of timing." ~ Motion City Soundtrack: Timelines

]]><![CDATA[5/21 - Hiking in 100 Degree Heat, Don't Forget the Pool Party!]]>Sat, 03 Jun 2017 23:50:52 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/522-hiking-in-100-degree-heat-dont-forget-the-pool-partyAfter my stop at Salton City, I begrudgingly had to continue on to make it to Phoenix by any decent time. As soon as I left Salton sea, my radio starting humming as the RPM's of my car inceased (indicating a bad ground or loose cabling). It got sooooo annoying, soon my audiobook was almost impossible to listen too, so I tried my best to mess with my 4-channel Alpine amp's wiring while remaining on the road. The issue came and went and eventually I just accepted it and switched to music.
I saw my first amazing Arizona sunset on the trip, it had almost every color of the rainbow due to the dust in the horizon. Seeing colors like green in the sunset was something I had never seen before (it was faint enough that it didn't show in the pictures). I continued to drive and noticed the exits were getting further and further apart. Being the desert, there are long stretches without civilization (or gas stations) so I quickly became aware that my fuel gauge was getting low. I've been really good with gas on this trip (partially my mother's words of warning in my mind) and have been filling up when I get to half a tank. I hadn't noticed it getting low due to the frustration of my stereo, but once I saw the needle next to "E" I decided I would stop at the next gas station.
A few miles went by, then the damn humming started again! I began hitting my dash this time, desperately trying to get rid of the sound that was beginning to aggravate me and spoil my mood (along with being behind schedule and now hoping to be in Phoenix by 1am. I forgot to consider the timezone shift). It was then I noticed I was passing an exit and subsequently a gas station right off the highway. As the gas station shrank in my rearview mirror, my low fuel light came on, so I had maybe 60 miles before I ran out. I quickly pulled up my GasBuddy app to check if there was another gas station ahead or if I should try and turn around. According the app there was one 15 miles up the road though not as close to the highway. I decided I would aim for that station.
I pulled off at that next exit and headed towards the GPS coordinates another 7 miles down a quickly darkening road. I thought about why It would be so far from the highway and looked again at the name...it said "Kennedy Raceway"...wait is this place actually a gas station??? The answer came when I called the number (at 11pm) and they answered! I was heading to a racetrack, and technically yes they have fuel, its just race car fuel, and its $6 a gallon for the cheapest stuff. At this point I didn't have a choice, I went down the long road leading to the gate, signed the waiver, drove out to the track, and cringed as I carefully only pumped enough fuel to get to the place that sold fuel for non-race cars. Lesson learned, pay attention to the fuel gauge!
After saying goodbye to the friendly Kennedy raceway staff, I was off to Phoenix. I made it to my friend Troy's place around 1am (After hitting my trip's 4000 mile marker, woohoo!). We caught up a little and watched some tv before passing out around 2:30am. I awoke the next morning with a couple kiddos, Mya (7 yrs old) and Anna (4 yrs old) bashfully watching me then running away. Eventually they greeted me with some adorable miles and a giant Moana action figure! 
Troy had picked a few hikes in the area to choose from. After discussing it, Myself, Troy, and his wife Katrina all headed out to Echo Canyon to do a simple 1.2 mile trek up the canyon and then back down. Easy right? If you said yes than you have thighs of steel and a impressive heat tolerance. For our little group the answer was HELL NO! But it was fun. 
Phoenix was nice enough to give us a 99 degree day as the trail climbed 1400ft of elevation in the sun over that 1.2 miles. Needless to say it took about an hour and a half to climb up (hiking really only happened the first 1/2 mile, the rest was climbing). When we got to the top we realized we had used up about 75% of our water (close to a gallon), we briefly worried about the potential for dehydration but thankfully the trip down only took 45 minutes. 
While climbing up, I noticed someone had placed a Snapchat profile stick on one of the marker posts. I opened my app, found the user, and we sent a snap hoping they enjoyed the hike as much as we were! I got a snap back almost immediately saying that he had just finished the hike a few hours ago and was at a pool party....and that we were all invited!!
We encountered some wildlife along the way. A number of lizards were warming themselves on rocks throughout the hike. As we descending a couple were within 20 ft of each other and possibly in a mating ritual. They kept swooping their heads up and down and it looked like they were doing pushups, like reps of 10-15 at a time, trying to impress each other. It was rather entertaining. Unlike other hikes i've completed that were labeled intense, this one truly lived up to its name. By the end we were all noticing the hike in our muscles, along with some minor dehydration, we felt depleted yet accomplished. When we got to the bottom, we slurped up lots of warm water from the trunk of the car. mmmmm....
We decided to take Sky (the snap chat pool party inviter) up on his offer as it was only 15 minutes away. We arrived to a group of 30+ people having a great time with a pool, shaded seating, and a keg. I found Sky and met him in person along with a handful of other really chill people. The party turned out to be a group of rappers, producers, and some models! 
As soon as I walked in with a camera I was approached and asked if I could take a couple shots of some new T-Shirts a guy named Sam had brought to showcase. 
I met more people who earn an income by traveling with instagram and other social media, and got to exchange stories with other travels and locals. It was a ton of fun and a great detour after a long day.
