Galapagos

Hello and welcome back to deaniebabies.com! It’s been a while since my last post. To be perfectly blunt, I don’t enjoy writing. It’s something I have to sit down and really try hard at. I’ve been this way my whole life. But I’d like that to change! I once heard someone say “read what you love until you love to read,” and I’m going to apply that same philosophy to writing. I’ll write about what I love until, hopefully one day, I love to write. 

Back in October/November Caelynn and I were presented with an amazing opportunity to travel to one of the most famous family of islands known to man, the Galapagos. Ecoventura and Relais & Chateaux invited us onto one of their vessels to spend a week exploring new places, learning about new animals, and seeing things I’d only ever dreamed of. Now, let’s get to it. 

Getting there: 

As some of you may know, Caelynn and I split time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. We love them both for different reasons. Traveling out of LAX, especially internationally, is usually easier and less expensive than LAS. We flew with Avianca LAX -> BOG -> UIO -> SCY with an overnight layover in Quito. I don’t know about you guys, but for some reason sitting on an airplane for 8+ hours drains my energy. We arrived in Quito around mid afternoon and took a shuttle directly to our airport hotel. There, we just chilled out, ate dinner, and turned in early. Our flight out the next day was early enough to dissuade us from traveling into the city proper, convinced we could explore a bit more on our way home. 

The next morning we hopped on our plane that’d take us to San Cristobal. The flight itself was only about 4 hours total with a quick stop halfway (we didn’t deboard). Upon arrival at San Cristobal, we cleared customs and were met by our amazing tour guides. They told us to hang tight while the rest of our group worked their way through customs. This whole process took about 30 minutes and then we were on a shuttle taking us to our home for the next 6 nights. 

Boarding the ship: 

At the dock, we hopped on a small zodiac that jettisoned us over to our main vessel. I haven’t spent much time onboard a boat but this one seriously took my breath away. It was a three-story yacht with probably 10 or so rooms. I was expecting our room to be a small cot-style abode, prioritizing efficiency over comfort. I was wrong. We had our own room with a king size bed, ensuite bathroom with a shower, and incredible views looking out the side of the ship. The next floor up was the dining area, lounge/briefing room, and coffee cart. One floor above that was the top level and outdoor deck area, this is where we spent most of our time. The ship even had a small gym tucked in a downstairs corner and merch shop not too far away.

All in all, there were about 16 passengers from all over the world. The people that really stole the show were the crew. Our two guides were incredibly knowledgeable and they sat us down right away to give us a rundown on what we could expect. The food staff was always vigilant, taking drink orders and ensuring snacks were always laid out for us to enjoy at any moment. 

Once we covered the course that was charted for us, what we would see, and handled all the introductions, it was time for dinner. The first night we stayed in the port at San Cristobal, waiting for morning to set sail. 

The voyage: 

There really is only one way to see the Gallapagos, and that’s with a certified crew like Ecoventura. All visits are methodically planned and permitted, it would be impossible to come to this place and fly solo. On the 2nd morning, we disembarked for our first island of the trip. There was never a point on the journey where it felt like we hadn’t had the chance to experience something new for more than a few hours. They did a great job of plotting the perfect course, navigating through the night while we were asleep, and keeping us active and engaged even during the down times. 

The Galápagos Islands are some of the newest islands in the world due to incredible volcanic activity all around the area. Even now, new land mass is being created and the islands are expanding and evolving. There are so many amazing animal species here that don’t exist anywhere else. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect place for anyone that’s interested in wildlife photography or if you’re just looking for a new and unique experience. 

As we boarded the zodiac that would act as our transport to the first island we visited, it was clear to me that we were in for a great time. We pulled ashore and were instantly greeted by an adorable sea lion cub playing with her mother. From there, the guides spoke in depth on every bird species (there are many) that we came across. Their knowledge seemed to know no bounds. We had a great group of strangers with us, always asking questions I wouldn’t have thought to ask but that I was interested in learning more about. 

Our group visited a total of probably 5 islands by land, and several islands by cruising around on the zodiac only. The land experiences were great. I haven’t dabbled much with wildlife photography so I wasn’t sure what to expect but it blew me away. Caelynn and I were constantly pestering each other for the 70-200mm f2.8 lens that we share. Of course, the signature bird of the Galapagos is the Blue Footed Boobie. It’s distinct color in its feet make for one incredibly photogenic species. By zodiac, we saw many sharks, sting rays, and turtles. On land we saw countless lizards, tortoise, and nesting birds. 

Every day presented us with a new experience. Even during the down times when we were encouraged to chill out and rest, they’d offer things like kayaking around the bay, snorkeling around the islands, or (as Caelynn and I did most) lounge on the sun deck and read a nice book.

Three times a day, the food staff would roll out some of the most amazing food I have ever eaten. Breakfast and lunch were buffet style, offering local Ecuadorian cuisine that you could enjoy until you’re ready to pop. Every night had a small, but diverse, food menu to order from. Each dinner was 3 courses (appetizer, main, dessert) and not a single one of them left us disappointed. Caelynn is pescatarian and I enjoy a good steak every so often which had us concerned in terms of options but there were always an option for any variety of diet. Even now, as I write, I’m salivating remembering how incredible the food was all that week. 

The incredibly well-planned journey was done perfectly, even as it came down to duration. By the end of the trip, our eyes, heart, and bellies were as full as they could be. I always find these experiences so interesting because going into them you wonder to yourself how you’re going to get through the next week and how it seems like such a long journey ahead. But by the end you’re wondering where the heck the time went. That’s how this was for me. I was excited for the unique experience but I’m not much of a sailor so I had my concerns. As the trip came to an end I was shocked by how fast it seemed to have flown by. 

Final Thoughts: 

I’d always known of the Galapagos of course but it never really crossed my mind to travel there. I honestly didn’t realize how accessible it was. Yes, we had our trip covered in exchange for our photography and other work, but it really was an enjoyable process and much easier to get to than I would have expected. Caelynn is the one who did all the planning and work to get us here. Had it not been for her, I never would have been able to enjoy this amazing place. She’s the best. 

I also tend to steer clear of cruises if I can. I usually want to get on the ground and really dig into a place through hole-in-the-wall joints, local culture, and navigating myself through unfamiliar places. That said, it’s incredibly refreshing to sit back and let a well-trained team handle everything for you. There was never a moment where I felt yearning for anything other than what was right in front of me. And that’s entirely because of the team at Ecoventura and Relais & Chateaux. 

If you’ve been on the fence about pulling the trigger and visiting the Galapagos, let this be your sign to take the plunge and give it a shot. It was a perfect mixture of adventure and comfort. It’s often challenging for Caelynn and I to both enjoy a trip, it’s common for us to be too far on either extreme. This trip gave us everything either of us could have ever asked for (and more). On top of all that, we learned a great deal about the ever-changing ecosystem, introduced to so many new species we may never get to see again, and got to meet some awesome people from all around the world. 

Caelynn’s Corner

I had an amazing time exploring the Galapagos. We saw flamingos, penguins, blue-footed boobies, baby sharks, and so many other animals. The animals and the land are very well protected which was nice to see. Each day we explored two islands and then we would come back and relax on Ecoventura. We went at a great time when it wasn’t too hot. Our guides said there are a lot of mosquitos during the summer, so I was thankful we went in the winter. All in all it was an incredible once in a lifetime experience.

Oregon

Caelynn and I got back to planning our quarterly surprise trips for each other. This time around, she was the one that got to go first and, credit to her, she did a better job of keeping the destination a secret up until we arrived at our gate for departure. The rules were a little different this time: the trip had to be domestic (mostly because I’m still physically impaired with my broken leg).

We got to planning our trips around late January / early February, well before the COVID-19 virus shut everything down indefinitely. Unfortunately, the trip that I planned had to be postponed, as it the dates were set for the end of April. With the stay-at-home order extended through mid-May (currently), I’m looking forward to reengaging with my trip as soon as we’re cleared to leave and things are safe again.

In the meantime, I’ll be here fondly reliving the trips we’ve already had the pleasure of going on. Oregon is one of the most beautifully scenic states I’ve ever visited, and I’m excited to recount it all with you!

PORTLAND

We got into PDX around midday, rented a Jeep ($250 for the week), and drove into Portland, where we’d stay for the next two nights. I’m not sure why but we were exhausted that first day. A quick 2 hour flight is all it took for us to get from LA to Portland but, for some reason, it really seemed to take a lot out of us. Our first night in Portland we just walked around the downtown area, ate a bunch of food, and called it a night pretty early. We stayed at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Portland ($171/night) which turned out to be perfect for us. They’re dog friendly, centrally located, and it’s got a fun, unique vibe about it.

On our second day in Oregon, we decided to venture into the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. This is a must for anyone visiting Portland for the first time. Multnomah Falls is unquestionably one of the most photographed waterfalls in North America, and for good reason. I’ve wanted to see these iconic twin falls for so long now and I’m so stoked that Caelynn decided to take us here. There’s a one mile hike from the bottom to the top that I thought we’d be able to complete. Lo and behold, my leg wasn’t up for the challenge and, after getting about halfway, we decided to turn back for the bottom. We caught the falls on a slow day, which wound up being great for pictures and allowed for us to experience a calmer side of this PNW treasure.

We spent the rest of the day driving to various waterfalls throughout the Columbia River Gorge. Our exploration was limited, mostly because of me, and a little because of Pappy’s tiny little legs but we saw as much as we could. If you’re driving through the gorge, a simple google search of various waterfalls won’t let you down. There’s tons to do and see here and we easily killed the whole day driving around and taking pictures.

We were set to leave early the next morning for the coast, the main reason Caelynn took us to Oregon. But I wanted to see one last thing that was close enough to Portland to justify the quick drive. If you type “Airplane Home Oregon” into Google Maps it’ll bring you to just that, an airplane home nestled in the trees, just 30 minutes outside of downtown Portland. We rolled up to the home to an eerie calmness and weren’t sure if we were allowed to even be there so we drove back to the road and did some research before potentially trespassing again. Turns out, the guy that owns the airplane encourages people to show up unannounced, take pictures, and even fly their drones (yay!). So we did just that, played around the area for about 45 minutes while the sun set and took some really cool pictures. If you have time, be sure to swing by the airplane home!

OREGON COASTAL DRIVE

The main reason Caelynn brought us to Oregon was for the scenic coastal drive. I’ve always heard stories about how breathtaking it is, so I was more than excited to finally get to experience it firsthand. We started as far North as we possibly could, in the small town of Astoria. Truth be told, we didn’t find much to see or do in Astoria, BUT if you’re a fan of the 1985 cult classic “The Goonies,” you’ll be in heaven. You can even stop by the house they were going to lose in the film, the very reason they needed to find One Eyed Willy’s gold. Just be sure to park down the street and walk up, as the signs clearly indicate.

WRECK OF THE PETER IREDALE

Our first big stop was the Wreck of the Peter Iredale, a pretty cool ship wreck on the beach. This was my first experience getting to drive a car on the sand, and one of the main reasons Caelynn decided to rent us a Jeep. Getting to fly my drone alongside the car while we drove down the shore was loads of fun, and we each had a blast taking turns, rallying the car around a bit. For those that are looking to do a similar trip, I think a Jeep is the way to go, for this reason alone.

CANNON BEACH

We spent the next few hours driving down to Cannon Beach, where the iconic Haystack Rock rests. When we first pulled up and saw the coastline we both had to stop everything and simply look with adoration. It’s no wonder why the Oregon coast is such a popular tourist attraction, it’s stunning. We decided to book a spot on the water and stay on Cannon Beach for the night. That way we could wake up, walk around Haystack a little bit more, and set off early enough to continue our way down South.

THOR’S WELL

One of the coolest things I uncovered along the coast was Thor’s Well. Most things you see online are much cooler than what you actually get in real life, but not here. To be honest, my expectations were low because of that reason. I didn’t expect to see much. When we first pulled up, it was too cold and wet to warrant a trip down to the rocks to see the water up close. We decided to head back into town, have some dinner, then head back over for sunset. Once we got back, the rain miraculously cleared, the temperature somehow rose, and the tide was high. All this led to a magical sunset off in the distance and some cool shots of Thor’s Well that I consider us lucky to have gotten. We stayed the night in the small town of Yachats nearby, we had driven enough for the day.

SECRET BEACH

I don’t usually like sharing specific locations, to help preserve the mystery and allure of finding it on your own. That said, a simple Google search brings up this secret beach, so how secret can it really be? This was next on our list and, even though we stopped a few times along the coast to take pictures and enjoy the scenery, Secret Beach stole the show, both in good and bad ways. Needless to say, it’s a beautiful secluded beach, and we were lucky to have it to ourselves with nice weather when we arrived, but it wasn’t until a few days later that I realized what I had encountered there. The trail was hard to find at first, so I followed a lesser-traveled path, brushing against many plants and bushes along the way. Turns out, some of those plants carried some poison oak and it left me scratching like a fiend for weeks to come. Still worth it though!

The entire Southern coast of Oregon really is mind-blowing. There were times where I had to pull over and make Caelynn drive just so I didn’t have to focus on driving and could spend my energy admiring the coastline. We made it as far down as the Oregon/California border to see some Redwoods on our last morning of the coastal drive. We got to see some pretty epic trees but the photograph I wanted unfortunately eluded me.

That morning we set out for Portland to catch our flight early the next morning. The drive is about six hours on a straight shot but, of course, I made us stop a few times and go waterfall hunting. It’s not a bad way to break up those long drives and stretch the legs. After a few more fruitless adventures, we made it back to Portland where we got to lay our heads one last time in Oregon before returning home.

As always, when Caelynn and I travel together, here’s her take on the whole trip:

CAELYNN’S CORNER

Back in January, Dean and I decided to keep our surprise trips going, but this time we were going to keep them in the US while Dean’s leg continues to heal. My trip was first, and I had originally planned for us to go to Hawaii, but similar to last time, I accidentally told Dean where we were going. So I changed the plans about a month beforehand and settled on Oregon. I thought it would be the perfect place for us to go, and we could bring Pappy! 

I wrote out a list of things I wanted to see in Oregon, which amounted to be about 20 different stops all over the state. I knew we wouldn’t be able to go to all of them, so I stuck to the coast. I booked our flights, our rental car, and a hotel for two nights in Portland. I figured we would drive down the coast and find a hotel the day of so we didn’t feel rushed. 

I really wanted us to go somewhere where we could take photos, maybe hike a little, visit a beach, and enjoy different scenery. Oregon was perfect for this, it is one of the most beautiful states I have ever been to. It amazed me that at every single turn something new would take my breath away. Eventually we had to stop ourselves from pulling off at every viewpoint, because each one was amazing. 

Portland’s food was great, but other than that we didn’t explore much of the city. We went about 45 minutes outside of the city to Multnomah Falls. While we were there, Dean ran into some people who recommended we go to the airplane home. I did a lot of research prior to our trip, but the airplane home never came up. The next day we ventured out that way. I was pretty sketched out pulling up to it learning that someone actually lives there. I got nervous and we drove out, but I looked through their website and found that we could take photos, fly a drone, etc. It was really cool to see, the owner does tours inside, but those have to be scheduled in advance so I’m hoping it’s something we can do next time!

The next day we started our drive down the coast. We drove north two hours to Astoria to see the remnants of a ship wreck. While we were there we realized we could drive on the beach, something neither of us had ever done before. It felt like something out of a movie with dozens of birds flying alongside our car. It was definitely one of my favorite memories from the trip. That night we stayed at a hotel right on the water and in front of Haystack Rock. It was great to wake up with that view and head down to the beach first thing in the morning. Haystack Rock was incredible, but as we drove down the coast, we found that those big rock formations are everywhere, and yet stumbling upon them never got old. 

The rest of the trip consisted of stopping at different viewpoints and taking photos until we made it to Secret Beach, which was meant to be our final stop on our trip. Secret Beach did not disappoint and definitely lived up to its name. It was a bit difficult getting to it at first because we took the wrong trail, but once we found the correct path it was pretty clearly marked. Secret Beach was my favorite stop we made. It was just the three of us there, and it was so serene.

Overall it was a really fun and relaxing trip. Pappy seemed to be his happiest self on this trip. He loves to hike and explore so his tail was wagging the whole time. I’m excited to go back at some point and see more of Oregon. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s no surprise that Oregon didn’t disappoint. If anything, the most disappointing thing was that we didn’t get enough time to spend exploring the state. This trip was especially great because we got to bring along our little Pappy. Costs were a little bit higher because we had to pay pet deposits at hotels and pay for his flight, but he did great and it was so worth it. Every day he impresses us with his ability and willingness to dive in head first. He’s the coolest little man ever.

On our third day in Oregon things regarding COVID-19 began getting more serious, at least domestically. We considered cutting our trip short but, since the stay-at-home order had yet to be issued, we figured continuing on and maintaining our distance from people was a sound strategy. We weren’t directly affected by closures or anything at that time so the trip still went off without a hitch. That said, we’ve since self-isolated and are doing are best to flatten the curve here in Los Angeles. Once this is all said and done, we’re looking forward to carrying on as usual.

Have you been to Oregon and know of any spots we might’ve missed? I’m definitely already excited to be planning a return trip. I get the sense that summer in Oregon is hard to top anywhere else. Please let us know where we should visit upon our return, it’ll be greatly appreciated!

And don’t forget to check out Caelynn’s vlog on YouTube from our trip to Oregon! CLICK HERE

Recovery

A few weeks ago I wrote about my ski accident in the Swiss Alps (if you haven’t read it yet, click here). When I wrote that I didn’t get the chance to share more about my recovery process because it was still so fresh. I want to share the process I’ve gone through and, as always, the cost of everything for me so far.

As of this writing I am 13 weeks removed from surgery. I’m walking around without crutches and my recovery seems to be right on track. It’s been frustrating knowing that I won’t just wake up one morning and be back to normal. I knew it would be a slow grind but the idea of it was easier to swallow than the actual process itself. 

I’ve sought out a few different methods to hopefully expedite the healing process. If I have to wait 6-9 months to be back to 100% then so be it, but, if I can speed that up at all, I don’t see any harm in it. I’ll start by writing about my insurance provider, then a few elective treatments I’ve undergone.

INSURANCE

Ahh, health insurance. Up to this point in my life, it’s not something I’ve ever really needed. I don’t have any recurring health issues, no prescriptions to fill, no contact lenses or glasses needed, and, even though I enjoy a few dangerous activities, I never really seemed to hurt myself too seriously. I had Kaiser for half of 2019 but replaced a lost credit card, messed up my auto pay, and never took the time to renew it. That means, as you might’ve guessed, I didn’t have any health insurance on the day I crashed in Switzerland. I wrote about how grateful I am that the accident was in a country with affordable, and phenomenal, healthcare . Otherwise I would have way more of a financial burden on my hands.  