We ended up staying just over an hour, making some new acquaintances. We went back home, relaxed and rehydrated (I was exhausted), watched the new Resident Evil (which I thought was much better compared to the last couple), and called it an early night with everything we had accomplished! Especially since the next morning I would be heading to the Grand Canyon =).
Perception:
The hike was intense. Though I had been resting (relatively speaking) the last few days, compared to my time in national parks a week prior, that hike was incredibly draining. I can now say that my last few experiences in dry desert climates have led me to the conclusion that my sinuses may not be able to handle the desert for extended periods of time. It's a bummer, since I love the southwest, the terrain, and the dry heart (compared to muggy Minnesota) but my sinuses were in revolt. Bleeding, scabbing, itching, and I think I may have gotten a little sick due to the dryness.
Also, Phoenix drivers suck. I spent less than 48 hours in the area and had 90% of the bad driver experiences of this trip. Every time I looked to see who was driving in such a manner it would be a senior. I think more later in life driver testing may be needed, because there were a few close calls that could have been really bad if I wasn't driving defensively!
Introspection:
I feel like the universe has been laying a path in front of me this whole trip. The synchronicity of the whole situation is almost too coincidental, yet its continued happening when I let go of trying to control my experience and instead enjoy the moments and let them happen. My visit to Phoenix along with other parts of this trip I've shared have all shared a theme...adventures happen everywhere and in every moment. You only have to be able to notice them. And when life holds the reigns, its amazing how things can line up just right to make some wonderful memories and experiences.
I don't typically discuss my faith, but these experiences have really shown me that the universe guides us when we don't fight it. I see the universe, nature, and God as being synchronized. When we surrender our worrying to faith, I think it acts as a much better guide. We can only plan for our future, not "control" it. I've almost felt the sensation of being "watched over" as I've traveled all these miles so far. As I continue to venture out on my own, I haven't felt alone for one moment...Lead with love, and life will take you where you need to go...

​...speaking of which, next up is probably one of the most impacting and interesting parts of my journey. Keep an eye out for it ;)
]]><![CDATA[Day 20: The Story of Salton City]]>Wed, 31 May 2017 23:15:57 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/day-20-the-story-of-salton-cityIt started with a dream...I was...designing a board game....set in a medieval fantasy realm. It combined tactics from Settlers of Katan and Civilization 5 (on a much smaller scale) and allowed up to 4 players to create an empire with which to conquer, advance, or enlighten...And I designed it all so I could beat someone the first time they played it in my dream...Not sure why but that was my incentive! It was actually rather intricate and incorporated different structures, unit types, and production abilities across a simple yet customizable board. Has anyone heard or played a game like that before? If so please let me know so I can make sure I don't waste my time as I've started making a mock version of it! =D
I awoke from his dream and then wrote a few notes before saying farewell to some friends in Imperial Beach, CA. I got a later start than anticipated and headed towards Salton Sea to check out this abandoned area I had heard about while at Quail Springs. I ended up doing a bit or research ahead of time since I am very interested in post apocalyptic topics and wanted to know what to expect. I will share a bit of what I learned along with my journey that afternoon as it will likely take over this entire post! I have also edited most the photos I took there and will release my first photo collection on my website! Visit the Salton City Photography page for the gallery, some of which will be used in this post.
Picture
Photo from Google Images
The Salton sea is a 35 mile long body of water, the largest in California, and was actually created by accident! In the early 1900's an irrigation effort flooded 3 canals while trying to supply water from the Colorado River to nearby fields. Due to the basin having a -226ft elevation (making it one of the lowest points in North America) it quickly collected the flood water as 100,000 gallons of water gushed from the river each day for 18 months straight. 
It took over a dozen railcars of boulders to eventually curb the leak, and by then there was a 43ft deep sea in the middle of the desert where only parched earth had existed before...so what can be done with this new body of water you ask? Well you turn it to an up and coming resort town only a few hours travel from L.A.! ​
Initially they stocked the body of water to see if fish would survive, and boy did they. This also made for some happy birds and wildlife began flocking to this big puddle. Soon it was a fishing and hunting oasis in the middle of the desert where one could "throw in a hook without bait and pull out a fish". The Hollywood elites soon saw the value and with a couple marinas in the 50's and 60's turned it into a hot spot for vacationing away from the ocean on a much calmer body of water calling it the "Miracle in the Desert". It was advertised as a place where one could enjoy a variety of leisurely activities; a sportsman and vacationers paradise. Infrastructure grew and people moved in, Salton City was built...but something wasn't happening...the water wasn't evaporating 
With no natural water source, how could this be? Well it just so happens that all the farmland in the area naturally drained to the basin as it is the lowest point in the state. So the runoff roughly equaled the amount of evaporation (around 6ft per year). The issue is that irrigation runoff brings all sorts of fertilizers and salts, so some lovely algae started forming and the water got salty.
At first it was nominal, but after 50+ years of this process, the sea was becoming more and more contaminated. An oder became noticeable. the salt levels rose rapidly (nowadays its about 50g per liter which is higher than sea water!). Fish couldn't survive and died in the tens of thousands. Parts of the shoreline are still covered in fishbones. Subsequently one of the largest deaths of a bird population in the U.S. also occurred, as brown pelicans consumed the dead fish washing onto shore. With so much of the wildlife dying, the smell got worse. Incinerators were run nonstop for months to keep up with the epidemic.
By then, the area was quickly becoming a less desirable place to visit, and the tourism industry began to sharply decline. One of the final straws came in 76' when Hurricane Kathleen arrived to ravage the area, flooding the shoreline and many of the inhabited areas. As luck would have it, in 77', hurricane Doreen finished the job. People left their homes, businesses gave up and moved out, people abandoned Salton City. Some people came back over time, but many didn't. Now there are segments of the town just left to let father time and mother nature reclaim what is theirs. If you're interested in more of the history, I found this article to be a great source of entertainment while learning about Salton City if you're interested! (http://lostamerica.com/photo-items/the-salton-sea/​)
I got to the east side of Salton City around 4pm, thinking it would be a quick 30-45 minute visit of a few places people had left. Boy was I wrong. As I drove closer to the sea I noticed the faint unpleasant oder in the air. I eventually made it to the Gas station on the north side of the town. Glass and debris covered the floor, looked more like recent demolition rather then decades of decay. 
I actually met two high schoolers from San Diego who were also looking to explore the area when I got there! We teamed up for a little bit and made a couple stops.  
Finally we made it to the residential section called Bombay Beach. Right off the bat I felt like I was in Grand Theft Auto 5 in the town of Sandy Shores. And sure enough, the game designers did in-fact base that section of the game off of Bombay beach. It was so surreal, like playing a game in real life...except I didn't have a beat-up red pickup or an assault rifle. I really felt like I had been there before which was so strange.
I absolutely loved this experience. For those who don't know, post apocalyptic settings are my favorite. My top travel destination isn't Hawaii or the Caribbean, its actually Pripyat, the town affected by the Chernobyl meltdown. My band in high school was all about when time fails and then leaves the world to rot and be overtaken by the earth. So this was like a completely unexpected surreal adventure that I'm so glad I took (Thanks Diva at Quail Springs!).
 I walked around Bombay beach for an hour taking photos and soaking in the history and actions that lead up to this point. The natural decay tells a story of hope and stark reality, the rise and fall of Salton City...I didn't get a chance to see everything as the sun began to set and I still had to make it to Phoenix nearly 6 hours away. So I left, knowing I would someday return, and see what time had continued to do to a place that is frozen in time along the shore of a accident which gave a moment of enjoyment to our society not too long ago...
Please see the Photo Gallery for further photos.
]]><![CDATA[Day 16-20 - Quail Spring Permaculture Farm and SoCal bound]]>Wed, 31 May 2017 14:25:03 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/day-16-20-quail-spring-permaculture-farm-and-socal-boundI did it, I made it to my trips main destination!

The Halfway point, and one of the main reasons I chose the itinerary I did, was to meet up with my friends Danielle and Ryan out at the Quail Spring Permaculture farm. It's located in the Cuyama Valley surrounded by the Los Padres National Forest. The Farm itself is a leading environmental educational nonprofit that focuses on cultivating ecological and social health. I had visited here once before, a few years ago, and loved the sense of connection with the surrounding nature, the sustainable efforts, and the buffer from society that is so hard to find these days. More info can be found on their website - http://www.quailsprings.org/
A couple hour drive from Bakersfield got me to the first gate where my friend Ryan awaited. I followed him down the dusty 10mph dirt road full of tumbleweed into the canyon until we arrived at the farm. Just as I remembered it was bustling with crops, livestock, and people busy at work. From earth building, to gardening, to maintenance, there is always something to do. 
I stayed in the Mag De Lena guest villa. The first night Ryan and I hiked up the ridge behind the farm. The sun was setting and I found out that Ryan has been doing photography on a professional level for years and he taught me some great tips for using my camera! I'm not sure how I hadn't picked up on his skill set before (probably because his music skills had otherwise kept us occupied), but I was grateful to have someone show me the ropes.  When we got done, he even showed me around Lightroom and Photoshop!
This stop on my journey was definitely for relaxation more so than adventure. After taking on as much national parks as I could handle 4 days in a row, hiking anywhere from 8-12 miles each day, I felt my body want to rest. So I did. I Slept in (til like 9am!), relaxed, and put that free bottle of wine to good use (though it did find its way to the floor after only 1/2 consumed). I even had brought some peanut Butter Porter from Dangerous Man brewing in Minneapolis per Ryan's request, so we drank like kings in the middle of the high desert on a permaculture farm full of awesome people =).
With my first real bed and a full kitchen for use, I enjoyed my time at Quail Springs quite well. Danielle makes a killer goat milk latte every morning, and Ryan knows how to make some damn good potato and damn good fried PB&J! I fed my extra food to the pigs (they loved bologna and hotdogs...cannibals), and helped clean up one of the larger spaces for the class they would be hosting later that week. The Quail Springs crew is also a blast. Having conversations with each of them brought new perspective into my day. One of the people staying there, Diva (Pronounced Dive-ah) had mentioned the Salton Sea as being a really cool place to visit on my way out of California. Luckily I wrote this down, because it made for a fun adventure a few days later.
My favorite conversation however had to be with Andrew. As I was walking out of the main hut to use the restroom, I noticed Andrew heading in the same direction to pick some Goji berries. He began whistling classical music so I started whistling the harmony. We continued until I had sat down to do my business and then we transitioned into a conversation! It was a special moment I doubt I could get anywhere else...