While I was laying in the hospital bed, I started shopping around for insurance providers to help cover the cost of all the things once I got back to the US. After speaking to a few friends who work in healthcare, I decided to pull the trigger on a newer insurance provider, Oscar. I’m pretty sure it’s only available to those of us that live in Southern California, but so far they’ve been nothing short of extraordinary. I bought the most expensive plan they offered, simply because I knew I’d need be in and out of doctors offices, physical therapy, and more over the next 6+ months. 

My plan has me paying $450/month for coverage. My physical therapy costs $150/session but, with my insurance, I pay $15 out the door (saving me $1,080/month if I have 2 sessions every week). I’ve had several meetings with general physicians, hip specialists, and have gotten two different sets of x-rays and have paid a total of $0 for all of that. 

Now that I’m getting healthier and can start doing more and more, I’m beginning to go to other specialists for things like acupuncture and chiropractic. Much to my surprise, it’s all covered by my insurance too. It looks like Oscar was able to make me a believer in health insurance after all. Their providers are limited at the moment but they’re growing and, if you live in SoCal, I highly recommend them!

STEM CELL THERAPY

I’ve been familiar with stem cells for a while but I had the wrong idea of what they are exactly. I used to think embryonic stem cells were the only option available to us and always found it to be incredibly interesting, albeit ethically questionable. Fortunately, modern medicine has found new ways to harvest stem cells that are much more humane, more reliable, and can be just as regenerative. 

Not long after my accident I received a message from Axis Stem Cell up in Seattle. At first I brushed it off and didn’t seriously consider getting treatment, simply because I didn’t know much about the process. I spoke to two of my close friends about it and, drawing from their personal experience, they strongly urged me to give it a try. So that’s what I did! Axis and I settled on a date for treatment and I was to fly up North to get it done. The process is as simple as extracting bone marrow, putting it through a series of treatments, and injecting the bone marrow derived stem cells into the troubled area; in this case, my hip and leg.

After getting my bloodwork done in LA and sending over my post-op x-rays and medical history, I was ready to go. I flew up to Seattle and met with the team. Everyone was incredibly friendly and informative, and were able to answer any and all questions I had regarding the procedure. Once I got onto the table and laid down they applied a local anesthetic to numb the area they planned on extracting the marrow from. After about 10-15 minutes of work, they were able to get 5 vials of marrow blood removed. I had never had marrow withdrawn before. It’s an uncomfortable process, but Bryn from Axis was supportive and encouraging the whole way. The biggest moment of discomfort came from the initial syringe that established the flow of blood out of my bone. From there they treated the blood and prepared it to be injected back into my body.

I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I knew everything they were doing. Medicine has some big words and fancy terms that go way over my head. Once they treated the marrow blood, they added exosomes to supplement the healing properties of the blood. Another local anesthetic was applied to my right hip and leg so I could bear the needles and pain that was to come. After about another 20 minutes on the table, we had cleared four vials of stem cell and I was ready to be put on an IV to replenish some of the nutrients I had lost. 

The 5th vial of blood was added to an IV drip, along with; glutathione, ascorbic acid, and a Myers cocktail. That all got absorbed into my bloodstream over the next 20 minutes and from there I was good to go. I’m hopeful this treatment will significantly expedite my recovery process, and the testimonials I’ve seen keep me optimistic!

I had this procedure done at the end of February, 2020. It’s hard to be certain whether or not this procedure has aided in my recovery. How can I be certain that I’m more healthy now than I would have been had I not undergone the treatment? At the end of the day, I will never know. I do know that I am very happy with how my recovery has gone. The first week or two after my stem cell treatment, I was sore and experienced residual pain from the procedure, but that didn’t last long.

Stem cells can be a daunting thing. If you want to hear more, there are a few interesting podcasts that might be worth listening to. After my treatment, I listened to Bad Batch and let my mind wander. Then I listened to Doctor Death and really got into my own head. Both of these podcasts don’t really apply to my situation but it’s still a little disconcerting to listen to crazy situations like these. Bad Batch seems to apply solely to embryonic stem cells, which is not the same procedure I underwent.

HYPERBARIC CHAMBER

After my treatment at Axis, they offered to send me to a local hyperbaric chamber for an hour of added recovery. Hyperbaric chamber technology is pretty cool and it’s something a few other friends had recommended but it wasn’t something I decided to take seriously until seeing for myself.

Once I got back to Los Angeles, I found a local treatment center close by by the name of O2 UP. For $550 I got six 1 hour sessions in hyperbaric chamber over the course of a week. It’s hard to be certain whether or not these types of treatments can be effective but I had an enjoyable experience and I do think I benefitted from my first six sessions. Once it becomes appropriate, I plan on scheduling six more sessions to help my recovery further.

Here’s a quick direct quote from the website to get a better idea of what hyperbaric is:

“Hyperbaric oxygen therapy works in an incredibly simple yet effective way. By taking oxygen and placing it under greater than normal pressure we are able to push this oxygen into your blood plasma, tissues, and body fluids; literally super-oxygenating your entire system.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Up until this point, I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of maintaining a positive attitude. There have been times where I’ve gotten frustrated or annoyed with my own inability to do simple things like I used to be able to do, but I know it’s only temporary.

With the current state of world affairs, my rehab has been slowed down just a little. Obviously I won’t be going to physical therapy or the hyperbaric chamber anytime soon, but I am still able to workout from home. In addition, I was planning on beginning acupuncture but that will have to wait until things are able to return to normal.

As of now, my pain is minimal but it’s not completely gone. I notice weird tingling sensations where the plate is on my femur. I can’t sleep on my right side for very long without being in extreme discomfort. I haven’t regained my flexibility entirely, which means putting on socks and shoes still presents its challenges. My muscles still have a long way to go to get back to normal and regain their former strength. But, all that said, things have been going well. I go through most days without being hindered in any way by the injury. The soreness lingers a little longer after a challenging workout but that’ll only lead to more strength later on.

Although I was skeptical about the stem cell treatment I received, I’m very happy with the results I’ve been seeing. I do believe that I wouldn’t be as far along as I am had I not undergone the procedure. If you’re thinking about having a similar procedure, please let me know if you have any questions!

It’s wishful thinking, but I hope to be back to normal by the time this quarantine is over with. As of this writing, we’re stuck inside until at least April 30th. Personally, I think that’ll get extended even further. I’m aiming for a full recovery by the end of May 2020. If I don’t quite make it by then, that’ll be ok. I don’t think I’m too far off from that being realistic though. A 5-7 month recovery is just about what I expected when I was laying in the hospital in Switzerland.

Unrelated to the recovery process thus far but I hope to get the 5 screws and plate removed from my leg in November 2020. I think they’d give me lasting discomfort if I don’t get them taken out. Not to mention the idea of having all that in there just feels weird to me. I’ve gotten mixed responses from medical professionals. Some encourage me to remove them, others say not to unless I have a reason to. We will see what happens over the next few months, but I hope to have them taken out eventually.

Thanks for reading! I may have left a few things unclear or left some of your questions unaddressed or unanswered. If you have anything to add or any questions whatsoever, please feel free to comment them below! I’ll do my best to respond to every one of them. Thanks for reading!

Home Is Where You Park The Van

I’ve mentioned it before; I firmly believe moving out of my house in Venice, CA and into my van fulltime was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The decision to do so was equally met with criticism and excitement from my friends, but met, almost entirely, with criticism once I debuted my lifestyle change to the world on Bachelor In Paradise. That’s ok though, I don’t expect everyone to understand. That’s part of the fun.

So here’s my blog post on my van. The things I spent money on, the things I did right, the things I did wrong, and the things I would do differently. I’m not sure why, but I already know this will be the most challenging post I’ve written. I think it’s because I did a lot more wrong than I did right and, while I love my van, there’s a certain amount of shame that comes along with how much money I spent on it. 

So…. Let’s get to it!

BUT FIRST ….WHY?

I can’t write a post about my pride and joy without first talking about why I decided to do this. It’s a great question I’ve been asked frequently but I don’t have an exact answer to it. 

i have some buried photos of the bus somewhere but this is about the best shot of it that i’ve been able to uncover at the moment.

It’s important to me to mention that this isn’t the first time I have lived in an automobile. I was born in a small town (I think?) in New Jersey, the youngest of four kids. When I was just barely a year old my family packed all of our belongings into a 40 foot conversion bus. The reason for this remains a mystery to me, even to this day. I’ve heard a few different explanations from different family members but at this point it’s basically like folklore that’s been passed through too many channels to really know the truth. I don’t know what, or who, to believe. All I know is that for the proceeding four years of my life, that bus was our home. 

As you can imagine, I don’t remember a whole lot of those years because I was so young. Between the ages of 1 and 5 we lived on that bus. From what I’ve heard, my father pan handled for cash on the side of the road, my mom sold temporary tattoos at gas stations and carnivals, and somehow they were able to feed 6 mouths during that time. I have just a few memories but nothing concrete. The most permanent thing I have from that era is the scar on my forehead that I got from stealing my sister’s bicycle when I was convinced I didn’t need my training wheels anymore (turns out I did). 

you can see another bit of the bus here, with all the siblings gathered for a group shot, sporting our sweet haircuts and impeccable style.

Four years is a lot of time to spend living in that environment and I do think it ultimately brought our family much closer together. It’s a unique experience that not everyone gets to (or has to) experience. Eventually we found ourselves in an RV park in Carbondale, CO where my father started finding a lot of work in construction. After enough time, we were able to move out of the bus and into a house near Aspen, Colorado. 

The purpose of shedding a little more light on that is because I do think it embedded something in all of us. Whether it’s a good or bad thing is purely subjective but there’s no denying that it instilled a nomadic spirit in me and my three siblings. I can only imagine that it’s affected us all in different ways. And how could it not? We all varied so greatly in age and we all had such different experiences. Sometimes I think about how maybe my yearning to move into a van was a way for me to somehow reconnect with my past. 

no bus picture in this one, just wanted to supple more ammo for people to make fun of our hair.

Fast forward to January, 2019. At this point I’ve been living in Los Angeles for just under four years and feel like I’ve hit a proverbial wall. LA is a wonderful city with so much to offer but I felt like the things I was doing were leaving me unfulfilled and only left me ridden with anxiety. I think the biggest reason being that I stopped feeling challenged and, without experiencing growth anymore, I started to question what I was doing. I wanted to move to a new city and try something new but I didn’t know where, especially considering I had so many friends in LA, my podcast, and whatever else I needed to be local for. 

It was about right after I saw Free Solo for the first time that I started to seriously consider the possibility of living in a conversion van full time. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, it’s a must-watch. Alex Honnold is an insane person in the best way possible. Seeing firsthand (through the television) how he was able to conquer a dream of his by devoting all his time, energy, relationships, and living space, is what ultimately ignited the fire inside of me to pull the trigger and start looking for a suitable van.

FINDING THE RIGHT VAN

The search for the right van began almost immediately. Picking out the van that was best suited for my needs proved to be more challenging than I thought. You really have no idea how many options are out there until you start seriously entertaining the idea of purchasing one.

At first I wanted to buy a VW Weekender simply because I loved the vintage look and feel of them. After extensive research I decided it wouldn’t be appropriate for my needs because I planned on putting a lot of miles on the van. Next I considered buying an extended Ford E350 4x4. The one I was looking at was an absolute beast of a car but, after enough consideration, I realized a low top van wouldn’t do the trick. 

side profile of the green monster.

For those looking at doing something similar, I believe my boolean was something as simple as “conversion van” or simply narrowing down the exact make and model you wanted. The biggest advice I can think to give when looking on Craigslist is consider looking in different areas of the US. It’s no secret that states in the PNW or Rocky Mountain regions are going to have more suitable options. And I was certainly willing to fly a few thousand miles to procure the van and drive it back if it was good enough of a deal. 

The thing with most conversion vans or vans that you would use to convert into a living space, if you plan on buying used, is that they are going to rack up the miles. I kept seeing Sprinter vans with more than 200,000 miles on them being sold for well over $10,000. My thought was; if I plan on buying and living in this thing, I want it to have low mile because I want it to last for as long as possible. Especially considering that I want to keep it for the rest of my life and will be putting a good amount of money into it. 

Eventually I came across a listing in Colorado. But not JUST in Colorado, in the Roaring Fork Valley (as mentioned above). But not JUST in the Roaring Fork Valley, being sold by a man who lived less than half of a mile from the small house I spent my elementary years in in Basalt, CO. The van was listed for around $33,000 which was well over what I wanted to spend. My initial hope was to buy a van for around $10,000 and put another $5,000 to $10,000 into it. But it never works out how we originally hope, does it?

I took it as a sign from above, that my nation-wide search for a van lead me to the place where I spent my adolescent years. Before I met the owner of the van, I had to get my finances in order. My original hope was to take out a car loan but, buying this type of van, my bank wouldn’t give me that type of loan. My next hope was to take out a $30,000 personal loan, both to not take a big financial hit and to help bolster my credit worthiness (credit is something I’ve never been great at building). Unfortunately for me, however, my personal loan got denied so I had to pay out of pocket. I got a cashiers check for $25,000 and withdrew $5,000 cash. The listing price was $33,000 but I decided I wasn’t paying more than $30k and figured I’d start negotiating at a baseline price of $25,000. 

my father standing in front of my new home on the day of purchase.

After a climbing trip in New Mexico, I took a bus from Denver to Basalt to meet the guy selling the van. It was crazy to take a trip down memory lane, as I drove up to his house in the small community I used to know so well. The van itself is a 2006 Dodge Sprinter 2500 high top with about 65,000 miles on it and painted a matte green color. I decided a high top was imperative because I knew I’d want to be able to stand inside. (Side note: that was a weird year for the Sprinter; the engine is a Mercedes Benz turbo diesel but the body is a Dodge.) The inside had already been slightly converted, the perfect amount for me to be able to get in there and apply a personal touch. The interior was insulated, lined with wood, and there was already a bed frame, roof vent, and auxiliary battery. It really was about as good as I could have hoped for. Low miles, high roof, already framed out which saved me from having to do the more difficult work of insulating and building the wood frame. 

I was able to talk the seller down from $33k to $27,500 out the door which I was pretty satisfied with. From there it was simply a matter of driving it back to my house in California. The van handled the drive capably and, from there, the renovation process began.

THE BUILD

As I mentioned above, the build was far less involved than having to start from scratch. My father offered to fly out and help me convert the van, seeing how he had experience from doing the same thing to our mobile home over 25 years prior. I took him up on the offer and we got to work. 

inside the van after gutting it and staining the wood.

The renovation really is an ongoing process but the initial push to get the van into a comfortable state took us just about five days. If you want to check out some of the videos I took, they’re uploaded on @dean_by_the_river on Instagram. I’ve done a poor job of continuously updating that page, however. We stained the interior to darken the wood and give it more of a log cabin feel. We installed wood floors, a kitchen sink, water pump, fresh and grey water tanks under the sink, cabinets up top for clothes and groceries, lights under the cabinets, and a garage space to store all my things. 

The bed we built is honestly more comfortable than any other bed I’ve ever slept in. We built a full-size bed frame and bookshelf to house the mattress. I simply got 3” foam for a base and then a 3” thick memory foam mattress topper from Costco. If I were to go back and do things differently I would probably opt for a smaller bed, I really don’t need all that space to roll around in there. But it’s nice to have for when Caelynn is with me, or if I have friends sleep in it, rather than having to setting up a tent. 

the back of the van, or, as i like to call it, the garage. before installing a heavy duty slider.

For privacy I got custom made black out curtains that match the size and shape of each window. They each have velcro and simply velcro to the window. I paid way too much for these because I had to get them rushed and I chose premium fabric. Another mistake I would have done differently if I knew better. For four windows it cost me about $450. 

SOLAR

The idea of solar panels is what really sold me on the idea. To be able to generate energy from the sun and, theoretically, never run out of juice was too good to pass up. It did, however, turn out to be a little more expensive than I had hoped. I bought these solar panels on Amazon; 2 for $306 and these solar batteries, 2 for $413. The installation seemed too daunting for me so I brought the van, panels, and batteries to Rick’s RV Center in El Cajon, CA. They were able to squeeze me in that week and got the panels installed on the roof and ran the cables into the cab where the batteries were to be stored. They didn’t, however, complete the job by attaching the cables to the batteries. Pretty frustrating considering I spent over $1,400 on the install. On top of that, I was caught in a rainstorm in November and noticed a small leak coming through my roof. Needless to say, I’m not too pleased with the service but it is what it is. If you plan on going the route of professional install, I hope this info helps!

the disconnected solar batteries.

The biggest reason I haven’t put up more of a fuss about the solar panels not yet being connected to their batteries is because I have a small auxiliary battery underneath the passenger seat that gets recharged when the engine is running. Thanks to that battery I have enough power throughout the van to charge my electronics, power my water pump, ceiling fan, and internal lights. It is, however, very small and only lasts through the night before I need to turn the van on again and charge it up. Usually it just charges while I drive to a new location so I haven’t been severely inconvenienced by not having the solar hooked up just yet. I do plan on connecting it all myself in the next few weeks.

ROOF RACK

I knew I wanted a roof rack since I first got the van. Not only are they extremely practical and basically double your storage space, but it makes the van look so much cooler. Since I was going to have the solar panels on the front half of the roof and a rack on the back half, I had to get the rack custom made. I found a shop in San Diego that was able to do it all for just over $1,000. That sounds like a lot of money (and it is) but it really seemed like a good deal and I’m happy with their work. The model of van I have has these weird rain gutters on the side and mounting the rack to the roof of the van wasn’t as straight forward as you may think. If you’re looking for a roof rack, and you’re in SoCal, be sure to check them out here.

my friend Tiffany, testing out the new roof rack + ladder.

REPAIRS

Repairs are something I didn’t really take into consideration with the van but, as you can see, have proven to be pretty costly already. Any used car is going to have its issues, and sometimes you can convince the seller to have it checked before selling, but I always just go with my gut, for better or worse. The van made the 1,000 mile drive from CO to CA no problem, but I immediately took it into the dealership to see if there were any pressing issues that needed to be addressed. With it being a Mercedes Benz engine, the repairs are probably more expensive than most other vans like the Pro Master or E350. The first slate of fixes ran me about $2,000 and then a few other, more minor, things along the way had to be fixed. I’ve read horror stories online about these engines succumbing to things like the ‘black death’ and I’ll do anything I can to stop that from happening. 

doesn’t apply to the “repairs” section but here’s an up to date shot of the living area.

The most frustrating thing that’s happened up to this point was an issue with my turbo. The turbo would randomly go out, and leave me in limp mode, which makes the van top out at around 40 mph. I took it to multiple mechanics and paid around $800 to have it “fixed” but at the end of the day nothing was working. I took a closer look myself and noticed a small cut in a hose that I replaced on my own for $70, it has since fixed the issue. Obviously I’m more to blame than anything here, I should have tried to fix it on my own, from the beginning. But still, it was a nuisance.