Danielle, Ryan, and I went on a couple adventures around the canyon area. We drove out to a rock formation with some baby caves near the top and had a blast navigating up and down. Some of the steeper slopes were definitely more of a "one way" path, but even after getting separated we managed to catch back up. Once again I wished I had more climbing experience under my belt and gear to boot.
We ate some goodies, messed with my iphone's "Live Photo" function for some cool perspectives, took entertaining photos (many of which could be used as my rapper debut album cover as one mock up on the left shows), and generally enjoyed ourselves.
Best part about the "Rapper" album photo, was that Ryan took the shot just as I had just finished peeing off the end of the cliff. Classy!
For those of you wondering how to pronounce my rapper name, its like Flag with an "e" sound and then end the word the same way you would the word "flex".
All in all it was a great stop along my journey and though I would have loved to stay a couple more days, the show had to go on! On the 18th I said my goodbyes and headed to LA to meet up with a couple people. I picked up a mutual friend from LAX as we were both headed to the San Diego area, and I stopped in with Landon Brands for lunch at a Ramen shop! I had a great time catching up with Landon (since we lived together in NYC back in the Summer of '14) and I look forward to the possibly of working on film projects with him in the future.
The next 2 days I simply relaxed with new friends on Imperial Beach right next to the Boarder of Mexico. Did a little beaching, a little bit of vehicle troubleshooting, and continued my rest. I knew leaving California would bring adventures and some long nights as I wanted to continue pursuing serious nighttime photography. I left San Diego the afternoon of the 20th, with Salton Sea as a waypoint as I headed towards the next leg of my journey; Arizona.
Perspective:
Traveling further into California, I've begun to notice my allergies continue to get worse as I am needing to take Claritin daily now. This is unfortunate but does support my conclusion that the desert environment is not what my nose desires. Though I normally develop seasonal allergies this time of year, apparently the high desert conditions create constant pollination and therefore always offer seasonal allergies for those of us with a sensitive sinus. Thankfully some of the cranial psychotherapy techniques i've learned helped naturally clear the worst of it!
Introspection:
I remember being at the Quail Springs farm before, and it was a peaceful and fun experience. It was great to find that feeling again, even though Im in a different place personally, it was refreshing in the same way. I also really appreciated the friendship Danielle and Ryan provided. Before this trip we had been more acquaintances, but after just those few days I count them, along with the many others I've gotten to know on my travels, as good friends. That alone, has been a one of wonderful highlights of my journey thus far.
]]><![CDATA[Day 15 - Saving Campers and Flooded Hotsprings!]]>Mon, 29 May 2017 17:24:05 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/day-15-saving-campers-and-flooded-hotspringsI began the drive into the canyon from Bakersfield around 8pm. The sun was setting and by the time I reached the turn off for the backroad to get to the Remington Hot Springs it was already dark. I noticed there was a small "Road Closed" sign on the road, but not nearly as big as ones i'm used to, so I continued forward hoping I wouldn't have to turn around. After a few miles I saw why. A huge boulder had fallen from the cliffs above and blocked one side of the road. I was able to drive right by, but it made me think about how that could potentially happen at anytime even if the odds are low.
I got to the hot springs camping area around 10 and decided to do a preliminary hike down as its about 1/4 mile down into the ravine. Near the bottom I passed the smaller 3-4 person upper pool. But when I got to where the 3 larger pools should have been right next to the river, all I saw was water...as in, the hot springs were gone and there was only river. This is was odd, but since it was so dark I figured I had gotten off the path and went searching to no avail.
I was disappointed but wasn't convinced the hot springs had been flooded (after all one of the main places I wanted to visit on this trip was the hot springs!). On my way back to my car to grab my swimsuit to use the smaller remaining upper hot spring pool, I walked by a campsite near the bottom of the ravine and met 3 people; Shaggy, Kit, and Dejah. They invited me to warm up by their fire and offered me a peace pipe so we relaxed and chatted a bit. They were all from Bakersfield just over an hour away and were camping out for a month in the canyon.
Turns out the river is up 20ft due to the high precipitation levels, which is the first time in 25 years! (just my luck right?) We made small talk and eventually I thanked them and left to grab my things and return to the hot spring.
I enjoyed myself in the 90 degree water even though the desert air had cooled to mid 50s. I also used the opportunity to take a quick bath as apart of my relaxation efforts. After 45 minutes I got out and dressed, and walked back up to my car for a good nights rest. About an hour into trying to sleep the clouds cleared and the stars came out so I spent 30 minutes trying to get more practice capturing the beauty of the night sky.
The next morning I awoke to the sun in my eyes and a mindset of determination to see the hot springs again just to confirm it was, in fact, submerged. As I was getting up I noticed Shaggy and Dejah walking up to my car. I rolled down my window and asked what I could do for them.
"Are you the guy we met last night and hung out with?" Dejah asked. I said yes and asked them what was up. "That other guy we were camping with left early this morning after stealing our phones, water, and weed."