MISCELLANEOUS

The miscellaneous costs that went into the van were things like wood, lighting, entertainment, etc. My dad and I were able to keep the cost relatively low on those simpler things which helped keep me from having to pay even more at the end of the day. I threw a 13” iPad ($413) in the back to make it easy to just download movies and shows on Netflix. 

my closet sits above the bookshelf / entertainment area. the white faux stone is the top to a secret compartment where i keep small, loose items.

A few frequently asked questions I get: How do you stay warm at night?: I bought a cheap diesel heater on amazon for just under $200 that I haven’t gotten around to installing. Fortunately, I haven’t been stuck in many cold places yet and thus haven’t been overly motivated to get it hooked up. I do plan on getting it all together sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I have a top sheet, quilt, and weighted blanket I sleep with every night that seem to do more than enough of a job to keep me warm. In an extreme situation, I also have a sleeping bag rated for zero degrees that I could break out, if need be.

the side entrance into the van

How do you cook food?: I’ve never been much of a chef so cooking food in the van doesn’t happen all that often. I have a Coleman camp grill that is ready to be bust open at a moment's notice but so far I’ve really only used that to boil water (and even that is only when I don’t know where my jet boil is). If I’m driving around, I like to try new food in whichever region I’m in. That certainly helps diminish the amount of time I spend cooking, for better or for worse.

Where do you go to the bathroom?: When I first got the van I really wanted to get this toilet to go under my bed. But with a price tag of nearly $1,000 I wanted to make sure it was something I really needed before pulling the trigger. After a few trips in the van, I realized it wasn’t necessary for me to have. If I really have to go to the bathroom I either go outside (if I’m in an appropriate place to do so), or find a bathroom nearby (if it’s number two). This system has done well for me so far. When Caelynn spends an extended amount of time with me in the van (2+ days), I always make sure to find a campsite with a bathroom set up.

my clean and grey water tank. both are 6 gallons.

Where do you shower?: In lakes, or rivers, or streams ;) …No but really, the showering component of van living hasn’t really proved to be too much of an issue either. The longest I’ll go without showering is probably 4 to 5 days which, to some, might sound like a lot but, to a dirtbag like me, really isn’t that long at all. Sometimes I’ll book a cheap hotel room to recharge my batteries and have a bigger space to relax for a night. And sometimes I’ll shower in a gym after getting a workout in. By the way, gym going has really seemed to take a back seat over the past 9 months.

What about protection?: I thought about whether or not I should include this in my write up, but, at the end of the day, it’s a question I’m often asked and this is the truth so there’s no point in not sharing, even though it is a bit contentious. The long and short of it is; I have a gun. I keep it in a locked safe in an undisclosed location in my van. I am the only one that is able to open the safe at all times and the gun is only available to me, if/when I would need it. I purchased the gun legally in California, have all the proper documentation for it, and have taken gun safety courses to ensure my handling of the weapon is appropriate. All things considered, it cost me just about $1,000 for the set up I have (not included in the price breakdown above) and it provides peace of mind whenever I rest my head in a new place. At the end of the day, I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

the sleeping quarters with the black out shades hung up and pixie lights turned on.

Where do you park the van to sleep?: There are a few apps and websites out there that are able to show you where you can safely, and legally, park your car for the night to sleep. I haven’t used much of those yet and haven’t run into too many issues. It’s widely understood that you can park in Wal-Mart parking lots over night without having to worry about being harassed. I’ve used that as an resource a few times. Typically, I like to get off the beaten path and sleep either in designated campgrounds (usually comes with a fee) or off a frontage road that doesn’t see much traffic. There have been a few instances where I’ve been forced to move, but that’s been very infrequent.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So there you have it, a pretty rough idea of why and how I moved my life into a van. As mentioned above, I ended up spending quite a bit more than I originally had hoped, and I still have a long way to go to outfit the van exactly how I want it. I do enjoy the idea that it’ll be pretty easy to redo the interior if and when I get bored of what I have and I want to upgrade. I’ve seen tons of van conversion companies that do this same thing but on a much, much higher level. From what I’ve gathered, that process typically costs north of $50,000 (van not included). 

an up to date shot of the garage (could probably use a reorg).

I wanted to put more of an emphasis on traveling in 2019 and, by moving into a van, I was able to do just that. I still have so much to explore around the US and Central and South America but this move helped make me feel less guilty about traveling internationally so much too. Something about paying $2,000 per month to rent a bedroom that I only slept in about a quarter of the time didn’t sit right with me. If you crunch the number on that, I’ve been living rent free for 9 months, that’s $18,000 I’ve saved, which means I’ve already recouped half of my investment. Not bad! 

As far as spending time in the van domestically; aside from a few dedicated trips I’ve made, I have been slacking on spending quality time in there. Over the past 9 months I’d guess that I’ve slept in the van between 40 to 60 nights. Now, that’s not so bad, and my injury has completely derailed a lot of things, but I do plan on spending a lot more time in there in 2020.

The van is definitely my prized possession and it makes me happier than I ever could have hoped. Gas mileage is pretty solid too, at right around 23mpg , it’s the most fuel efficient vehicle i’ve ever owned. Caelynn is a bit too timid to drive it because it’s so large and tall, it acts like a sail on windy days. That means whenever it’s her and me, I’m driving the whole time. I don’t mind though, I’ve grown accustomed to enjoying the long drives. When I have a buddy or brother on a trip with me; it’s nice to switch drivers and nap in the back when need be. I really feel like the possibilities are endless and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

Thanks for reading! Do you have any questions that I’ve left unanswered? I want to be as much of an open book as I can be with all of this, so please feel free to ask away and I will do my best to shed some light for you. Also, if you have any recommendations for me, I would love to hear them!

closing note: the titile of this post is an ode to my late mother, who was writing a book entitled “Home Is Where You Park The Bus.” a book whose pages rest somewhere unbeknownst to our family.

2019: A Year In Review

As I mentioned in my post last week, ideally I would’ve liked to get this post up first in 2020 but, alas, that’s not how it worked out. Better late than never! 

If 2019 was only 356 days long it would have been, by far, the best year of my life. Truth be told, even counting the last 9 days of the year where I broke my leg and spent just short of a week in the hospital, it still makes a strong case for the best year yet. I often wonder when this trend is going to start moving in the opposite direction. It seems like each year outperforms the one before for one reason or another. Is it sustainable? In theory, probably not. But I’m happy riding it out for as long as I can. 

For my ‘Year In Review’ post I’m going to go through 2019 month by month and highlight either my biggest achievement, happiest moment, or most challenging obstacle. I’ll keep each month as brief as I can because there are so many to get through and some of them will be about places or things I’ve already written about. 

So let’s get to it!

JANUARY

The year couldn’t have started out any better than it did. I’ve wanted to learn how to skydive my whole life. In fact, I have a distinct memory from 5th grade where I was sitting in the cafeteria thinking about how awesome it would be to get to do one day. As I got older, and moved into the real world, things never aligned properly for me to be able to pursue that dream. It is an expensive hobby and I just never seemed to have the means (or the time) to introduce myself to the sport. 

On January 11th, 2019 I had my first ever solo skydive and it blew my expectations out of the water. I was lucky enough to get to learn at one of the best drop zones in the world, Skydive Perris. It’s a sport I’m looking forward to doing a whole lot more of in the coming years. The hardest thing up to this point has just been finding enough time to live on the DZ and get more jumps in. 63 jumps in 12 months just won’t cut it for 2020. I can’t say enough about how skydiving has instilled new life and confidence in me on a daily basis. 

I do plan on writing a whole dedicated post to my skydiving experience so I’ll keep this short. It’s an expensive hobby and the licensing process can be a bit confusing so I’m excited to share how that all works and my experience in greater detail at some point. 

FEBRUARY

Growing up in the mountains in Colorado we had to find ways to entertain ourselves once the sun went down. Something I learned at a very young age was that the Denver Broncos are the best football team in sports history and it’s not even close. Because of that allegiance to my beloved donkeys, I grew up obsessing about the sport whenever it was in season. The Broncos won a pair of Super Bowls in the late 90’s and then another in 2016, which was more fun for me because I was old enough to understand what was going on and relish in the victory. Like any fan of the sport, I had always dreamt of actually going to a Super Bowl, regardless of who was playing in it. 

In early February I got to do just that. I partnered with Expensify and flew out to Atlanta to watch the Los Angeles Rams play the New England Patriots. An interesting mix of teams because I had lived in LA for 4 years at this point so I was coming around on them and, like everyone who isn’t a fan of them, I absolutely despise the Patriots (though I do recognize them as an unbelievably successful sports franchise. That’s probably why they’re so universally hated). Going to the game was awesome and the whole Super Bowl experience is one of a kind. It was something I never thought I’d get the chance to do and am grateful for every second I had out there. 

MARCH

Growing up in the mountains also taught me that not all ski slopes are created equally. We were spoiled in Aspen with the snow and access to ski it almost whenever we wanted. Up until a couple years ago, I had actually never skied in another state outside of Colorado. At the end of February I partnered with All Nippon Airways and flew out to Niseko, Japan to ski with some of my buddies for a week. 

Japan is heralded as having some of the best skiing in the world. The snow is light and the mountains are awesome. The irony in this trip is that during the week we were in Japan, there was 0” of new snowfall and in places like Colorado and Northern California, there was about 12” of new snow accumulating every single night. All in all, I was still more than stoked to be out there skiing on mountains in a whole other country with some of my great friends. My plan was to return in January 2020 but, of course, shit happens. 

APRIL

April is always the best month of the year, and not just because it’s my birthday month. Spring is my absolute favorite season. The warm weather, birds start chirping again, the plants start coming back to life and it all makes for some of the most peaceful moments. This April in particular was one of the biggest yet. As many of you know, I decided to move my life into a van full time in 2019 so I could travel more freely and more often. I made this decision in January but, after months of searching, I finally purchased my new home-to-be on April 27, 2019 in my hometown of Basalt, Colorado. 

I plan on writing in greater depth about this too so I’ll spare most of the finer details but this decision wound up being one of the most influential on the rest of my year, and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

MAY

May yielded one of my favorite trips of all time. It was actually my birthday present to myself. I was sitting in a parking lot, about to go into my climbing gym, and I came across a post on Instagram of an unbelievable landscape and I knew I had to see it firsthand so I booked a ticket right then and there to fly me to China in a couple weeks. 

China was one hell of an experience. Never in my life have I traveled solo to a place where communicating with the locals proved to be so challenging but so much fun. Every single day was a new adventure and didn’t disappoint. Nine days in China by myself was an experience I’ll never forget and one that I hope to get to do again sometime very soon.

If you’re thinking about traveling to China, be sure to check out my blog post on it, where I outline all my costs and the planning process, including how and where to acquire a Visa. 

JUNE

June was a big month for so many reasons. First, it was the month I officially moved out of my house and into my van full time. The renovation process took a little over a week once I got it to Los Angeles and then I had to coordinate the rest of the move. It’s challenging to minimize all your worldly possessions from what we’re used to having and fitting it all into 62 square feet. 

For those that follow me from the Bachelor franchise, June was also a big month for me because that is when we filmed Bachelor in Paradise down in Mexico. After a lot of back and forth on whether or not I wanted to actually go, I decided to take the chance and see what happens. It was smooth sailing at first, then got a little rocky in the middle, but it all worked out for the best because I left the show with an awesome girlfriend who loves to travel as much as I do and even doesn’t mind spending time in the van. Eventually I’ll write a dedicated post to my time on the show and I’ll detail this whole experience a lot more but, for now, I’ll leave it at this. June was a good month. 

JULY

Almost immediately after returning to LA from filming I left for Europe for about three weeks. I met up with some friends in Greece to sail around the Greek islands for a week, visited Spain to run with the bulls (an experience I don’t regret but, for many reasons, would never do again. As I’ve mentioned above, I plan on writing more about this), and then jetted off to Italy to spend some time with my girlfriend. 

But my best memory from this month came once I got back to the U.S. and took my van on its inaugural road trip. I drove it from LA -> Tahoe -> Boise -> Jackson Hole -> Moab and back to LA. The van did great, I got to bring my beautiful little puppy with me, hang out with my brothers, and just all around have an amazing, care-free time traveling around the country. I need more of this in 2020. 

AUGUST

That road trip in July bled into the first week or so of August when me and both my brothers met up in Jackson Hole for some much needed bro time. I spent about a week in Jackson just hanging out and spending time with my one brother who lives there. We hiked a bunch, explored the town, and I got to visit Yellowstone for the first time. But after a week my other brother showed up and was determined to climb to the top of the Grand Teton via the Upper Exum route. I don’t know if they would ever admit to this but I think the original plan was for just them two to climb it together until I invited myself and told them they couldn’t do it without me. 

We spent two days in the Tetons together hiking and climbing until we eventually reached the summit of the Grand. This was hands down one of the most fulfilling moments of my whole 2019. To be able to stand on top of this massive peak with two of my favorite people in the whole world was exactly what I needed and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

SEPTEMBER

September was yet another glorious month in 2019 for me! I had a couple missteps in September that limited me a little more than I would have liked but that’s just life, sometimes you get slowed down just a bit. Climbing in the Tetons I slipped and slid down a glacier high in the mountains and wound up in a pile of rocks with a (self diagnosed) fractured ulna. A few weeks later I was in Denver for Broncos opening day and fell hard and awkwardly on my shoulder which led to a (also self diagnosed) torn rotator cuff. Despite the limitations that came from these injuries I still did as much as I possibly could.

It started with a climbing trip in early September to Zion National Park. Unfortunately, since I wasn’t able to lift my left arm above my head, I was relegated to photographer and spectator. But c’mon, it was in Zion NP, one of the most beautiful places in the world. On this same trip we hiked Angels Landing, a bucket list item for me, and through the Narrows of Zion. I was here with my brother and two of our friends who were perpetually stoked to be doing the things we were doing. Can’t ask for more than that.

Later in the month I made my first steps ever on the continent of Africa. To me, Africa seems like the great white buffalo, somehow almost unattainable. It’s so large and imposing with so much to explore. It’s far enough away from the USA, and culturally so different, I think it deters a lot of people from wanting to make the extended journey out there. I know one day I will be able to pay a visit to Africa proper and hopefully spend an extended period of time exploring the country and meeting new people. Egypt was just the tip of the iceberg. I have wanted to see the pyramids in person for as long as I can remember so I booked a flight and spent just over a week exploring the culturally rich country. There’s more to write about in regard to Egypt and I will do so eventually. Be on the lookout for that post coming in 2020!

OCTOBER

The first trip of October sent Caelynn and me to Hawaii to celebrate my best friends sisters wedding. We visited the island of Maui and got to kick back and relax on the western side of the island in the resort, but also venture out and explore a little more of what the island has to offer. Hawaii is world renowned for its tropical landscape, waterfalls, and unbelievable landscape. A few waterfall hikes, good friends, and riding a motorcycle to and from the Road to Hana made for an epic trip. Yet another trip I’m excited to write more about. Turns out Hawaii is expensive. Who woulda thought?

I don’t talk much about my rock climbing endeavors and there’s a reason for it. Simply put, I’m not that good and it’s something that still terrifies me but I love doing it anyway. My friends are usually the ones putting up routes and I’ll follow up behind them cleaning their gear. The more I do it, the more fun it becomes and, in 2019, I made some fulfilling strides in the sport. I started leading bolted 5.10’s and getting more adventurous with the trips and routes I was willing to try. In mid October my buddy and I took a trip to Red Rocks National Park to climb for a week. The highlight of my month was climbing Epinephrine, a 1,600 foot tall, 13 pitch mega classic with ~500 feet of chimney climbing that was soul crushing. We started before sunrise and didn’t get back to my van until about midnight. A few scares along the way and questioning whether we were going to have to sleep on the peak or not all made for one of my favorite experiences of the whole year.

NOVEMBER

As I write this I keep reminding myself of all the fun things I got to experience last year. I thought it’d be a lot easier to pick one thing from each month that was the clear cut favorite but it’s turned out to be a little more challenging than that. November was no different because there were two trips that completely blew my mind.

I already wrote about this here but Havasu Falls was the trip of a lifetime in one of the most scenic locations in North America. Better yet, it was all put together by my lovely girlfriend! How did I get so lucky? We spent 4 days and 4 nights on the reservation, camping and hiking through the area, gawking over the waterfalls and swimming around in the pools. The time of year left us with shorter days which was kind of a bummer but, at the end of the day, it just gives us a reason to visit again during summer.

Not long after Havasu, we took a trip to Guatemala to climb some volcanoes. I wrote about it here if you’re interested in seeing how much it cost and how we went about planning it. Earlier in 2019 my plan was to visit Guatemala alone and experience this trip by myself but I’m glad I got to take it all in with Caelynn by my side. Not only were the views impressive, the erupting volcano mind-blowing, but she continued to surprise me with her persistence and determination to climb things with me.

DECEMBER

And here we are, at the final month of the year. After all those overwhelmingly positive and awesome months, it only makes sense that we finally have one that isn’t all smiles and rainbows. The month started out as great as ever, with trips to Ireland and Saint Lucia, but things were destined to come crashing down later in the month.

As I wrote about here, I had a ski accident on December 23rd while in the Swiss Alps. Resulting in a fractured femur and dislocated hip that required surgery and 5 screws + a plate to be put in my right hip. A tragic ending to a year that was entirely waaaay too good to me. The more I dwell on my injury the more accepting of it and, weirdly enough, excited about it I become. I didn’t go to therapy in 2019 but in 2018 I had quite a few sessions. My therapist once told me that I have a habit of digging myself into a hole just to see if I can get myself out of it. Whether that be financially, romantically, or (now) physically. That’s exactly what happened to me here. Things were going far too well so I had to find a way to put myself back in the hole just to see how I can come out the other side stronger. I’m not mad about it. In fact, I’m excited about the recovery process. Life was too easy for too long in 2019. It’s frustrating that I’ll have to work hard just to get back to where I was but that process of achieving milestones week in and week out will provide more value in the little things. I’m looking forward to it!

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are a few things I’m really proud of that don’t have one specific moment I was able to share above. For one, I’ve been really happy and having a lot of fun with learning more about photography. I made it more of a priority in 2019 and I feel like I really started to see a difference in my ability and am proud of the progress I made. In 2020 I plan on focusing on it even more and hopefully continue to make strides with it. I’m really glad I took the chance to focus more on it, it’s been one of my favorite new hobbies that I picked up!

Launching this blog in 2019 was a big step for me too. It might not seem like much but I’ve had this idea for over a year and to finally put the wheels in motion and get it posted took a lot more than I originally thought it would. So far I’ve been really happy with how it’s going but I know there are things I can be doing better and I will continue to refine and work on the finished product. I still have plenty of old trips to write about but I’m interested to see where this whole thing ends up. I appreciate all of the support I’ve gotten here too, it wouldn’t be possible without all of you! When I receive a message about helpful a post was or how it inspired someone to mirror a trip of mine it fills my heart with joy.

I receive a little bit of flack online for not sharing more about my relationship either here on deaniebabies.com or on Instagram, but that is intentional. in 2020 I plan on continuing on the same way. What we have been doing has been working and our relationship only grows stronger every single day. I think by keeping it more private, it allows us to cherish and hold it more dearly to ourselves. That said, if you’re interested in hearing more about my relationship, you can always tune into my podcast; Help! I Suck at Dating. I can’t believe we’ve been around for four calendar years now! We started it in September 2017 so, yes, I’m cheating the system by saying four calendar years but c’mon, that’s pretty cool! 2020 will hold more of that and hopefully me, Jared, and the #suckarmy only continue to get better on our quest to suck a little bit less.

RESOLUTIONS

Normally I’m not a fan of resolutions but for the sake of this post I’ll quickly mention what I plan on accomplishing in 2020. First things first, I am going to focus heavily on my recovery. I hope to walk out of the doctors office, without crutches, on February 3rd (exactly 6 weeks after my surgery). From there, physical therapy and rebuilding muscle will be incredibly important. I’m beyond optimistic I’ll have a full recovery and get back to doing all the things I love in no time.

I’ll continue to focus on my photography and hope to see more improvements as the year goes on. In fact, I have a brand new mirrorless Nikon Z 7 that I finally get to get my hands on. I’m looking forward to learning the ins and outs and seeing what it’s capable of.

I’d really like to transition to a completely plant based diet in 2020. I haven’t talked to my ortho yet about how it’ll affect my recovery but I think it’s a good goal to set. Even if all that comes from it is eating less meat. I think this will be the most challenging thing of all in 2020.

I also want to get back in shape. In 2019 I got a lot stronger in my legs and my conditioning improved but I also gained a little bit of weight because I stopped working out. My core and arms took the biggest hit from my lack of exercise so I hope to get back to a place where I’m happy with how I look with my shirt off. If not for me, at least for Caelynn.

I’m always interested in hearing about other peoples resolutions. What are some of yours? Do you think there’s anything I need to add to mine? Also, I’d love to hear about your 2019! Is there one specific moment that really stood out to you?

The comments on my Switzerland post were beautiful and I read every single one of them. In 2020 I’ll do a better job of responding to comments but I do appreciate all the comments and feedback I get!

Switzerland

In an ideal world my first post of 2020 would be one where I summarize all of 2019. But it just wouldn’t feel right writing about my 2019 without first writing this post. I say that because just as 2019 was coming to a close I had perhaps the most impactful moment of my whole year. 

I kicked off my Europe trip with wide eyed excitement about what laid ahead. Some of it was already planned but most of it was to be improvised. The first stop of the trip was Switzerland to ski in the Swiss Alps for just over a week. My plan was to start in Zermatt for five days then move over to Andermatt for another 4 days of skiing. From there I was set to head to Berlin for NYE, Ukraine and Poland to experience history firsthand, then jet off to Japan for another week of skiing in Niseko just like I did in February 2019. 

Those plans quickly got derailed after my first day skiing in Zermatt. On the last run of the day I took a spill that put me in the hospital for the next five days and leaves me on the mend for roughly the next 12 months. I’ll do my best to recount my experience in this post. I received a lot of questions about how I crashed, how much my surgery/hospital visit cost, and what the future now holds. So let’s get to it. 

ZERMATT

First things first: getting to Zermatt is no easy task. There are no major airports close by which means your best option is to fly into Geneva or Zurich (or another neighboring city) and catching a three hour train up into the mountains. I elected to fly into Geneva after connecting in London. My flight got me in around 7pm on December 21st so I found a hotel (The New Midi, $120/night) close to the train station for the next day and just stayed in to rest up.

The train system in Europe is highly regarded as efficient, comfortable, and clean but one thing that surprised me is how expensive the tickets can be. My flight from London to Geneva cost just barely more than my train ride from Geneva to Zermatt ($132 vs $98). 

Originally I wanted to catch the early train up to the mountains to get a full day of skiing in but after checking the weather report and not being fully adjusted to the time difference I elected to sleep in and catch the late morning train to give me time to settle in without rushing around. 

Quick sidebar: this was the first time I traveled with all my ski gear; skis, poles, boots, etc. I did this because I got a brand new set up and was itching to ski it. My goal for this season was to elevate my skiing as much as I could. Navigating airports, train stations, and taxis proved to be a bit more cumbersome than I expected with this much luggage (ski bag, boot bag, and my carry on). Moving forward I’ll probably elect to rent my skis and boots at whichever resort I’m visiting for sake of convenience (and cost. I paid an extra $400 to get all that there and back). 

I arrived in Zermatt on December 22nd at around 3pm and checked into my hostel (Matterhorn Hostel $50/night). The hostel itself was bare bones and probably the least glitzy hostel I’ve ever stayed in. But whatever, I’m not in Zermatt to lounge around in the room anyway and hotels in the surrounding area were going for at least $500/night.

THE SKIING

The location of Matterhorn Hostel is hard to beat. Just a five minute walk and you’re at the base of the mountain where you can hop right on the gondola to start your day. I had a friend coming to meet me but he wasn’t set to arrive until later that night so I decided one day to get acquainted with the mountain wouldn’t be a bad idea. 

One big reason I decided to ski in Zermatt is because I got myself an Ikon Pass this season to ski local in California. The pass offers 5-7 days for free at destinations all over the world. Switzerland, Japan, Chile, and North America are all listed on the pass and are free to ride for pass holders. $800 for a season pass and you get it all! 

The weather in the Swiss Alps can be erratic, one moment it’ll be sunny and the next you’ll be swallowed up by a snow storm. This whole day things were basically just varying degrees of bad. Not often could you see more than 20 meters in front of your face but that didn’t stop skiers and snowboarders from getting out there to brave the conditions, myself included. 

Growing up in the Aspen, Colorado area I’ve grown accustomed to skiing and riding difficult terrain that most people would turn away from. That skiing doesn’t compare to the terrain in Zermatt. The inbounds runs here blew my mind. I stuck to the main run the first time down to get a feel for my new skis, the condition of the snow, and just get my sea legs back. By the second run I was dropping off cornices into knee deep powder and collecting turn after turn of pure bliss. 

After a few hours of exploring the mountain (so much skiable terrain and they only had a quarter of the mountain open at the time) I stopped off for some lunch. For how amazing Switzerland is, it sure is expensive. The night before I had dinner for one in Zermatt that ran me about $55 and now this lunch which put me back another $30. If you’re planning a trip to the Alps be prepared to spend a little more than usual. 

THE ACCIDENT

Nearly a full day of skiing in the books and I was ready to call it a day. I took the same gondola up about 7 times and didn’t hit any of the same stashes, didn’t have the same run twice. Other than the poor visibility, it was an awesome day skiing a mountain I only ever dreamed of as a kid. 

On my last run of the day I decided to cut hard left and dart through some trees I hadn’t been through yet. The snow was soft and not many skiers had been through there which meant more amazing turns! Halfway through the tree field I laid down to rest for a second because I was starting to get a little bit gassed. I should have taken this as a sign to stop pushing it as much as I was. Two skiers passed on by asking if I was ok which, of course, I was. I just needed to take a load off. After they passed I quickly jumped up and followed them out of the trees into an opening with only a few skied lines through it. It looked amazing! Steep and deep and I was standing at the top of it after having an unbelievable day of more of the same. 

I pointed my skis down the mountain and blew right by the other two skiers but not long after that is when things went horribly awry. Given the conditions, it was hard to see all the obstacles that lay ahead. Sure enough, while I was blowing down the mountain hooting and hollering, an obstacle came out of nowhere and placed itself right under my skis. I skied hard into a rock that had hidden itself with a fresh dusting of snow. The second I hit the rock my left ski flew off and I immediately knew this wasn’t going to end well. My right ski, still attached to my foot, grabbed ahold of something while I was launched through the air and torqued my leg in a way it’s never been before. In the middle of my tumble I could hear and feel something bad happen to my right hip but I had no idea exactly what happened. 

The dust settled as I laid on the slope for a few seconds, grimacing in pain and trying to get a feel for what just happened. I consider myself to be a fairly resilient person with high pain tolerance and can bounce back after a relatively large spill. I didn’t think this instant was any different so I laid there for a few seconds and just focused on breathing calmly. The two skiers behind me graciously grabbed my lost ski and brought it down to me as I quietly laid on the mountain. They asked if I needed any help but, at the time, I truly believed I didn’t need any. They placed the ski near me and went on their way. After a few more minutes of breathing, and waiting for the pounding pain in my hip to settle, I tried to stand up to get a move on down the mountain. This was the moment I realized I did something worse than I ever could have imagined. 

Only a few days removed from the winter solstice, the days in Switzerland are short. The sun is up at around 9am and sets around 4:30pm. After a full day of skiing it meant that the sun was on its way down and that I didn’t have much time to figure out what my next move was supposed to be. If I didn’t get help before it got dark things would turn from inconvenient to life threatening. 

I tried to stand up to get a feel for my body. I thought, at worst, I hyperextended my hip and had some ligaments that were going to be sore the next day. When I went to move my right leg into a position where I could push up off of it I felt muscles and ligaments down near my ankle that I had never felt before rubbing on each other. In that moment I knew things were far more serious than I imagined. I tore my ACL several times as a high schooler and my first instinct was that I did it again. But after feeling my leg up and down I realized I had no pain in my knee so it couldn’t have been that. I thought to myself that maybe I dislocated my ankle and that’s why I have these new strange sensations in that area. It wasn’t until later that I realized I was wrong. 

It took all of about 20 minutes of me laying there to realize I actually needed help. At first I was determined to get out of there on my own. I thought I had the ability to do it but the longer I laid there the more the pain started to creep in. I laid silently for another 10 minutes in hopes that another skier would come by but deep down I knew that was highly unlikely. Fortunately I had cell phone reception so I was able to call Swiss Mountain Rescue but that phone call didn’t yield much of a result. The person I spoke with said they will leave a message with mountain rescue and they’ll call me back. I mentioned that I think this calls for a little more urgency than that and all it was met with was a “Yes, we know. We will get back to you shortly.” I never heard from them again. 

At this point dusk was closing in and, with that, so was panic. As time wore on and the colder it got, the less busy the ski resort would be, and the odds of me finding someone to help me we’re diminishing by the second. I army crawled over to my ski poles to use them in hopes of flagging someone down. I waved them in the air for about 15 minutes while calling out for help until I finally heard a voice ask, “Are you ok?” After another 15 or so minutes my knight in shining armor skied up and said he’d be able to send his friend to get ski patrol down to me. I don’t have the means to properly thank this person but they stayed by my side from that moment until I was airlifted out of there. I did my best to let him know how appreciated he was then but I feel like more praise should be directed his way. 

Another 15 minutes or so later and two ski patrolmen came down to us. One of them had a stretcher and I was so relieved to finally have a way down the mountain that didn’t involve me sliding on my stomach, over bumps, and through deep snow. Ski patrol first wanted to figure out exactly what was wrong with me so they ran through their protocol. My knee checked out, it seemed my ankle was fine, but once the applied pressure to the outside of my right leg I screamed in agony. There is no way really to immobilize a hip while you’re stuck on a mountain. Our first try to load me onto the stretcher proved unsuccessful and after further consideration they deemed it a bad idea to get me to the bottom. The rest of the run was just as bumpy and treacherous as where I had crashed and being on the back of a stretcher being skied down the mountain would have been unbearable. I told them I would do it if it had to be done but we were also fighting daylight and a storm system was moving in. The call was made to bring in the helicopter to get me lifted off the mountain and sent straight to the hospital. 

This whole process of mountain rescue is what really blew me away. The last thing I wanted was to be heli lifted off that mountain because of how expensive that sounded but for the Swiss mountain rescue it just seemed routine. The helicopter came in, hovered above, and lowered a stretcher and a paramedic. The five of us worked to get me on the new stretcher and strapped me down. Once everything was in place the paramedic strapped himself to my side and the helicopter took off with the two of us dangling underneath. We both were winched up to be side by side with the helicopter door and stayed in this position for about five minutes while the helicopter found a safe place to land. Once on the ground, they threw open the doors and pushed my stretcher inside the helicopter where I could be put on an IV, pain killers, and safely be delivered to the hospital. 

The total time from ski patrol arriving to me being airlifted to a hospital was probably between 20-30 minutes. It’s that kind of efficiency that I’m incredibly grateful for and puts the Swiss Mountain Rescue in a league of their own. There’s no question that I owe them my life. 

THE HOSPITAL

At this point I am in a lot of pain but the pain killer I was given on the helicopter and in the hospital was doing just enough to make me feel okay about everything that was going on. I got carted downstairs into a room with at least 10 doctors who all helped me out of my ski gear and into a hospital gown. From there I was quickly skirted over to get x-rays taken to see exactly what I did to myself and what would require attention. 

Still in a daze from everything that happened and pumped full of pain killers, in walks the anesthesiologist. I was terribly confused at first before I was able to piece together the fact that since she was there they were encouraging me to go directly into surgery. This whole process seemed rushed and informal having been asked questions like “are you healthy?” and “are you allergic to anything?” Simple questions receive simple answers but apparently that’s all they needed to know before putting me under to undergo this impromptu surgery. In hindsight I understand the urgency of the hospital staff. The quicker they’re able to operate and amend the fractures in my femur the quicker they’re able to feel confident about a full recovery. The longer we waited the more at risk I became for blood clotting, necrosis, and irreversible damage. 

This is the second time in my life I’ve been put to sleep for an operation. The first came when I was 15; I broke my nose in a basketball game and the doctors had to put me under in order to reset it. As an adult the whole process seemed a lot more frightening. I was worried I wouldn’t fully fall asleep, maybe I would wake up half way through, or maybe I wouldn’t even wake up at all. They placed the mask over my face and after five long inhales and exhales everything went black. 

I woke up several hours later in the post op room with a bandage on my right hip, a hose lodged inside me being used to drain blood from my hip, and a generally confused understanding of what was going on. Not too long after waking up I was wheeled to my shared room where I would spend the next five days resting and recovering. 

In 2019, spending five days stuck in a hospital bed really isn’t all that bad. You have access to unlimited entertainment at your fingertips through your phone and books, you can talk to everyone you know via facetime, and the food in the hospital was better than a lot of restaurants I’ve visited over the years. The pain was manageable, even with light doses of pain killers and the physical therapy was painful but effective. There are a lot of places in the world where an accident like this can happen and I count my lucky stars that it happened to me in Switzerland. Not only is their healthcare top notch but the patient experience was really impressive.

THE AFTERMATH

So now that I have been discharged from the hospital and left to fend for myself, things get really interesting. No longer will I be in a controlled environment with medical professionals monitoring me and aiding me on what to do and when to do it. Many would say that the most challenging part of this whole experience still lays ahead of me.

As I write this, I’m laying in bed with my right leg under a few blankets to keep the blood circulation up. The longer I keep it straightened the better. I’m about two weeks removed from surgery and every day is a slight improvement over the last but also presents a whole new set of challenges. As it stands currently, I’m only allowed to put 10-15 kilos of weight on my right leg while I crutch around Europe and work my way back to the USA.

As I mentioned above, originally my plan was to fly from Zurich to Berlin for New Years Eve but, after I requested special services with Swiss Air, they deemed me unfit to fly because I’m unable to keep my leg bent at a 90 degree angle for the duration of the flight and they didn’t have the appropriate seats to accommodate my requirement. Honestly, this was for the best. I wasn’t ready to fly. Instead, me and Caelynn slowly worked our way from Zurich -> Frankfurt -> Brussels -> London via train. Spending two or three nights in each location allowing me to rest and recuperate as much as possible.

I fly back to Los Angeles in about a week to meet with an orthopedic surgeon and begin my physical therapy. I’m hoping to make a full recovery but have no idea what to expect. I’ve never had metal screws holding parts of my body together like this.

This whole experience is a strong reminder that I am not invincible. In fact, I reached a certain point where I felt like there were no physical consequences to my actions. I always seemed to be able to hurl my body at whatever I wanted and come out the other side more or less in decent shape. Whether it’s skydiving, rock climbing, cliff jumping, skiing or whatever, I never felt like true danger lurked around the corner. I do consider myself lucky that this is all that came from my accident. Things could have gone much differently and ended much more grim. Or if nothing happened at all and I came out of Switzerland unscathed, who knows, maybe I would continue to push myself and throw my body into harms way and ultimately I would’ve been met with a fate much worse than this. All in all, this accident is a good reminder that I am not above death or injury. I am capable of seriously hurting myself and causing permanent damage, or worse. I’m looking forward to slowing down for a bit, relearning what makes me happy, exploring new hobbies and ideas. At the end of the day, I do strongly believe more good will ultimately come from this than bad.

FINAL THOUGHTS

After it’s all said and done, Switzerland wound up being the most expensive trip I’ve taken in my life. I purchased travel insurance but it remains to be seen if they will be reimbursing me for my medical expenses. Here’s to hoping that all works out.

I researched online what the cost of a similar experience would cost someone in the USA and it turns out to be roughly 10x more expensive. According to health.costhelper.com/broken-leg.html which has firsthand experiences of these types of surgeries. One recount in particular looks very similar to mine:

“Broken femur
Amount: $109,000.00

Posted by: TR in Colorado springs, CO.
Posted: September 7th, 2017
Medical Facility: Penrose Hospital

This is for a broken femur with i.m. nail installed, not including the 21,700 flight for life bill... This was a 130,000 + dirtbike crash.”

This is only one other persons experience but I’m willing to bet this is roughly what it would have cost me in the USA. That’s crazy!

My plan is to continuously update this post with my recovery. Once a month I’ll check back in to let everyone know physical therapy is going and what my milestones are. Not being able to travel as freely will be a big bummer but all I have to do is learn new hobbies, explore more locally, and cherish the smaller things in life that I may have taken for granted before this.

Have you ever had an experience similar to this? Any advice for me as I move forward with my recovery? I’d love to hear it all!

Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia

You might remember not too long ago when I posted about a trip to Guatemala. In that post I outlined the idea that Caelynn and I both agreed that we would take the other on a trip to a destination they had never been to. I wrote about how the trip was to remain a secret for as long as possible and the duration would span about a week. As fate would have it, Caelynn’s secret only lasted until just about a week before we were to take off to Saint Lucia. We were sitting in a coffee house in Ireland and it just so happened to “accidentally” slip out. Neither here nor there, Saint Lucia was our next destination and, since I didn’t know much about it, I was excited to get down there and see what it was all about!

Given the fact that Caelynn is actually the one that booked this trip, handled logistics, and paid for everything, I thought it would be most appropriate to lead this post with Caelynn’s Corner. After all, she is the mastermind behind Saint Lucia!