This put me a little on guard butI told them i was really sorry to hear that, then immediately they asked "Have you had breakfast? are you hungry?". I said I hadn't eaten yet and they offered to make me breakfast. I hesitantly said maybe but then asked why they would offer to make me breakfast after that happened, it seemed a little suspicious. Then Shaggy spoke up and said "we could really use a friend". It was then I saw they were being genuine, so I agreed and got dressed and met them at their campsite. Turns out they had known Kit for a couple months and had just gotten married a few months prior themselves. Kit had apparently lived with them without paying and had been slowly trying to undermine their relationship. We discussed this over a fresh meal of sliced bologna and hotdogs boiled in Famous Dave's BBQ sauce...definitely a first.
​​I offered to give them a ride back to Bakersfield and they were incredibly grateful. We hauled their stuff back up to my car (which was more grueling than I expected, even caused my tendinitis to flair up!) and strapped it all atop my car since there wasn't much room inside. I picked up all the trash near the lower campsite and hot springs (as many people just leave things there) and placed that atop everything on my car.
I also went back down to the hot springs one last time and saw in the day light that yes the entire area was underwater. The stones just in view in the photo are the walkway that lead to the edge of the top pool. Normally the tree in this picture has a rope on the bottom branch that you can swing on and jump into the water! As bummed as I was to find the springs underwater, It was a sign; time to move on and look towards future adventures instead of reliving older ones.
We left the hot springs area by noon and made it back to Bakersfield in good time, only one thing fell off the roof on our way!. Turns out they enjoy some of the same Anime as I do as well as collecting knives. They told me about a knife shop downtown that I should check out called the Zombie Apocalypse store. I dropped them off and they thanked me saying I could have all their food as they wouldn't need it anymore (bologna, hotdogs, Nutella, peanut butter, ramen, and spaghetti.) I thanked them though wasn't sure what I would use it for.
I then stopped at the knife shop, noted the custom zombie heads they had on display (props at one point I believe), and picked up a simple M-tech blade since I hadn't brought anything more than a Leatherman with me.
I then began driving towards my friends at the Quail Springs Permaculture Farm. It was only a few hours and I had plenty to think about after a bit of an unexpected morning.
Perspective:
​Getting to the hot springs at night was at times similar to my Sequoia driving just without the fog. The pitch black and twisting roads definitely require focus and after awhile gets a bit strenuous on the eyes and mind. I was relieved when i found the boulder since I was able to drive around it, otherwise I had been dreading an actual un-passable obstacle requiring another hour of driving just to get to my campsite.
The wildlife around the hot springs has definitely been fed by people. Constantly coming up and hanging around me. There was a notable Bluejay that stuck around, and Shaggy and Dejah had mentioned they had a friend OD in the last year and that the bird responded to his name and they felt like it was his spirit keeping them company in the wilderness. I appreciated the sentiment and found the bird to be a great model.
Introspection:
Meeting a couple strangers and then helping them out was nice feeling as far as my altruism goes, but also a little nerve racking since the situation seemed to have happened almost too coincidentally. Nothing bad happened and I felt they were being genuine, but that is a risk of traveling and showing kindness, it can get taken advantage of. I just hope I continue to be blessed with people in my path that I can impact positively. Not sure what I will do with this extra food, especially since It's not things I would normally eat, but I'm heading to a farm, and i'm sure they'll have some use for it!
I did want to re-write some memories of the hot springs by visiting, but with it underwater I wasn't able to enjoy them at all. Now looking at it I see it as the universe giving me a little nudge to show I should focus on the new experiences and let the old ones be what they are and not attach negative or positive connotations to it. 
]]><![CDATA[Day 13/14 - Seeing Apple's Muse, Free Wine, and Truly Seeing Stars. (Yosemite)]]>Fri, 19 May 2017 18:41:42 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/day-1314-seeing-apples-muse-free-wine-and-truly-seeing-stars-yosemiteI continued back through Fresno up to Yosemite, once again arriving in the evening just before sunset. Doing a quick google search of what to see in Yosemite with just a day, I decided the drive to Glacier Point would be the best use of the my evening as it overlooks Half Dome and the valley. I started up the road for Glacier point and the amount of snow on either side of me began increasing.
There was some snow in Sequoia, and more in the higher altitude I saw of Yosemite (due to record breaking amounts of precipitation in the area) so most of the higher altitude facilities were still closed for winter. The snow had layers like rock which I found intriguing. I drove through a couple of patches of snow that were taller than my car! (maybe 7-8 ft). The road to glacier point was in rough condition but I raced my way to reach the overlook as the sunset was quickly becoming a breathtaking hue of color against the majestic landscape.
I made it to the iconic lookout as the sun crested the horizon and painted the mountainside and clouds with its grandeur. It was incredible. A number of photographers had been there for some time capturing this evening's sunset and the night was supposed to follow suite for star gazing and night photos. Thankful for the timing of everything leading me to this part of the trip, I took some decent photos, and soaked in the view. I realized that some higher up Apple designers must have a love for this area as I recognized many of my vantage points as photos used to advertise recent OSXs inclduing El Capitan, Yosemite, and Sierra.
The prime moment of the sunset faded rather fast and people began to close up shop though I intended to stay and see what the stars looked like. A couple of gentlemen nearest me began putting their gear away and I decided to ask about the area and their photography. Serj (middle) is Ukrainian and Alek (RH side) is Russian. They showed me some of their breathtaking work and we chatted about the hikes in the area. Serj takes some intense multi-day journeys to find perfect shots and the work he showed me was incredible. Unfortunately he doesn't have anything advertised online and his friend Alek said that he has been encouraging Serj to do so. I brought up my experience with such things and offered to help them as those photos were truly beautiful and I hope to hear from them again =).