CAELYNN’S CORNER

I chose to take Dean to Saint Lucia for my surprise trip because I wanted to go somewhere we would both enjoy. Saint Lucia has beautiful, serene beaches but a lot of hiking as well. The views of the pitons are what really sold me on Saint Lucia.

This was the first trip I had ever planned by myself and it is way more difficult than I thought, but I learned a lot just from planning this one trip. I became very overwhelmed at times trying to research where to go, where to stay, what to do, what’s nearby; the list goes on and on. There are a ton of things I would have done differently now having visited there, but overall we had a great time. 

We flew into UVF because I was under the impression that this was the international airport. We stayed on the north side of the island, while the airport was on the south side. That’s one thing I would have done differently. We spoke to other couples who flew from the US to the northern airport and their drive to the hotel was only about 15 minutes whereas we had an hour and a half drive. 

I rented us a car and I went back and forth wondering if it was worth it to spend $100+ to get a jeep instead of a small standard car. I decided it wasn’t worth it, I also decided to trust Dean’s driving and not get insurance.

That hour and a half turned into 3 hours due to my poor navigational skills. I made us miss a few turns and Google Maps ended up taking us directly through the jungle. This was the most terrifying experience of my entire life. We drove through bushes, massive potholes, over logs, basically anything you can imagine. We later found out about the boa constrictors and spearhead snakes (which are the most dangerous snakes in the Caribbean and Central and South America) that are all lurking in the jungle. Thankfully Dean’s expert driving got us through the madness safely. My body wouldn’t stop shaking and I was on the brink of tears as we exited the scary, dark, and dense jungle. I felt an immense sense of gratitude towards Dean for holding it together, getting us out of there, and not letting me know how terrified he was during it. 

When we arrived to Ti Kaye, I didn’t want to leave the resort. And we didn’t. For the three days we were there. It was nice to be lazy, catch up on a ton of sleep, and enjoy the rainy days. We had a few hours each day of sun while at Ti Kaye and we did our best to enjoy them. I felt relaxed after Ti Kaye, but ready to explore the country we were in rather than be cooped up in a small, intimate resort. 

We decided to do an easy, 30 minute walk that would lead us to a view of the pitons. We had originally planned on hiking the pitons and I was relieved we didn’t once I was able to see how steep and intimidating they were. 

We headed to Marigot Bay after, and it blew my expectations out of the water. The resort looked beautiful online, but was even more beautiful in person. Everyone was very helpful and kind, and the food was incredible. I enjoyed my time more at Marigot than Ti Kaye. Marigot is less secluded and there’s more to do and see.  

All in all, I had a great time relaxing for a week before the holidays. Our biggest issue while we were there (aside from the jungle) was the mosquitos, but if you’re prepared with great insect repellant before your trip, you’ll have a great time!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I want to expand on a few ideas Caelynn mentioned above. Renting a car, as I almost always prefer to do when visiting a new country, wound up being a little less convenient than it normally is. The roads in Saint Lucia wind along the outside of the island with the occasional road cutting through the interior. For the most part, they’re not incredibly well maintained and, as Caelynn mentioned above, sometimes Google Maps thinks muddy roads that knife through the jungle are adequate routes to be taken. I think this is the first country I’ve ever visited that I would advise new travelers to simply take taxis or buses to their resort. Especially considering we didn’t bounce around all that much. The rental car cost us $371 for the week and we had to pay $200 in repairs for the damage we incurred from driving through the jungle.

Ti Kaye was a nice resort, the first of our two stops in Saint Lucia. The cost per night came to $194 but the real surprising expense was that we spent $645 on food through our three days at the resort. I would have guessed that Saint Lucia was a little more affordable but it turns out it’s more expensive than I ever would have imagined. Our time at Ti Kaye was relaxing and uneventful but it was great to be able to lay back, unwind, and enjoy some pina coladas. On our last day at Ti Kaye, I got the chance to do a shore dive off the beach ($120) and got to see some coral reef, tropical fish, and explore the ocean a bit.

After leaving Ti Kaye we headed South to see the two famous pitons. My original idea was to climb Gros Piton but, after some consideration, we decided not to. Gros Piton is about a 3-4 hour hike through strenuous conditions and I’m sure the view is more than worth it but this trip specifically was meant to be more relaxing than adventurous. Instead, I took us to Tet Paul Nature Trail; an incredibly easy and short hike that yields stunning views of both the Gros and Petit Piton. Just down the hill from there are some hot springs from the islands volcanoes, we didn’t have time to stop by but I hear they’re lovely.

To cap off the trip, we trekked back up North to stay at Marigot Bay Resort, an all inclusive resort that both of us really enjoyed. -Full disclosure- I factored the cost of our three nights a MBR into the final cost above but we stayed for free thanks to Caelynn and her ability to work out a deal with them. The price per night for an all inclusive room, just like we had, is right around $800/night. While at MBR we got massages, kayaked to a private beach, and enjoyed a rum tasting class. Marigot was awesome and we certainly enjoyed this location more than anywhere else while we were here. The property is beautiful and the staff was incredibly helpful. If you have the interest and the means, I’d definitely recommend it!

On our last day, we had a late flight so we drove North to Rodney Bay to take out some jet skis for a bit ($120 for both of us for half an hour) because it’s something we’ve always talked about but have never actually gotten to do. About an hour North to rip around some jet skis for a bit was a fun way to sign off our trip. From there, it was an hour and a half drive back to the airport to head back home.

I’m grateful to have someone like Caelynn in my life because, without her, I probably would never have even had Saint Lucia on my radar. Her interests open up my world more than it would without her and I’m proud of her for taking the reins on the first trip she’s ever planned. Looking back to when I first started traveling consistently, I was often unsure of what I was doing, if it was right, if it’d be fun etc. And that was while traveling by myself! The added pressure of traveling with someone else and planning everything for them, especially without their input, can be stressful. The contrast in our two trips is hilarious to me but I think it’s great for us both to diversify our experiences like this.

All in all, Saint Lucia was a great experience. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, if ever, but I’m glad I got the chance to enjoy their warm weather and welcoming attitude. If you plan on visiting, I hope this helps you better understand what you might be spending during a week trip and how to better navigate the twists and turns of this beautiful country. And don’t forget your bug spray!

Have you ever been to Saint Lucia? Or anywhere in the Caribbean? I’m curious to hear how our experience compares to ours!

Ireland

DUBLIN

As we continue our quest to see as much of the world as we can, we thought Ireland would be a fitting destination for us because it was close enough to home yet far enough to make a week-long trip worthwhile. We caught a red-eye from LAX to Dublin and got into the city at around 4pm. I wonder how many red-eyes I’ll have to take before it really hits home that I just absolutely despise them. Things never go as I expect. No matter how many times I convince myself that I’ll sleep on the flight and be fully rested and ready to explore when I touch down, it just never seems to go that way.

This was my second time visiting Ireland; I was here once before, in June of 2018. That trip was only about three days long as I was using it as an extended layover on my way to Iceland. However, the days in June are significantly longer than the days in December, something I should have taken into consideration this time around. I also spent more time in Dublin on my first visit, a fun city with shopping, cool restaurants, tons of pubs, and fun streets to explore. This time, however, one evening in Dublin is all we had.

Normally when I travel, I like to set the itinerary for where we go; what we do, where we stay, etc. This time we partnered with Noken (hellonoken.com) and they took the liberty of booking our accommodations, rental car, and created a loose itinerary for us to follow while we explored Ireland. It was nice to be able to sit back and not worry about finding activities to fill the day with because I knew that someone already did that for us.

First up, we took a cab from the airport to downtown Dublin ($40) and checked into our hotel, the Conrad Dublin ($242/night). The Conrad was a great place for us to sleep, it’s close enough to Drury Street, the lively section of Dublin that you won’t want to miss, yet far enough away for us to sleep comfortably and quietly.

We settled in and set off to the first stop on our itinerary; the Irish Whiskey Museum ($34/person) in downtown Dublin. This isn’t something I’d normally book on a trip like this but it was a fun experience to get a better understanding of the history of whiskey in Ireland. We were a bit tired from our long flight and lack of quality sleep to the point where we considered bailing on this altogether but afterward we were grateful we went.

KILLARNEY ROAD TRIP

There wasn’t much time to rest or hang around Dublin because we had a lot to see and do. We picked up the rental car ($48/day) early on the second day and set off west toward Killarney. My first time visiting Ireland I didn’t get the chance to stop along this route to check out any of the must sees but this time we had a bit more time to stop and enjoy the sights.

I will say that the one thing I wish we had done differently this time around was drive less. Every day we had at least a two and a half hour drive which meant we didn’t have much time to relax and enjoy whichever area we were in. Being in Ireland in December meant the days were short; the sun would rise 8:30am and set around 4:00pm which left us with only about six hours of sunlight to explore once breakfast was finished.

That said, we were sure to stop by the Rock of Cashel on the way to Killarney to feast our eyes on the first bit of old time Ireland that we’ve heard so much about. Unfortunately for us, we got there just 15 minutes too late and weren’t allowed inside so we walked around the perimeter and took pictures of the castle with the sunset as our backdrop.

We grabbed dinner at a random pub in Killarney near our hotel and checked in around 9:00pm and settled in for the night. Our hotel, The Killarney Park ($280/night), was in a great location, beautiful lobby, and had a delicious continental breakfast. However, again, I felt like we didn’t have much time to enjoy the amenities because we felt the need to be continuously on the move.

RING OF KERRY

In my opinion, this was the highlight of our trip. In its entirety, the Ring of Kerry is 179km circular route along cliffs and through towns in Southwest Ireland. We were only able to make a few stops along the way but they were definitely worth the time to pull over and explore a bit.

First, we hit Cahergall Stone Fort to get out of the car stretch our legs while enjoying some unique Irish architecture from the 7th century. This stop yielded two forts for the price of one because Leacanabuaile Stone Fort is just a short walk away. We had fun exploring the crevices and climbing as high as we could on these cool looking stone structures.

Next up we high-tailed it to Kerry Cliffs. Last time I was in Ireland the hands-down highlight was the Cliffs of Moher but this time, perhaps because we weren’t able to see the cliffs of Moher, Kerry Cliffs took the cake. We were there mid-week and some unpredictable weather meant we had the area almost entirely to ourselves. The West coast of Ireland is so fascinating with its cliffs. They are definitely something worth seeing, even if it means going out of your way. I can’t recommend enough that these cliffs (or Cliffs of Moher) need to be on your Ireland itinerary.

From there, we were starting to lose sunlight so we kicked it into overdrive and drove straight to Ballinskelligs Castle for one last bit of history before the sun fully set on us. The tiny castle itself is quite unique and set out on a small peninsula just off the shoreline. If it’s along your route I definitely encourage you to stop by and pay it a visit but by no means should you go out of your way for it.

We spent the night at Dromoland Castle ($252/night) and it was an amazing property. But again, we didn’t have much time to dilly dally around because our itinerary was too full. The grounds and castle itself are beautiful and worth visiting and staying there for a few days. We woke up early the next morning to partake in the falconry experience Noken set up for us. It wasn’t something we were terribly stoked on but after an hour of spending time around amazing birds of prey, and a couple owls, we walked away from the experience having thoroughly enjoyed it.

Giants Causeway

The weather wasn’t cooperating with us during the second half of the trip so unfortunately we were forced to miss the Cliffs of Moher, a place I really wanted Caelynn to be able to see firsthand because it struck so much awe in me the last time I visited. We decided to drive out there and give it a chance anyway but we were met with gale force wind and very limited visibility. The drive, however, allowed us to stop by the world famous Unglert’s Bakery (ok, perhaps not world famous but it’s the only other time I’ve seen my last name outside of my family members).

Noken encouraged us to drive back to Dublin this day but we decided to make the extra long journey to Northern Ireland (5.5 hours) to take a look at Giants Causeway. It’s times like this that I’m truly grateful for how much I enjoy driving. We stuck around Galway until just after dinner time before we set off which got us to the Causeway Hotel ($110/night) by right around midnight. There were a few short moments along the drive that I questioned whether or not it was worth going so far out of our way just to see Giants Causeway but in the end I’m glad we dedicated the extra time to get there.

Our flight left Dublin at 3:00pm and it was a three hour drive for us to return so we had to wake up early, got to spend about an hour at the causeway, and had to set off. We gained free access to the causeway through our hotel booking, an added bonus to its already perfect proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Sight. As was the tone for the entire trip, we didn’t have much time but we got to spend about an hour at the causeway, suffering through the pouring rain and windy conditions. Still, it was certainly worth the drive in my opinion.

Final Thoughts

This was a very quick trip to Ireland, certainly too quick in my opinion. Ireland is a relatively small country and can be seen, almost in its entirety, in about a week. We unfortunately chose a bad time to visit given the poor weather and super short days.

It felt like we spent at least five hours in the car every single day. In total, we drove probably right about 18 hours over 4 days. That’s just shy of 5 hours every single day! I’ll be sure to spread it out over a bit more days next time we have something like this in mind.

Traveling with Noken was a unique experience in its own right. Normally I enjoy being responsible for the good, bad, and unexpected when it comes to traveling so, for once, it was nice to be able to sit back and let someone else plan our trip for us. That said, there were a few things I would have planned differently on the trip but all in all it was a great experience and I encourage anyway that’s traveling to Ireland, perhaps those who haven’t been before, check out Noken to help you plan your itinerary!

Caelynn’s Corner

I’ve dreamt about going to Ireland since 2007 when I saw ‘P.S. I Love You’ in theaters.  Twelve years later those dreams came true. I’m happy we got to go during Christmas time because it was decorated so beautifully.  However, if you are to go to Ireland, I would suggest going in the spring or summer.  I am terrible in cold climates and Ireland was no exception. I looked up the temperatures before we left and it said highs of 50°F and lows of 40-35°F, which seemed manageable, but that did not account for the wind chill, which was strong.  If you don’t mind cold weather, going in the colder months is great because there aren’t very many tourists.  For the most part, we were the only people there at each place we went.  

Our time in Dublin was relatively short considering how much there is to do there.  I wanted to spend more time in each place we went, but looking back, I’m happy we went to a different city each day because it allowed us to see so much.  My favorite thing we did while we were there was the Ring of Kerry.  We only made three stops, there’s about ten stops you can make, and I felt like that was perfect.  We got to see a three abounded forts and the Cliffs of Kerry.  This was by far the best part of the trip for me, the weather was perfect this day so we were able to see everything we wanted to.  The only other downside to going to Ireland in the winter is that you have very limited sunlight, the sun rises around 8 or 9am and sets around 4:30pm.  This made it difficult to fit a lot into a short amount of time, but we did it.  We owe a lot of our planning and scheduling to Noken as well.  They were great at planning our trip out for us, it was nice not to worry about what we were going to do each day, we just looked at that app and went where they suggested.  They provided us with multiple options as well in case they was something we weren’t too interested in seeing.  

All in all, Ireland is as beautiful as it seems.  I remember telling Dean that the trees and grass seemed so much greener in Ireland.  I loved that there were so many castles and forts to see.  It’s a small country, you can drive from end to end in about four hours (as we did) but there are so many places to visit, and it’s hard to cover everything in less than a week.  It’s definitely a country I will come back to at some point.  

What's In My Bag? pt. 1

The holiday season is here and, just like every year, we find ourselves saying “wow that year flew by faster than I could have imagined.” If you’re looking for a gift for your loved one, a family member, or even yourself, and you’re considering getting them something you’ve seen me use, I hope you find this useful! 

Before getting all the way into it, I feel the need to point out the fact that none of this is sponsored. Everything I list here is something I use on a regular basis and bought with my own money. I’ve used quite a few bad products and, whenever that happens, I find an alternative. If I’m endorsing them here it’s because I truly enjoy using them! 

Nikon D5600

I got my first DSLR in December 2018, just before my first big trip to South America. Photography is something I’ve always claimed to be interested in but I never really took the time to learn about it. I heard through multiple sources the best starting DSLR was the Nikon D3500 because it’s inexpensive, easy to use, and relatively compact. It was a great way to test the waters to see if it’s something I’d want to continue to work at. 

The first few months with the D3500 I was consistently questioning why I bought it and, more so, why I continued to lug it around with me on my trips. I genuinely felt like I could get better pictures on my iPhone than I was getting with my new $500 camera. The package I got with my Nikon came with two kit lenses; a 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 and a 100-300mm f4.5-6.3 - giving you the ability to shoot things from a distance and up close. It took me a couple months, and a few conversations with my photographer friends, to understand why I wasn’t getting the quality of photographs I was hoping for. The first, and obvious, reason is that it simply takes time to learn about the camera, framing your shot, and camera settings for your intended purpose. Beyond that, it took me some time to realize that not every lens is created equally. The kit lens for my D3500 didn’t allow for much creativity, especially for a beginner. It was simply point and shoot. 

In February of 2019 I bought my first prime lens, a 50mm f1.8 and started getting a little more creative with my shots. I was recommended this lens by a friend and, as it turns out, almost everywhere you’ll see experts encouraging beginners to give the ‘nifty fifty’ a try to get a better understanding of your camera, lighting, shutter speed, ISO, etc. I was told that one of the best things about learning on a lens like this is that it forces you to frame shots with your feet rather than the zoom ring. Because of this you get more creative on how you want to fit everything in frame and it turns out being a lot of fun. Non-zoom lenses are also much better in low light so there’s a noticeable difference in quality while shooting at twilight or night time.

Over the rest of 2019 I’ve accumulated a few more lenses with different capabilities. I still have SO much to learn when it comes to photography but looking back at the photos I was taking in South America in December 2018 and comparing them to the photos I’m taking now, just one year later, it’s exciting and motivating to continue to learn and better understand what makes a good picture. 

In my bag I have four lenses on me almost at all times. I’ve included a pie chart below (can you tell I like pie charts?) just so you can get an idea of how much I use each lens, because it’s far from equal. 

35mm f/1.8 ($167)

On any given day this is the lens I’ll have on my camera. It seems to work for just about every scenario and it’s so affordable it’s hard to justify not having it in your pack. 

10-20mm f/3.5 Super Wide Angle ($329)

I first got this lens in July 2019 and almost shot exclusively with it for a few months. It’s great for its price and it opens a lot of doors for fitting more into the frame. It’s also really great for landscape photography because it’s so wide. The quality can suffer in low light and when the subject is far away but overall I’ve really enjoyed playing with it. 

70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ($297)

This is one of the two lenses that came with my D3500 kit and I almost discounted it entirely after hearing about how the kit lenses are usually not so good. But, it turns out, this one is actually pretty solid for a zoom lens. It’s great for getting shots of wildlife while you’re out hiking, objects off in the distance, or getting up close and personal with plants or bugs or crabs or whatever. I don’t know. I’m not here to judge what you want to get up close and personal with! 