The night sky was just as incredible. I first hung out with an Indian family from New York making a campfire at one end of the lookout. I played guitar and stayed warm by the firelight (temps quickly dropped close to freezing) waiting for the remainder of the sun to leave the sky while teaching one of the daughters how to use her husband's T2i.
As it got darker I began taking night shots and a gentleman asked me if I was interested in a free bottle of wine. I said "Is there really an answer besides yes?" and that struck up a great conversation (in the dark) between myself and Steve. Steve is from Boston and had a week between jobs in Vegas so he rented a van to check out the Yosemite area. Someone had left a bottle of wine in his car and since he doesn't drink he decided to give it away. And I was the lucky winner! Turns out Steve spent years touring in a band and we discussed music quite a bit. He also is in a similar part of his personal life's journey so we commiserated and had a refreshing chat (probably the best first conversation with a stranger I can recall). He said to let him know If I was ever in Boston and needed a place to crash and we have emailed a couple times since!
After taking a fair amount of photos I headed back to my car. I put on the jacket I had packed for the first time and was grateful for the extra insulation (although I had been annoyed at it taking up space on the trip so far). As I was putting things away, a car pulled up and a guy named Tim with his Canon 5D and tripod hurried out towards the Glacier Point lookout. I asked what he was there for and he said that Jupiter was out tonight. I quickly grabbed my gear again and spent the rest of the night more or less beside him chatting and taking photos.
We saw Jupiter first. Next to us, a couple named Jack and Anna had their telescope setup. It's app controlled and navigates to the coordinates you enter from your phone. We looked at Jupiter and saw one of its moons. Then we turned to the horizon as the moon began to crest and Saturn was visible on its right. The moon was as bright as the sun while I tried to take photos since the night before was a full moon. Looking at Saturn though the telescope was even cooler, as I could see the rings!
I came away with amazing photos, new friends, and a bit of a chill. I ended up staying up there in the glacier point parking lot though I pulled out all 3 blankets and left my jacket on. It was a bit of a cold night and I woke up a few times, but the next morning I got up early (as I heard this park got quite congested with the construction) and made my way down from Glacier Point.
The rest of the park as incredible, in a way only the Sierra Nevada and this canyon could offer...but it was busy. At times too busy to really enjoy. Due to road construction I spent nearly an hour in "traffic" in the valley, and had to look hard and walk far for parking with the limited time I had. Every stop I made for photos was brilliant and iconic however, and was more than worth the hassle (even if it felt like Disney land with all the people at times).
As I left the park I recognized its beauty was unique in it's own right and something to be experienced just like the other parks of my journey. As I left the area I was thankful for a good Samaritan at a gas station who notified me I had left coffee creamer atop my car as I was about to drive off. 

I made my way to Bakersfield in the late afternoon as I had a 5 hour drive to my next location and noticed I had lost an earring!! (First time since getting my ears pieced a few months back). As it was a Sunday, not many places I thought that would carry earrings were open. I ended up at a Walmart where the only black ear studs were apart of the last package of costume jewelry that was missing 1/3 the studs (30 sets total). I ended up getting a discount on the product and doubt I'll use most of the other earrings. 

I arrived at one of the main destinations of this trip, the Remington Hot springs, around 9pm after about an hour's drive east of Bakersfield into the canyons. I was ready to relax in the natural spring though fate had some other plans in mind...Stay tuned ;).
Perception:
I had never seen planets in the night sky before with my naked eye (they look just like stars). It was so cool to watch the night sky move over time because of the planet's orbit. It felt so encouraging that the people out at Yosemite that night were all friendly even if the temperature was Minnesota cold! Aside from the higher elevation cold, the climate of the valley was my favorite so far of this trip. Even in the 60's, it was perfect for hiking and moving around without overheating or feeling dehydrated too fast.
Introspection: 
​​When the moon rose I felt like I was in a movie showing a huge disc in the sky. I wish I had the filters to have photographed it but it was quite a bright sight. As I took photos I realized how much fun I was having with my camera, some of the most fun since shooting my short film in NYC. This was the first night I really embraced my passion for night photography...and I loved it. I plan on focusing my techniques and practice towards this goal going forward. Continuing to make connections has fueled my passion for this trip more times than I can count! I am loving the social aspect of solo travels and ironically have rarely felt alone.
]]><![CDATA[Day 12/13 - Some Big Ol' Beautiful Trees (Sequoia)]]>Thu, 18 May 2017 14:31:18 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/day-1213-some-big-ol-beautiful-trees-sequoiaI made my way across Nevada, past the soon to close Mojave Desert mirror power plant, and into California. I was greeted by an Agricultural inspection which I thought was a bit out of place but all they asked was if I had any plants or flowers and I drove right through. I headed to Sequoia national park first, even though my itinerary was to go to Yosemite, I realized milage-wise is made more sense to switch them.