105mm f/2.8 ($469)

This lens was an impulse purchase. I saw one of my favorite photographers posting a bunch of macro shots and so I went out and bought this macro lens to try to replicate some of his photographs. By far the most expensive lens in my bag and I’m not really getting my return on investment with it. It’s especially hard to travel with because it’s so large and extremely heavy. That said, I haven’t shot as much with it as I have my other lenses so maybe I just need to give it more time. 

Nikon D5600 ($453)

After about 9 months with my D3500 I figured it was time to upgrade my camera body. The D5600 isn’t that much of a step up from the D3500. In fact, I was advised not to buy this one because it’s so closely similar to my first camera but there were a few functions I could get out of this new one that my first one wouldn’t allow me. The flip out screen, wifi capability, more precise ISO settings, and overall better quality were enough for me to pull the trigger. 

I also just recently purchased this vertical battery grip ($28) which makes it easier to shoot vertical photos (for the gram) AND provides space for a second battery for your camera, meaning twice as long battery life!

I often wonder if I would do things differently if I could go back to the beginning and do things differently now that I know more about the space. I love my Nikon but I continue to see friends shoot with mirrorless camera that yield just as good, if not better, quality phots (and videos). The great thing about mirrorless too is that they are much smaller than my Nikon which means they’re lighter and easier to travel with. I do think that eventually I’ll make the switch but, for now, I have money invested in my Nikon and its lenses and therefore I’m going to stick with it until I feel the need beyond 

DJI Mavic Pro ($889)

I bought my first drone on December 22nd 2017. And crashed it on December 26th 2017. Thank goodness for insurance! 

Before owning a drone I always kind of silently ridiculed others who flew them, thinking they weren’t very cool and didn’t provide much value. Once I finally got my own and started flying it around I quickly realized how awesome and just how much fun they really are. Drones give us the opportunity to see the world from a new perspective, from thousands of feet overhead and several miles off into the distance. 

When it comes to drones, there’s one company that reigns supreme and that’s DJi. They sell drones of all sizes, speeds, and weights. The perfect starter drone would probably be the Spark ($399) or the Mavic Air ($764) but I went straight for the Pro because I figured I’d pick it up quickly and would tire of the smaller models. 

The DJI Mavic Pro does everything you would need a drone to do for you. It’ll elevate your ability to see the world and show you the things you never even knew you wanted to see. 

After I crashed my third Mavic Pro, I decided to upgrade to the Mavic Pro 2 ($1,295) and, after about a month of flying, I decided to trade back. It was a difficult decision to make but, at the end of the day, I value vertical shots too much and the Mavic Pro 2 only has the ability to shoot in landscape. It’s clearly a superior piece of machinery, flies much smoother, shoots crisper, but it can’t turn its camera 90 degrees and that was a deal breaker for me. 

I’m about two years into being a drone owner and, while I’ve gotten much more comfortable flying them, I still have a long long way to go to master them. In my opinion, it’s an essential piece of any photo/videographer travel bag. 

In addition to buying the drone, I recommend you to have spare batteries ($59) for it on you at all times. The Mavic Pro has about 20 minutes of flying time per battery. I personally have 4 batteries for mine that I’ve slowly accumulated throughout the years.

You’ll also definitely want insurance. Insurance covers any damage taken by the drone, as long as you’re able to recover it. Insurance costs ~$300 for 24 months of coverage.

If you’re thinking about purchasing a drone, be mindful of where you choose to fly it! I’ve made the mistake of flying my drone in areas that aren’t allowed or restricted and, even though I haven’t been fined or ticketed, I regret having done it. Be sure to do your research before you go out and fly.

GoPro Hero7 Black ($299)

Go Pro has owned the action camera market for as long as any of us can remember. Personally, I think their products could use a lot of improvements but for the size, price, and ability, it’s hard to find anything better. Thanks to the introduction of the ‘hyper smooth’ feature has made so many shots that used to be off limits seem like a walk in the park. 

People often ask me when I use when shooting under water, while skiing, or skydiving and the answer is always a GoPro. They simply can’t be beat when it comes to capturing action sports or maintaining durability. 

They recently released the GoPro Hero8 ($400) and GoPro Max ($499) which means the Hero7 Black can be bought at a discount. Though I’ve heard the new iterations are pretty incredible!

Software

I’ve been told a few times that half of what makes a good picture is how you’re able to edit it. I think this has been that most challenging part about learning and playing with all this camera equipment - the editing process. 

For editing photos there seems to be one clear cut leader in the industry - Lightroom. Personally, I use Lightroom almost exclusively on my cell phone and have simply grown accustomed to the buttons, hot keys, interface, etc. The software costs $10/month which is kind of on the higher side but, in my opinion, it’s definitely worth it! 

Editing videos, to me, comes in two different forms. There are quick, 15 second videos, that you just want to throw some music over and post on your instagram story- and there’s :60 second+ long videos that require a bit more thinking and organization. 

For the quick videos, I use Videoleap on my phone. It cost me a one-time payment of $36 and allows me to quickly edit a video, add some music to it, and put it on my Instagram story within minutes. It’s the simple software I swear by, probably just because it’s the one I’ve grown accustomed to using more than any other. I’m sure there are other options out there but this one is by far my personal favorite. 

Longer videos require more planning and organization. For a long time I used Adobe Premiere but, after enough use of it, I didn’t like how it wasn’t able to render quickly enough. Within the first six months, I switched over to Final Cut Pro for Mac. The program itself isn’t quite as intuitive and doesn’t allow for as much creativity but it is better suited for Apple products and, because of that, I was happy to make the switch. 

MacBook Pro ($1,099)

I’ve never owned a new laptop in my life before purchasing this one. In December of 2018 I finally decided to go to an Apple store and buy a new one for myself. I went with the most simple, basic model of a MacBook Pro and I couldn’t be happier with the purchase. I don’t need much and the base model gave me exactly what I needed - and more! I couldn’t edit the long form videos or write about my experiences without it! 

FINAL THOUGHTS

So there you have it; that’s what I take with me everywhere I go! I hope this helped you make an informed decision on what you might be thinking of getting for yourself or someone special in your life.

What do you think of all the things I use? Is there a product I don’t have that you’d recommend? My favorite thing about all of this is that you can never stop growing and learning so I’m all ears!

Guatemala

Caelynn and I decided we wanted to take each other on a surprise trip before the end of 2019. The rules were we had to take the other person to a country they’d never been to before, it would last about seven days, and it had to be a surprise, no matter how much the other person begged to know. My surprise got ruined the second we got to the airport because we were running extremely late, the front desk was closed, and we had to plead with the agents at Avianca to print our boarding passes and let us sprint to our gate (shoutout to TSA pre-check).

Even though the surprise was ruined, it was late at night, and we were a little bit hungry and exhausted, my excitement was piqued because I knew we were about to have some fun in a new country. A friend of mine visited last year and posted pictures from beautiful little towns, explosive volcanoes, and a huge tranquil lake so I asked for some advice and he came through big time with his highlights from his trip. Guatemala is a beautiful and geographically diverse country, meaning it would take way more than just eight days to see it all but, with our condensed timeline, I knew we could fit in the mainstays of his trip by hitting Antigua, Volcan Acatanengo, and Lake Atitlan.

Antigua

We caught a red-eye from LAX to Guatemala City and landed right around six in the morning. I’ve always been a big advocate for public transportation but something about renting a car and driving through a foreign country is so much fun to me. We picked up our rental car (booked through Expedia for $265 after taxes and fees) and set off for Antigua right away, just over an hour drive. After stopping for breakfast on the way, we got to Antigua and were overcome by exhaustion so we decided to take it easy and relax for the entire day. Fortunately for us, our hotel Casa Santa Rosa ($146/night) let us check in early so we could get comfortable and lay down for a bit. I was surprised to see hotels being as expensive as they were. This boutique hotel was quaint and comfortable but for the price tag I expected a bit more.

Over the next few days we explored the beautiful town of Antigua. There is an abundance of cool little cafes and restaurants that will keep you interested and make you not want to fill up on food or stick around in one place for too long because you’ll want to see as much as you can. A few recommendations that were passed along to us were Cafe Sky, Cafe No Se, and Samsara to name a few. Our favorite dinner restaurant, perhaps of the whole trip, was an awesome spot perched on top of a big hill on the East side of town called El Tenedor del Cerro (our dinner for two came out to $78).

Beyond the restaurants and colorfully painted homes and buildings, there’s a few interesting places to hike around to. We spent some time around the Santa Catalina Arch, a beautiful yellow arch with Volcan de Agua perched in the background. It’s here that the city seems to be centered around and there’s a lot of unique shops and cafes that you could spend hours popping in and out of. The hike to Cerro de la Cruz from there takes about 20-30 minutes and give you a birds eye view of the town with a beautiful stone cross in the foreground. It’s a good way to get active and see a bit of the town from a different perspective while you’re at it. Caelynn also took the liberty of booking us massages at Casa Santa Domingo which is perhaps the nicest hotel in all of Antigua. I didn’t include these massages in the price breakdown because it was her doing and I thought it’d skew the numbers unfairly but the price came to roughly ~$140/person for a 90 minute massage but it was a lovely way to end our few days in Antigua. The property itself is vast and beautiful and being there made me regret not booking our stay with them.

Antigua is a wonderful town that’s rich with charm and a must-see for those visiting Guatemala. I think we did it perfectly by staying in town for three days. Given its size you can see most of it in a short amount of time. Surely there’s more we could have done but I think, given our timeline, we got just the right amount out of our visit to this quaint town, rich with history and delicious food

The Volcanoes

The inspiration for this trip came from one thing and one thing only; volcanoes. Guatemala has SO many volcanoes, something I didn’t realize until I saw it for myself. I’ve been on a few volcanoes in my life in Colorado, Hawaii, and South America but they’ve all been dormant and thus feel like just regular mountains. That’s not the case in Guatemala. Sure, there are quite a few dormant volcanoes but the activity of those that are still alive and well is something you have to see to believe and experience firsthand.

Volcán Pacaya

Our main excursion for the trip was to summit Volcan Acatenango but I wanted us to be prepared for that big trek so a few days before I drove us out to Volcan Pacaya, about 75 minutes outside of Antigua. The route I took us on to get to Pacaya induced a bit of concern with Caelynn. It was through small towns, winding dirt roads, and down into some questionable areas but that’s part of the fun! The hike itself was pretty easy; about 4 hours in total and 4-5 miles round trip. This was the perfect introduction to the sights and journey we were about to undertake in a few days. If you only have time for a quick day hike while you’re there, I encourage you to check it out! Entrance fee is about $6/person and you are required to hire a guide that adds another $26 (plus tip) to the bill. I was annoyed at having to hire a guide at first but he ended up being super helpful and informative and it was a fun opportunity to practice my Spanish.

Volcán acatenango

The hike to the top of Volcán Acatenango can be made in one day but most travelers extend the trip over two days and one night up at a basecamp to summit the volcano in the morning. I booked our excursion through OX Expeditions, a local guide company that I heard good things about. First things first, OX holds a preliminary meeting the night before the journey to basecamp. It usually starts at 5pm at their hostel in Antigua and shouldn’t be missed if you plan on making it to the top with the group. We showed up a few minutes late but our guide filled us in on what we missed and we were good to go. OX is able to provide you with just about everything you’d need for the trip; backpack, warm layers, tent, sleeping bag and pad, and food/utensils. I brought my own 40L backpack for comfort purposes but elected to use their equipment for the rest of it. In hindsight, it would’ve been easy to pack my own tent and sleeping pad for the trip for added comfort and less weight to carry to basecamp but what was provided was perfectly adequate and got the job done just fine. In total, the night stay and the guided trip to the top of Acatenango cost $136/person and must be paid in cash by the end of the second day.

We stayed the night in the hostel the night before we all set out. I thought it would be a good idea to already be in the building and eliminate having to travel there in the morning to meet the group. My one grievance with OX was that I booked us a private room in the hostel that later was occupied so we were given a four bed dorm and a promise that we’d have it all to ourself. Surely enough they went against their word and booked another person in the room- something I’m totally fine with but I wanted Caelynn’s first hostel experience to be just her and I in a private room so she could sleep a little more comfortably. That aside, the process and stay with OX was as expected and just what it needed to be.

We set off the next morning around 8am for the trailhead of Acatenango. Our group was larger than normal, according to our guide, we had 16 people in total. Hiking with a group that large means you’re with people of varying skillsets and you’ll be moving a bit slower than normal. We made it from the trailhead to basecamp in about five hours, a pace faster than expected but we weren’t winning any speed records. In my pack I carried our tent, sleeping bag/pad, dinner, breakfast, warm clothes, and snacks for the next 24 hours. Also, don’t forget a headlamp (OX will provide one for you if you do)!

We were super fortunate to have the weather we did. It was warm but not too hot, cloudy at times but cleared often, clear skies at night and zero precipitation. The weather in Guatemala, especially around the volcanoes, can be hard to predict and the microclimates means you experience a big range as you hike up the volcano. All I brought for layers was a smartwool base, shell jacket, and fleece pull over. That was more than enough for me to hike in and had me sweating a bit at night.

The morning of day two is an early one if you plan on making it to the summit for sunrise. A 3:45am wake up call and a two hour hike to the summit is what it’ll take to get you there. A few of our group members stayed behind to sleep in but where’s the fun in that? The last 2 hours of this hike were probably the most challenging, a steep incline and loose skree the whole way up didn’t make it easy but made the accomplishment of reaching the top all the more fulfilling.

Volcán Fuego

For an extra $40 and about four hours more of your time, you can hike over to a knifes edge just bellow the active crater of Volcán Fuego. For anyone that makes the journey to basecamp of Acatenango, I strongly encourage you to make it just a bit further to this portion of Fuego. It’s such an unbelievable feeling to be so close to an active volcano that seems to have huge eruptions every 10 or so minutes. Be mindful that you’ll be hiking back to basecamp in the dark and you’ll be tired and cold so plan accordingly!

Volcán Fuego is the main event that makes this entire trek worthwhile. I have never seen anything like it in all the places I’ve traveled. This alone made the trip to Guatemala more than worth it. I can’t stress enough how cool it was to see huge pieces of molten rock ejected from the ground at high speed and 100’s of feet into the air. There aren’t many places in the world you can see this firsthand, let alone get as close as we did here!

Lake Atitlán

We got back into Antigua around noon on a Sunday and immediately set off for Lake Atitlán. From Antigua it’s about a two hour drive through winding roads and the beautiful Guatemalan countryside. The roads in Guatemala are a strange mixture of being very well maintained and then feeling like you’re driving over a perpetual speed bump. Traffic at times got pretty bad but overall the drive to Atitlán was smooth sailing.

We were blown away by how massive the lake is. There was no way we were going to see all of it in our 3 days there but that was ok because we were using this as a time of recovery from our big hike up Acatenango. I booked us a room in a wonderful little boutique hotel on the North East side of the lake, Casa Prana, that came out to $166/night. In order to get to the hotel, we had to park our car in a public lot and take their private boat about 15 minutes to entrance of Casa Prana. On the second night I booked us both a massage that came out to $80/person for just over an hour.

There’s so much to do in Lake Atitlán like hike Indians Nose, SUP at sunrise, kayak on the lake, parasail, the list goes on and on. We did none of those things. We spent most of our time relaxing at our hotel, exploring the small of Panajachel, and even took a helicopter ride to the black sand beaches on the Pacific coast. The lake is surrounded by so many cool little towns, each very unique and known for its individual qualities. Since the trip was coming to a close, this is where we bought a few souvenirs. I got myself a sweatshirt, hat, and magnet and Caelynn got a cool pair of super cozy sweatpants.

Our last day we moved hotels over to Casa Palopó for a change of scenery and to prepare for the long drive back to Guatemala City. This hotel was just as lovely as the one before it, the restaurant served delicious food, and we even got to take a private helicopter ride 30 minutes West to the Pacific coast (this was complimentary and not included in the price breakdown).

Final Thoughts

Guatemala is an incredible country that doesn’t get enough credit for its beauty, in my opinion. Like any developing country, it has its issues but our experience with it was nothing but wonderful. The people were almost always incredibly kind, the food was delicious, the roads and towns always felt safe. Safety was a concern Caelynn had but we never had any incidents to cause any worry.

Something of note; last year Volcán Fuego had its deadliest eruption since 1929 killing an estimated 200 people (according to Wikipedia). From what we gathered throughout the trip, this figure is drastically underreported. After speaking with locals and guide experts, the casualty count from that eruption is well over 2,000 people and thousands more displaced because of it. My take on it is that Guatemala is relying more and more on tourism, as it should, and it didn't want to be faced with more negative press than it was already dealing with. According to locals, the government did its best to hide the casualty rate by building large walls in front of the affected communities to stop travelers from being able to directly see the areas. Does this have any direct influence on our trip? Not really. But I think it’s something worth noting.

Caelynn’s Corner

For every trip Caelynn and I go on together we think it would be a fun and insightful addition to hear about her experience through her lens.

Before this trip, I knew very little about Guatemala. I’m happy I didn’t have time to research it beforehand because I get scared easily and sometimes put too much weight in other’s experiences or opinions. On the second to last day, I read an article that said Guatemala is one of the most dangerous countries. I never felt that way. Our entire time in this beautiful, unique country, I never once felt unsafe. That being said, we were definitely smart while we traveled.

The first thing I realized in Guatemala was that everyone was so, incredibly kind. If you make it to Guatemala, talk to the locals, everyone’s willing to help in whatever way they can. The second thing was how great the food was. We had a lot of suggestions, but we also went into random places we stumbled upon, and everything was great. 

Climbing Volcano Pacaya and Fuego, I did have a slight fear about climbing active volcanos. We could see the lava erupting from the top and I wondered how safe it was to be so close. We spoke to different people about the mass casualty that happened last year when Fuego erupted. It was heartbreaking to hear about how many people lost their lives and how bodies are still missing. During these conversations we were able to see how much these people loved their country and their people. 

Our first volcano was Pacaya. It was a good intro to the hike we would be doing two days later. It was steep, hot, and I struggled a little, but I’ve never experienced anything like it once we got to the top. We could see little streams of lava coming down, and in certain areas we could feel the heat from the magma. It was a very unique experience.

We replaced our cute, boutique hotel with a hostel. My first ever hostel experience... Never in my life did I think I’d be staying in a hostel. There’s a certain stigma that comes with hostels I think that mostly stems from fear. I was very fearful before getting there, however, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had imagined. I never felt unsafe, which was my biggest concern. I told Dean I loved getting to meet so many different people from all over the world from such different backgrounds. He told me that’s exactly what hostels are. I learned to quickly appreciate that. 

The next morning we set out for Acatenango. The climb itself was difficult, but not impossible. I struggled, but not having any weight on my back (thank you, Dean) made it immensely easier. 

We made it to base camp in about four hours and an hour later we set off for Fuego. I had no idea that Fuego would be the most challenging part of the whole hike. Ten minutes in I wanted to turn back, but I stuck it out. It was difficult and sketchy at times, but once we got to the top all of my frustrations and fears went away. We were above the clouds and a few hundred feet from the eruptions. The second the sun set we could see the lava erupting from Fuego. 

The next morning I stayed back while most people went to summit Acatenango. I’m happy I stayed back. It was early, it was cold, and some people said it was the most difficult part of the hike for them. A few hours later we started the hike back down, which was hard on my knees because it was so steep. 

After the volcano, Dean drove us to Lake Atitlan. The area was beautiful. I was happy to be in a beautiful hotel with a king bed instead of sharing a twin in a communal living space. 

The next day we explored Pijanchel, which was the most touristy part we had been in. I loved that they weren’t many tourists around compared to most places I’ve traveled. It was nice to be able to immerse ourselves in the culture as much as we could. 

Guatemala has quickly become one of my favorite places I’ve ever been to. The people, the food, the different landscapes, all made for an incredible trip.

Havasu Falls

**I have a lot of pictures to upload with this post but I am posting this from Guatemala and the wifi won’t support it currently. They will be posted as soon as I’m able!

BOOKING A RESERVATION

Of all the questions Caelynn and I received from our trip to Havasu Falls, the most common seemed to be “how did you book your campsite?” and to be honest, it was a lot easier than I expected it to be. As far as I understand, the Havasupai Indian Reservation has changed quite a bit over the past year. I talked to friends who claimed they booked a reservation at the campgrounds for roughly $25 total where we spent $100 per person per night, and this was earlier in 2019. I’ve also been told that campsites get booked out immediately when they go on sale February 1st and you’d be hard pressed to book one later in the year.

However, it seems the booking process has undergone some changes as well. We had a small window to make our four days in Supai work and it just so happened there was a cancellation for those exact dates. It’s simple, all you do is visit https://www.havasupaireservations.com/, create an account, and search under their ‘canceled reservations’ tab to find a date that works for you and your party. From there you move along through the process of paying and booking as you would any other campground or hotel. Keep in mind that weekend camping is slightly more expensive than camping over the weekdays.

I was relieved to see that we were able to book a reservation for dates that worked for us because I’ve been dying to visit Havasu Falls for a long time. The price was a bit of a shocker for me. $100/person/night is the most expensive campground I’ve ever heard of. Perhaps if you book on the opening date early in the year you get a discounted rate and the cancellations get filled at an inflated price, I’m not sure. All that said, the short trip is worth the price in my opinion. It makes it more difficult to justify a return visit but for the first timer, like us, we decided to pull the trigger.

GETTING THERE

Getting to the Havasu Falls trailhead is about as straightforward as can be. Simply type “Havasupai Trailhead” into Google Maps and it’ll take you directly to where you need to be. The drive from Los Angeles is roughly seven hours so we decided to break it up over two days (the nice thing about living in a van, you can pull off and sleep comfortably at any rest stop). We originally wanted to hit the trailhead early in the morning but wound up sleeping in, enjoying a nice breakfast in Kingman, and starting around early afternoon.

Something you’ll definitely need to consider when beginning your hike is the deadly Arizona heat. We visited early November and by midday it gets scorching hot. It’s advised that you either begin your hike early in the morning or late in the afternoon so as to avoid the heat.

About two miles before the trailhead is a ranger station where guards will do a deep search of your car for prohibited items (more on this later). They’ll ask you once you get there if you have alcohol, firearms, or drones in your car and claim if they find something you didn’t mention you’re turned around and your reservation won’t be honored. Fortunately for us, all I had were some old beers in my cooler so I dumped them out, had them search a few of my backpacks, and we were on our way.

The hike itself is a relatively mellow seven miles to the town of Supai, two more miles to the campground, and one more mile to the end of the camping area. The trek begins with a steep switch back for about a mile that’ll get you down to the canyon floor. From there it’s six miles along a dried up (sometimes not dried up) river bed, which means easy walking along a steady decline. As I mentioned above, it’s smart to avoid the middle of the days on this path because shade is scarce and there’s no place to refill water if you find yourself overheating.

We started hiking at 1:20pm and landed in Supai at exactly 4:20pm - a solid three hours to go seven miles. I was happy with our pace. As soon as you enter the town you’ll see signs plastered all around announcing that there are no pictures allowed - something we didn’t know and I had to go back and delete a few pictures / videos of local horses (more on this later). The town is bigger than I expected it to be. In theory, you could just pack a tent, pad, and sleeping bag and make it through your three nights here in OK condition just from purchasing your groceries on the reservation. There is at least two markets where you can purchase any camping gear you might’ve forgot, last minute snacks, even ice cream. There’s also a restaurant where we ate on the way out on our last day; the jalapeño burger was actually pretty good!

It’s two more miles to Havasu Falls and the campground where you’ll be staying for the next three nights. We arrived at the campsite at exactly 5:20pm which meant we were setting up our tent and preparing for the night in the dark. It’s a good thing we brought headlamps. By now we were hungry and ready for bed so we prepared dinner and fell asleep pretty early, around 7pm. I recommend you bring a good book or deck or cards to help bide the time, especially this time of year when the sun sets so early.

Over the next days we got to explore one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. The changing leaves juxtaposed over the marvelous red sandstone was amazing, the huge waterfalls, intricate campgrounds, fun hiking trails, it was all a nature lovers dream. We spent the second day resting and hanging around Havasu Falls, enjoying the small window of sunlight on the pool at the bottom of the falls and swimming around a bit. Surprisingly, the water was warm enough to enjoy swimming around in. Day three we trekked down to Mooney Falls and even further down to Beaver Falls. Day four we hung around the campsite for a while until eventually packing up and hitting the trail around 10am.

The hike out was easier for Caelynn than it was for me. Of course it’s two more miles back to the town and then seven more from there back to the car but this time it’s a gradual uphill and thus is a bit more challenging. Caelynn was having some trouble with her hip flexor so she elected to ride the helicopter back to the parking lot. The Supai Reservation flies helicopters in and out four times a week to bring in supplies and fly out the rubbish and they sell seats to hikers who aren’t interested in walking back. She paid $85 for a seat and a $10 credit card fee and was back at the van in less than 20 minutes. I, on the other hand, decided to hoof it back because I was disappointed in myself for not jumping off the top of Havasu Falls and needed some time to dwell on my frustration. After four days I had traveled 30 miles by foot and I think that’s something to be proud of!

WHAT TO BRING

Hiking in 10 miles to stay for three nights and four days presents its challenges in regard to food. Fortunately, the campground has a few fresh water spickets so all we brought was a 1L bottle each. We had a bit of trouble finding what to bring on the internet, probably because so much has been changing there, so here’s a list of what we brought:

• Tent - my 3 person ultralight by Nemo

• Queen size air mattress - I brought this thinking it’d make us more comfortable but it wound up adding a lot of weight and not being comfortable at all

• Sleeping bag - I have a bag rated for 20 degrees and it kept me perfectly warm

• Headlamp - crucial because you’ll be moving around a bit at night

• Warm clothes - one pair of clothes to sleep in and one to wear around during the day, don’t forget a swimsuit and a pair of water shoes if you plan on walking around in the water

• Jetboil - essential for preparing food and coffee

• French press - we love our coffee in the morning

• 3 dehydrated meals (each) - you can pick some up at REI, they’re delicious!

• Oatmeal and granola - for breakfast

• Hydroflask - I bring it everywhere with me, my one liter bottle was the perfect size

• Snacks - I brought a Clif bar for each day

  WHAT NOT TO BRING

• Drone - they’ll check before the parking lot and you don't want to get it confiscated

• Firearms - don’t even keep one in your car, they’ll turn you around and won’t let you stay

• Alcohol - we poured out all our beer upon arrival, such a shame

Keep in mind there are frybread stands and a few convenient stores in town so if you forget something or run out of food a little early you’ll be totally ok. We wound up only eating about 2/3 of our food because of the access to some world famous frybread, it’s worth bringing some extra cash to try one for yourself.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, we had a great experience in Supai. The scenery is unbelievable, the weather was good enough (a little on the colder side), no major issues with fellow campers or the hike itself. That said, a few people reached out to me about the mistreatment of horses and dogs on the Supai reservation. This is partly why I suspect they don’t allow pictures to be taken in the town. The stories I heard were pretty intense and I have to say I didn’t see anything THAT bad. You have the option to hire a donkey to carry up to four bags down to the campground at a cost of $125. That means they have donkeys doing laps (I suspect) all day every day which can be exhausting for them. I saw a few horses and/or donkeys that looked malnourished which is always tough to see. Every dog I saw seemed happy and healthy.

The price tag seems hefty but I loved every second of my time here and I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to visit to go and soak in every single second. I would like to go back in either spring or early summer when the days are a little longer and the landscape is a more lush. Also, I must go back to jump off Havasu Falls, the 98’ waterfall that’s captivated so many lucky visitors.

CAELYNN’S CORNER

For every trip Caelynn and I go on together we think it would be a fun and insightful addition to hear about her experience through her lens.

Prior to Havasupai, the most I’ve ever hiked was 3 miles, but I was determined to make this happen. I was worried, not only about hiking 10 miles, but also carrying a 20-25 pound bag while doing it. 

The first few miles I felt great, but around mile 4 my hip flexor started to bother me, making miles 5-10 brutal. I started to question my decision in booking us this trip. We arrived at the local town and they informed us it was only two miles further. I had hope! My legs were shaking by the time we made it to camp but I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. 

We (we being Dean) pitched our tent, cooked some ramen, and slept very soundly. We decided to take it easy the next day and not stray too far from camp. We hiked over to the waterfall that was closest to us. It was 100 feet tall and had the most beautiful turquoise water. On our third day, we hiked to the tallest waterfall in Havasu. A number of people we passed on the trail warned us that it was a “sketchy” getting to the base of the waterfall. I don’t know what I expected, but not what we stumbled upon. We were climbing down a nearly 90 degree angle, with only slippery chains to hold on to, while water and wind were hitting us. As terrified as I was during that descent, I’ve never felt more proud to have conquered my fears and something so challenging.  

The next morning we started our hike out. I quickly realized my hip would not hold up for ten miles. Dean ended up carrying my backpack, along with his, two miles into town. I then hopped on a helicopter and waited for him to finish the hike. Havasupai was challenging, especially for a novice hiker like myself but absolutely worth it. 

Japan

I had the great pleasure of working with All Nippon Airways for this trip to Japan. They set me up with my flights to and from LA and my domestic flight within Japan and the experience could not have been more enjoyable. Almost every flight I’ve ever been on is simply a means to get me from one location to another but my experience with ANA made me question whether or not I wanted to get off the plane once I touched down in Tokyo (NRT). On the flight I elected for the Japanese cuisine and was not disappointed. It was the perfect way to get a little taste of what was to come over the next couple weeks in Japan. The staff was incredibly helpful and the inflight entertainment was more than I could have asked for (Cool Runnings ftw). The 12 hour flight flew by (pun intended)! If you’re thinking about traveling to Japan be sure to check out ANA, they might not be the most cost effective airline but they provide an experience that just can’t be beat.

My plan heading into this trip, my second time visiting Japan, was to essentially break it into three distinct experiences. First: hitting the road in a rental car and visiting some of the lesser-trafficked prefectures, second: hang around in Tokyo and enjoy one of the most incredible cities I’ve ever had the chance to visit, and three: catch a flight North to experience what some claim to be the best skiing in the world.

PART I: HITTING THE ROAD

My time driving around Japan was limited so I wanted to pack in as much as I could. I was just a few months too early to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom but heard of a prefecture about four hours West of Tokyo where they typically bloomed earlier in the year and knew I had to go see them. In addition to that, I wanted to catch sunrise at Mt Fuji, bathe in an onsen in Hakone, and try to experience a more authentic Japan. The route would have me in the car for about 10 hours. Not bad when it’s spread out over so many days! If you’re thinking of visiting Japan and want to move around a bit, I would definitely encourage you to get a rail pass. My first trip to Japan I ordered the 7-day-green-car pass for $360 from this website and it was perfect for moving throughout the country. The trains are clean, fast, reliable, and even kind of fun to ride on. This trip, however, I wanted to get off the beaten path a bit.

Sunrise at Yuigahama Beach.

I landed in Tokyo at 6pm on a Sunday night, rented a car, and set off for the small town of Kamakura. For the curious, my rental car cost me $295 after all fees and taxes and toll roads, not including gas. After about three hours in the car I arrived at my hostel ($62), a charismatic building with an onsen downstairs and the most comfortable beds. However, this was just a place to rest my head for the night, no time to stay still. I woke up early in the morning, around 5:30am, to catch the sunrise over Yuigahama Beach, the perfect way to wake up in Japan for the first time in 10 months.

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Hokoku-ji, the bamboo temple in Kamakura.

After spending some time walking around the beach, admiring the sun as it rose over the bay and watching fishing boats set out for the day, I decided it was time to get a move on. I rented a bicycle and paid a visit to the Big Buddha statue near the town center, stopped by the bamboo forrest not too far away, and finished my exploration of Kamakura by stopping by the Sasuke Inari Shrine and Zeniarai Benten Ugafuku Shrine (to wash my money in hopes of doubling it, of course).

The torii gate near Hakone Shrine.

Next up on the list was Hakone, a place well known for its onsens, active sulphur vents around Owakundi, and beautiful torii gate on the shores of Lake Ashi. With a late day arrival I decided it was best to book a stay at a hotel near the base of the Hakone volcano to be able to wake up early again and catch the sunrise over Lake Ashi. The hotels here are a bit pricey (I spent $175 for one night) and the one I stayed at was very authentic Japanese, which made the experience that much cooler. It was worth the stay for one night but I don’t think you need more than 48 hours to see all that Hakone has to offer.

The forest approach to the Hakone Shrine.

After spending some time exploring the shrine and its early morning solitude, I moved up to the top of the volcano to explore the geothermal vents a bit. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on my side and high winds kept me inside but that meant I got to peruse the shopping center at the top and learn a bit in the museum. After taking a quick relaxing dip in a nearby onsen, I set off for my next destination.

Check out this sweet pink umbrella I bought from a local vendor.

The inspiration for this trip lies about two hours South of Hakone in the small town of Kawazu. Kawazu has a less common bread of Sakura Tree, the cherry blossoms, which allows them to bloom a couple months early every year. I high tailed it down there, got to be pleasantly surprised by the unique Kawazu Nanaduru Loop Bridge along the way, and finally arrived in the small town.

Couldn’t help but take some cheesy photos with the cherry blossoms!

There was a bit of rain upon my arrival but it wouldn't stop me from walking up and down the streets under the beautiful pink canopies of cherry blossoms while stopping at street vendors and enjoying as much food as my stomach could handle. The decision was made at this point to skip the night's stay in Kawazu and head to the next location to be able to catch the sunrise for a third day in a row. Fingers crossed the weather would hold this next day.

The spectacular view of Fuji from the Chureito Pagoda

The three hour drive to Minamitsuru, a district at the base of Mt Fuji, took a bit longer than expected due to inclement weather but it was still a great experience to get to drive on the wonderfully maintained Japanese roads. I got to my hostel ($40) later than I had hoped, about 1am, but it still left me with a few hours of sleep in a warm and comfy bed. Another early morning and I was off to the Chureito Pagoda to catch first light as it hit the imposing and incredible Mt. Fuji.

The view of Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi and a tasty cloud.

My last trip to Japan didn't allow me to catch a glimpse of this unbelievable dormant volcano but this day it was nothing but clear skies and was the highlight of my whole trip thus far. A true sight to behold. After spending some time around Lake Kawaguchi and stopping by Aokigahara Forest for a bit of spelunking it was time to head back to Tokyo and rest my head for the next few days. If you have the chance, definitely take the time to check out all of these spots, especially the view from Chureito Pagoda.

After spending the day exploring around the base of Fuji it was time to hightail it to Tokyo for some city livin’. This first part of the trip consisted of lots and lots of driving but I’m a big fan of being behind the wheel so I don’t mind it one bit.

PART II: TOKYO

First things first: I didn’t bring the car into Tokyo with me because I didn’t want to have to deal with parking so I drove it back to the airport and took a bus back into the city for $28. Driving through the countryside didn’t present any issues with directions but driving through Tokyo proved to be challenging for no other reason than Google Maps never knew exactly where I was. It seems like there’s three layers to every road, an underground tunnel, ground level road, and raised highway, so it could never really pin down exactly where I was and made navigating the city a bit of a chore.

Tokyo will always be one of my favorite cities. It blends together so many different experiences and feelings into one incredible vibe. The first night I decided to check out the very well known Robot Restaurant in the Shinjuku region and stopped by a karaoke bar on the way home to sing a few songs. I met up with some friends who had tickets to the Robot Restaurant so I can’t give an exact figure on how much it cost but I’m pretty sure it was around ~$60. It’s a crazy spectacle with flashing lights, dragons, and a bunch of other stuff I wouldn’t even know how to describe and it was a pretty cool thing to get to see firsthand. Take it for what it is; a super cheesy but entertaining night out and you’ll have a blast!

My last visit fell short by not being able to visit the teamLab art installation and I am so glad I was able to check it out this time. I liked teamLab Borderless ($27) much that I visited the art installation twice. Because it’s so cool, it gets very crowded inside. The first visit was midday, around 2pm, and the crowds were crazy. My friend and I decided to come back the following morning and be the first inside so we could have the space all to ourselves for a short time and it was worth it.

Between my flight from Sapporo and my return flight to LA I had some time to kill and had another friend back in Tokyo that wanted to go too so we dropped by teamLAB Planets ($27) as well. Can you tell I like this place? It’s definitely something you have to see for yourself, I’m certain you’ll be just as mystified as I was. If you only have time to visit one, I recommend teamLab Planets. It’s a crazy immersive experience and you can interact with the art a bit but you can’t go wrong by visiting either one of them. Be sure to get your tickets in advance otherwise you might miss out!

You’d be hard pressed to wander around the city of Tokyo and NOT see a bunch of people dressed up as video game characters driving around in little go-karts. That’s because Street Kart (formerly MariCar) lets you rent and ride around the city on tiny little karts, just like in Mario Kart! In order to do this you have to acquire an International Drivers Permit from your local AAA. It’s quick, easy and costs only about $25 for the year. If you don’t have one already, my IDP comes in handy for more than just go-karting as some places won’t let you rent a car without one. For $68 you get about two hours of drive time through the busy streets of Shibuya. Definitely a fun and exciting activity to do while visiting Tokyo!

Once that was all done, I knew I had to head back to the Shibuya area to experience the scramble and eat as much ramen and gyoza as possible. At this point, fattened up on as many noodles as my body would physically let me ingest, it was off to colder climates.