I made it to the Sequoia national forrest around 7pm. The winding roads up the mountain side quickly became the most exciting driving I think I've encountered. Feeling G-forces as I turned, compensating engine braking verses actual braking...it was fun! I made it up to the Giant Tree Forest and a thick fog began to overtake the scenery...it was super creepy cool.
With the sun setting, the mist continued to increase (like that M. Night Shamylan movie with the terrible ending). I felt like I was driving through a scene of Silent Hill...it was pretty awesome! I hiked a couple trails and took photos as it rained on and off until the sky began to darken. Not having reception, I decided to go back to the town near the base of the mountain to find a campsite. This began the most intense driving of my life.
Without sunlight the  mist seemed to thicken. Visibility dropped to 5-10ft rather frequently so I took my time. I had to watch the white sidelines on the road to determine If I was still going straight. Corners occasionally startled me, seeming to come out of no where, and the possibility of wildlife jumping out at any moment kept me on edge and alert. I didn't realize how hard I was riding my brakes until about 15 minutes in and I started smelling burnt rubber. I quickly switched to riding 2nd gear most of the way back down. 
I stopped at one of the rest stops in the park and noted the errie haze the bathroom lights made from the parking lot. There was a van parked there and the mist make it look abandoned and decrepit. This drive was more of a journey, full of twists and turns, with my favorite music guiding the way. It was by far the most intense driving experience (or any mechanical experience) of my life. 
It took twice as long (nearly 90 minutes) but I made it down safe and sound. I captured one of my favorite nighttime photos of the trip at one of the less foggy turnouts overlooking the mountain side with Fresno in the far distance. I Found a gas station around 11pm (as there are none in the boundaries of the park) and gritted my teeth to pay $3.29 a gallon ($0.50 higher than stations further from the park). While filling up I searched for free campsites in the area and was disappointed to find all the ones listed on the website were located further up the road I had just come down! So far on this trip I was able to find free camping relatively close, so I slightly chastised myself for not looking ahead of time when I decided to change my itinerary. The distance to the nearest listed free site was fairly close as the crow flies however the roads to get there would take 3-4 hours.
I decided to drive back up into the park (ascending the misty roads was actually a bit easier), and I stopped at the same rest room on the way. I noticed the same van parked but now there was also a sedan in the same lot. I realized (it being midnight now) that these people were car camping so I decided to follow suite and parked in the lot and dozed to sleep.
I awoke the next morning bright and early and made my way back up to the Giant Trees Forest. The experience was different in the day, more picturesque and less creepy. It was great to get a side by side comparison as I hiked some of the same trails and checked out the trees again. One of the highlights, The Sherman tree, is almost ridiculous. around 275 ft. high and at a 110 ft. circumference of the base the tree has died out on top but continues to grow 12-18" in width a year! Its the largest tree by volume in the world (over 4 million lbs), and pictures did it no justice. The Sequoias have as much grace and radiate an aged wisdom as much as mountains do (and with over 8000 of them, the collective energy is palpable). 
I found the history of restoration of the Sequoia National Park incredibly interesting. During the 1900's a small city was practically built in the giant forest causing damage to the ecosystem, killing trees, and preventing new ones from growing (mainly from forest fire suppression). As the impact was realized, the resort area of roughly 300 building was slowly restored to natural land, removing buildings, excess infrastructure, and pavement until in 1999 the last building was torn down. Now there is simply a leftover market building used as the museum as well as restrooms with self guiding plaques for tours. It gave be a sense of hope in humanity recognizing its impact and making changes to preserve a limited resource. 
I drove through the rest of the park this time, stopping in an alpine style lodge for a burger and a shower (the coin machine stole my first dollar so I had to get a refund). The drive was gorgeous and continued with the winding roads, although visibility made it much more pleasant. I ended up coming out of the loop on a northern highway back into Fresno. I stopped at an Amish cherry stand on the way and picked up some hella fresh cherries (some were crispy like watermelon!).
I traveled the rest of the afternoon, excited for my next stop at Yosemite, not having any idea what to expect...
Perception:
I would argue that Sequoia is as beautiful as Zion but in a different way. The grandeur of the Zion canyon and the colors of the cliffs made for a more breathtaking view. And while Sequoia didn't take my breath away in that regard, being able to walk up next to the monolithic trees, touch them, move around them and change perspective, gave me a sense of oneness with the energy (something thats harder to achieve with a mountain).
Introspection:
There were many great moments of reflection as I enjoyed this park. I felt inconsequential walking amidst the wooden giants of Sequoia. Their monumental energy (and the fact you couldn't see the tops in the mist) made for a humbling experience. I did my best see as much as I could. I felt like I was jumping in and out of my car for brief moments of enjoying nature before the motivation to see more kicked in. A few times I felt the sense of only experiencing the park "though the camera" and reminded myself to take in the sights with my own eyes which helped calm some of the rush of getting to everything.
The first night of mist also gave me an unforgettable memory I may not find again in my life (unless I go looking for it). I felt like I was one with my car, navigating a treacherous pathway that not all are intended to survive. It got my heart racing and my thrill meter going.
I also sensed some odd adventurous nostalgia as I hiked thought the trees (maybe because trees haven't seemed so big since I was a kid) and parts of the forest smelled like fresh Lincoln Logs =).
]]><![CDATA[Day 10/11 - What Happens in Vegas, gets Posted Online]]>Tue, 16 May 2017 16:52:41 GMThttp://www.aspiredmusic.com/road-trip-blog/day-1011-what-happens-in-vegas-gets-posted-onlineSince the prior days activities of intense hiking and ER trips was so exciting, I decided I needed a rest day. I began heading to Las Vegas and when I made it to St. George to pick up my prescriptions from the night before, I realized I didn't have my wallet. I only freaked out for a few minutes before I got a message from my new MN friend Nate saying he found my wallet in their car from the ride they had provided last night. I thanked them once again and drove the hour long journey back to Zion to pick it up at the Quality Inn and Suites desk. On my way to pick it up, I got a call from my alma matter Winona State University letting me know a hotel in Springdale, UT had found my school ID in a wallet. The fact that multiple people made efforts to return my wallet was reassuring, even if the extra 2 hours of driving that day delayed my plans. I picked up my wallet from the desk, had a good laugh and re-made my way to pick up my prescriptions on my way to Vegas.
Upon arriving, my plan was to meet up and spend the night with a friend I met through work named Cameron. We had only hung out in training for a few days over a year ago, but he came across as my type of people. Since I visited Vegas for a work conference last October where I spent my whole time on the Strip, I had no interest in returning to that area and planned on just resting with my friend (I just remember the Vegas strip feeling like the city reached it's prime in the 80's and has since slowly faded into a dirty, slightly depressing, collection of senseless money squandering and the type of people attracted to that...but then again I don't gamble).
When I arrived at cameron's apartment I was surprised to find that the "roommates" he had mentioned were actually his sister Cassie, her friend Amanda, and their dog Indy (like Indiana Jones). I showed up just as they returned from Ikea with shelving in tow (Vegas apparently just got an IKEA), and they asked if I knew how to install shelves. I in fact DO know how to assemble and install IKEA stuff so I thought I'd earn my keep.
Right off the bat I got along with everyone there, like, really well. I felt like we were already old friends! It was really relaxing and a nice change of pace. Their apartment was also a combination of nerd sheik, modern, a gamer decor. It's so picturesque It felt like Pinterest photos and I couldn't help but snap a few photos. I especially loved the large Zelda and Firefly presence =).
I put up 5 shelves, a picture holder, a couple sets of LED lights, and fixed 2 wobbly chairs and a wobbly table that had been loose for a couple years. I felt incredibly useful! (and thankfully always keep an Allen wrench set in my car). Afterward we organized trinkets and memorabilia to help provide background decor for Cameron's future gameplay streaming.
I put up the shelves in the 2 pictures below =D
The rest of that day was spent relaxing. I got a nice long hot shower in (I forgot how immensely pleasurable it could be), finally got to play the new Zelda game on a Nintendo Switch (Holy Bonkers is that game beautiful), and finished the night with Bob's Burgers and Rick and Morty!
The next morning I was greeted with Tea and Oatmeal from Amanda, a cuddly dog, and more time to relax in some AC. I spent a few hours going to Red Rock Canyon, Since I was still exhausted from my last few days of hikes, I simply drove around and did minor exploring (It was very similar to some of the terrain of Arches and Zion on a smaller scale). I found another car twin (although another color) but didn't feel the need to leave a message this time =). When I returned it was time for crepes! Amanda did a fantastic job making them and I took a couple action photos!
A couple of their friends, Tony and Liz, came over with a strategy board game Deus. We learned the rules and attempted to beat Tony and knowing they were already experienced in the game but to no avail. I inadvertently ended the game by building the 7th Temple as game end conditions hadn't been made entirely clear. It was a fun time and a great change of pace for myself. After that we had an amazing ribeye dinner made by Amanda, and spent another evening relaxing. I got my stuff ready to go and headed out the next morning. 
Perception:
I hit the 2000 mile mark as I arrived in Vegas. 2/5 of my journey has been completed and its been an exciting ride so far! Also the west has plastic bumps on the lane markers to let you know when you're on top of or crossing over a lane (can't do that in the midwest with snowplows coming by every winter) but useful none the less.
Being handy and able to fix things is a lost art. It shouldn't be. I felt very accomplished and satisfied doing the simple projects that needed tending. I very much support the next "fix-it cafes" I've read about online and hope to get in my area soon. Part of the human experience is to encounter problems and find solutions as creatures of logic and reason (especially since society puts an emphasis on education). And if we don't conquer those challenges are we missing out on an opportunity for growth? or is the social construct of "earn enough money to hire someone" and paying for a "convenience factor" a more worthy ideal? Where we focus on one skill set proficiency to earn an income to afford the luxury of paying others to accomplish those tasks for you.
Introspection:
Realizing I may be more handy than others also made me consider the Jack of all Trades master of none mantra that I seem to be drawn towards. I don't think its a bad thing, but It may prevent me from focusing on a true passion and mastering something to the point that I can utilize it to make an impact in this world. However I find striving for proficiency (instead of mastery) and the variety that it brings a more exciting and motivating challenge.
It was fun to jump back into the world of games and geekdom as I have a fond passion for them. It brought me back to things I focus on more in high school and I'm realizing some of those past times are things I would like to reinvest some time to enjoy again.
As I was driving the song "Collapsible love" by Relient K came on and was very relevant to my roadtrip and my personal growth journey. Good stuff - Check it Out.
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