PART III: SKIING IN NISEKO

The cherry blossoms inspired and encouraged me to revisit Japan this time around but my friends invite to ski in Niseko is what ultimately led me further North to hit the slopes. I've heard time and time again how the powder in Japan is incomparable to anywhere in the world. I was also looking forward to resting my head in one location for six consecutive days rather than being on the move nonstop. After a two hour bus ride from the airport I arrived at the house, got my skis rented that same day, and was on the slopes in no time. There hadn't been much new snow fall lately but the stoke levels were still very high and five consecutive days of skiing Hanazono Niseko couldn't have been more fun.

I expected skiing in Japan to be more expensive than it wound up being. My five day lift ticket came out to $55/day and rental came to $43/day which put me right at $98/day all-in. Compare that to prices in Colorado, California, or Utah and it feels like a highway robbery. Owners of the Ikon pass get 5-7 free days skiing here as well. If I decide to return next year I’ll be sure to plan a bit more ahead of time.

There’s not much to write about here because every day looked very similar to the one before it: wake up, ski, eat, ski, eat, drink, repeat. Niseko is a cool little mountain town nestled into Japan’s Northern island of Hokkaido. It has everything you need a ski town to have: gear shops, fun slopes, great food, and a vibrant night life. The friends I met up with here booked the house through a charity auction and its location couldn’t have been better. We could walk to the base of the mountain every single morning and get the day started without having to deal with the hassle of shuttling ourselves over.

Aside from the lack of snow, Niseko went off without a hitch. I am already planning a return trip for 2020 in hopes that there’s a little more precipitation so I can get a taste of what skiing in Japan truly has to offer. At the front end of this trip I was thinking to myself how I would ever find ways to fill all 16 days of exploring Japan with activities. On my last day I felt like I hadn't seen nearly as much as I had wanted to. All that means, at the end of the day, is that I have to return sooner rather than later and continue my exploration.

FOOD

As you can tell, I don’t put much of an emphasis on food when I write about a place I’ve visited. I’m not much of a foodie but I understand that food is an integral piece to any culture and sometimes people have their concerns. My plan moving forward is to have a segment like this at the end of each write-up highlighting my experience with the local eats.

One of the things that makes Japan so great is its delicious food. Ramen, gyoza, sushi, and so many more options that are just as delicious as anything you’ll ever eat. I was never the biggest fan of ramen or noodle-y type food but after my first trip to Japan that changed instantly. I ate at Ichiran almost every single day and, yes, I know it’s a chain restaurant but I love it so much I could eat it all day every day until I die.

Another important thing to know is that the 7/11’s in Japan carry high quality fresh food for a low price. I’m pretty sure I ate at least one Omusubi from a 7/11 every single day as well. In fact, writing this right now is making me incredibly hungry.

You really can’t go wrong with the food anywhere in Japan. All of it is delicious and fresh and reasonably priced!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Japan is easily one of my favorite countries I’ve ever visited. It’s so clean, very safe, and has so much natural beauty mixed in with its incredibly unique personality. 16 days here still left me wanting more. It’s one of the few places that I hope to visit at least once a year because each experience can be so unique from the previous one. That’s something worth revisiting in my opinion.

I was fortunate to be able to partner with ANA for this trip and have my flights covered but I included what the flights would have cost me had I booked online through their website. I wasn’t necessarily looking for the cheapest places to stay the entire time either. Hostels in Japan are very nice but are a little on the pricey side - you get what you pay for! I could have saved a bit more money in certain areas but this trip was more about indulgence than most of the places I travel to.

Special shoutout to Elliott Howell for tagging along and taking most of these awesome pictures for me! Check him out on instagram @iamalliott for more of his photography.

Have you ever been to Japan? Is there something I didn’t do that you think I should go back and try for myself? What questions did I leave unanswered? Sometimes I get lost in a sea of words and it can be hard for me to focus so I want to continue to improve and provide the best information I can for you; the curious traveler. Let me know in the comments below!

China

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

It was late at night, about 10pm, on my birthday. I was sitting in my car killing a little bit of time before heading into my climbing gym when a friend sent me a post on Instagram of a national park in China that defied reality. Without much thought, I jumped on Google, found the closest airport and booked a flight to see it firsthand. This was my birthday present to myself. I gave myself about two weeks of prep time to do my research, acquire my visa, and go purchase any last minute necessities.

First things first: I had to go apply for a Chinese visa. This was my first experience applying for a visa beforehand, I’ve only ever been to countries with visa-on-arrival programs. Fortunately for me, there is a Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles so all I had to do was take and print a picture of myself, type and print the application form, bring my passport to the consulate, pay $160, and wait a few days for them to process and return my passport. Simple! For those that live in a place with no local Chinese Consulate, you can apply online through a variety of websites like this one.

Aside from acquiring the visa, I didn’t do much to prepare for this trip. I knew I wanted to spend about a week exploring Zhangjiajie and beyond that I wanted to head North to Xi’an to experience what some people claim to be the ‘most dangerous hike in the world’.

As soon as I landed in Dayong my excitement levels were through the roof. As you walk off the airplane you can see the incredible mountains just a few dozen kilometers away. As I always do whenever I travel, I booked only my first night of the trip so I’m able to get the lay of the land and figure out my next move; whether that be extending my stay or finding a new location. I paid a cab driver $29 to take me an hour North to my hotel ($30/night). Upon arrival I wasn’t overly impressed by the location. The hotel was fine, it’s an inexpensive room in a small town without much around it. However, I knew I wouldn’t want to stay here for more than the one night. I walked around the small town a bit and decided to hunker down and take off early for the parks main entrance.

One important thing to consider while visiting China is that their internet is under the jurisdiction of Chinese sovereignty and, coming from a place like the US, certain permissions we’re familiar with are restricted. My piece of advice is to download and familiarize yourself with a VPN either for your phone or laptop. Especially if you’re considering using your social media or browsing the internet like you’re used to. In addition, I’d highly recommend you download WeChat which is their version of WhatsApp and is incredibly useful for communicating with locals when necessary.

I made the mistake of booking my first hotel on the West side of the park so on day two I hired a car ($42) to take me to the main entrance which was roughly about another hour drive. This is where I should’ve came day one. The town at the base of the park entrance is a bit more lively with local vendors and quite a few lodging options. I stumbled upon this International Hotel ($70/night) and fell in love with it instantly. It is in the perfect location; about a five minute walk to the park entrance, an amazing breakfast buffet, and great dinner menu. I don’t usually rave about hotels but this place was seriously perfect.

The first few days I didn’t get much exploring done due to inclement weather. Being locked in a hotel room for the first few days wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for and I even considered leaving early and returning later on in the year because the forecast called for rain, rain, and more rain. On the third day I figured I might as well make the best of a bad situation so I threw on my poncho and got to walking. The park entry fee is $34 but it’s good for three days so it allowed me entry to the park for the rest of my time there.

Fortunately for me, the rain actually kept most people away from the park my first few days of exploring, something I later realized was a huge blessing. Not only did the cloudy weather add to the dramatic depth of the parks many sandstone pinnacles but it also allowed me to explore almost entirely by myself. Around day four of my time in Zhangjiajie I started to see the crowds roll in. These crowds can be intense. This park is insanely beautiful. I have never been to a place that’s made me stop dead in my tracks to admire the view on such a consistent basis. The pathways that connect viewpoints here are well developed but also very long. I averaged about eight miles a day by foot. The park has done an impressive job of making the park easily accessible, whether it be via elevator, bus, gondola, or the like. They’ve done a fantastic job of this but it also diminishes the majesty of reaching a challenging summit on your own accord.

My last day of visiting this incredible place left me feeling incredibly fulfilled and excited to see what else China had to offer. I had such high expectations for Zhangjiajie and I can confidently say they were blown out of the water. It’s hard for me to put into words just how special this place is. It truly is something that has to be experienced first hand.

Tianmen Mountain

I had a late flight from Dayong to Xi’an which gave me the ability to check out of my hotel early, catch a cab back down to Dayong, and explore Tianmen Mountain a bit. Tianmen Mountain, meaning Heaven’s Gate Mountain, is one of the most visited places in rural China and is incredibly well known because of it’s daunting rock arch and glass walkway high in the clouds.

The cost for the cableway to the top of the mountain is $37 which includes a gondola ride to the base of the roadway, a shuttle ride to the base of the arch, and a gondola ride back down to the bottom where your journey began. Even the gondola ride up through the mountains is awesome and will build your excitement as you move higher and higher through the rocks that seem to jet up out of nowhere. The stairway to the top of the photogenic arch is 999 steps which poses a fun little challenge for the determined. From there you take a system of escalators to the peak of the mountain where you can walk around, enjoy some food and explore the area a bit.

I highly recommend a day trip to Tianmen Mountain if you have the time after visiting Zhangjiajie. You can fit the whole journey into about 6-10 hours depending on how much time you want to spend at the top. The road is windy and the vertigo is real but it’s an unforgettable experience.

Mount Huashan

I caught a redeye from DYG -> XIY at 10pm. If you take one piece of advice from this entire post, let it be this one: DO NOT TAKE A REDEYE WHEN THE FLIGHT IS ONLY TWO HOURS EXPECTING TO BE RESTED AND READY TO ROCK. I landed in Hehua Airport at 11:10pm and I was so exhausted and just wanted to find a place to sleep. The thing about most rural parts of any country is that most things shutdown early and they leave you to fend for yourself. I blame my living in LA for four years for me expecting to be able to move on freely as if it were no problem.

My solution: sleep in the airport. I found a few open seats that’d allow me to sprawl out and threw out my travel blanket. Sleeping in an airport sucks. If you’ve never done it, I wouldn’t recommend working it into your travel plans. t’s confusing, it’s uncomfortable, and most of all, it’s unnerving.

I ‘woke up’ around 8am and hitched a taxi to take me to the town nearest to Mt. Huashan. The taxi from the airport to town cost me $100. Yes, one hundred dollars. Almost as much as the plane ticket required to get me to Xi’an. This was a mistake. There is a high speed train that can take you between the two towns for ~$5 and will get you there in less time.

I arrived at my hotel ($30/night) around 3pm and decided to take the day as a rest day because I knew the following morning would be an early one. For the curious, there are better hotels and closer hotels to the ‘trail head’ but this one was perfectly adequate and I have no complaints whatsoever of my experience. From here, I ventured out to local markets to prepare for the day ahead by purchasing a bottle of water, some nuts, and dried fruit.

My alarm, rang at 1am and I set off for the peak of Mt. Huashan. It’s a funny feeling waking up so early and setting out on such a long mission My immediate goal was to make it to the East peak by sunrise; that gave me about 4.5 hours to get there. The information online was so incredibly misleading there was no reason to have ever read it in the first place. I read articles saying I had to start climbing by 8pm the night before, sleep on the mountain, or take the tram up first thing in the morning in order to catch the sunrise. Full disclaimer; I am quicker than most on my feet and I do move through these hikes faster than normal but it took me roughly four hours from top to bottom. That is with only a few stops and navigating my way past slower hikers. I hiked about 16 miles this day (according to my iPhone Health tracker) and gained about 5,000 feet in altitude.

This hike was A BLAST. Of course I got tired as it went on and on but there were so many distinct sections; the beginning where it’s just a general incline, then a roped steep stairway, then a semi-exposed ascent among many other tourists who must’ve slept on the mountain the night before. This experience is a fond memory I hold and I hope anyone else that gets on this mountain enjoys the winding trails and interesting steeps as much as I did.

I hit the East facing summit at exactly 5:10am and hooooly cow was it crowded up there. To be honest, I have no idea where all these people came from. I passed at least 100 people on the ascent and it felt like I was one of the first to hit the trail head which can only mean that these people must have slept somewhere on the mountain (or started hiking the night before like I read on the internet).

As soon as the sun breached the horizon I noticed a significant decrease in population density. I imagine it’s because the masses dispersed along the mountain rather than sticking solely to the East peak. I hung around a bit longer until I decided to head to the entrance of the aforementioned ‘most dangerous hike in the world’.

I got to the entrance around 7:20am, roughly forty minutes before they opened the area for the day. I got lucky here because they only let about 20 people on the ‘hike’ at a time and I was number twenty on the list which meant I wasn’t stuck waiting for the first group to finish their mission. It’d be difficult for me to recommend anything other than trying to be part of the first group there. Not having to wait around made the experience significantly more enjoyable.

The journey out onto the wooden planks was an incredible experience. I was the caboose of my group, meaning I carried up the end. I’m unsure whether or not I liked this because I wanted to be in front and lead the charge but also it was nice being in the back and getting to sit back and watch everyone else cautiously navigate the planks. It could’ve been the fact that I saw a few others move so precariously but I almost felt no fear walking out there. I wanted to savor every moment. It was exactly why I was in China and it felt like that’s exactly where I belonged in that moment. A quick walk out about 100 meters and then a return trek and it was over as quickly as it had began. This was an awesome experience, one that you won’t soon forget. But it’s important to remember that via ferrata’s are common all over the world and this one is no different.

I took my time exploring the other peaks on the mountain but my main tasks had been accomplished. I saw the chess pavilion, I did the ‘most dangerous hike in the world’, and I saw the sunrise on the East peak. From there I elected to take the gondola to the base of the mountain and prepare myself for the journey back to Xi’an to catch my flight to Dayong in order to ultimately return to LAX.

My one regret was not giving myself enough time to see the Terracotta Army just outside of Xi’an. I talked to a party on my last day just after they visited and they said it was one of their most favorite experiences. In hindsight, I should’ve had that taxi take me from the airport in XI’an to the museum which is along the route and about an hour drive.

Final Thoughts

China. Was. Awesome. This was one of the coolest trips I’ve ever done in my life. China is so different than the US and the culture is so unexpected and unfamiliar that it makes coming to a place like this so awesome. I traveled alone and, it being rural China, I didn’t interact with a single English speaker until my last day. That’s exactly what I came here for! A complete immersion into a culture unlike any other I’ve ever experienced.

China isn’t an easy country to travel to because it’s not as ‘popular’ as most of Europe of Southeast Asia but it is so awesome here and the fact that it is difficult makes it so much fun to experience. Come here expecting not to speak with anyone while you’re here. Download Google translate, understand your maps, be willing to get lost and struggle with directions. I guarantee you will come out the other side a happier, more complete, and incredibly fulfilled human being. I spent ~10 days in China but, truth-be-told, I could’ve been here for quite a few more months.

China, you rock!

Please let me know YOUR final thoughts on my trip to China. What do wish I spoke more about? What could I have done differently or better? Your feedback is incredibly important!

South America

Buenos Aires

My main goal for visiting South America for the first time was to get the most out of seeing Machu Picchu and Patagonia. I figured flying in and out of Buenos Aires would be the best idea, and most central location, to visit Peru to the North and Torres del Paine to the South. It turns out domestic flights in South America aren’t quite as affordable as they are in places like Europe or the USA. If you plan on traveling a bit throughout the continent, I’d recommend establishing Santiago as your hub rather than Buenos Aires. Through this experience, it seems flying in and out of SCL is the best option for those looking to move around a bit.

Buenos Aires is an awesome city with amazing food and delicious Malbec. Truth be told, when I travel alone, I don’t do so well in big cities like this. It was great to get out and explore Palermo and the surrounding areas but I treated my few days here as a time to adjust to the four hour time difference. It’s not much but I wanted to be well rested for the big adventures that lay ahead.

Santiago

As mentioned above, I wish I had known more about domestic travel throughout South America before booking my flight from LAX to Buenos Aires. Santiago is the place you want to be flying in and out of if you plan on traveling around a bit like I did. There is plenty to do in Santiago in terms of hiking, restaurants, and exploring but I didn’t have much more than 12 hours each time I visited the city because I was using it as a layover to get from one place to the next.

Looking at the cost of my round trip flight from BA to Santiago you might be curious as to why it was so expensive. I detail a bit more below as to why I had to arrive in Santiago on the 26th of November but there was a strike at the regional airport in Buenos Aires where my flight to Santiago was meant to leave from. Because of that I was forced to book a separate one-way ticket out of the other airport which inflated the cost of my airfare quite a bit. Needless to say, I was not happy about this but my entire trip would have been derailed had I not done it this way.

Next time I travel to South America I plan to spend more time in Santiago. My two quick stop overs in this city didn’t do it justice and I plan to experience it in a bit more depth another time. However, now that the logistical part of the trip is almost over, it’s time to get into the fun adventures that took me down here in the first place!

Torres del Paine

I’m going to start off by saying I got VERY lucky in regards to my experience in Southern Chile. Flights from Santiago to Puerto Natales leave and return only about once a week. Because of this, most travelers will fly into Punta Arenas and take a bus nine hours to Puerto Natales, the town at the base of Torres del Paine National Park. After an airport strike rendered my flight from Buenos Aires to Santiago canceled, I had to book a one way flight out of a separate airport to get me into Santiago in time to make my flight to Puerto Natales, otherwise the trip would have been ruined. Three hours on the phone and $500 later (ugh) I was able to book a one way ticket that would get me into Santiago the night before my flight to Puerto Natales. Despite the major inconvenience, I still consider myself very lucky. 

The luck didn’t end there. I discovered the W Circuit about 3 weeks before leaving for my trip. I knew I wanted to see Torres del Paine, I knew I wanted to hike through Patagonia, but I wasn’t sure how I would handle it all logistically. The W Circuit is a multi-day trek from Grey’s Glacier to the base of the Torres del Paine stone fortress. It’s about 50 miles of hiking through potentially extreme conditions with insane views along the way. I tried booking my campsites ahead of time on the websites (plural because for some reason there are two separate companies that run critical campsites along the circuit) but I wasn’t able to land the dates that I needed. I knew there had to be another way. Upon arrival, I dropped my stuff off, walked around the town, sat down for a one hour informational meeting on Torres del Paine at Erratic Rock (very strongly encourage you do this), gathered myself and put together a game plan. I woke up early the next day and headed into Fantastico Sur, praying that they would have open campsites available for the dates I was looking for. Sure enough, much to my pleasant surprise, they had three nights available at the three campsites I needed to stay at in order to complete the circuit. However, the one campsite that allows you to sleep near and explore Grey’s Glacier was booked so I wasn’t able to get all the way up the Western part of the W (this campsite belongs to Vertice). 

I went the route of purchasing the campsites with preset tents, pads, and sleeping bags and I purchased dinner to be prepared for me each of the three nights. All of this came to a grand total of $90/night. I walked over to the bus station, paid them $30 for my round trip + ferry ticket, and I was nearly good to go. I bought four days worth of various nuts and dried fruits for about another $40 and a few other miscellaneous items for the hike. 

I had a day to kill between booking my campsites and setting out on the journey so I decided to rent a car and explore the area. The rental car ran me $120 ($70 for the rental $50 to repair the dent in the hood the mechanic put in it when he jumped the car after I left the headlights on. Ugh). I met a friendly traveler in my hostel who decided to come along and we set off. We checked out the historical Milodon museum, drove to Rio Serrano, and paid a visit to Lago Sofia. It was a fun day but by no means would I suggest going out of your way to see any of it if you’re short on time. 

Patagonia is difficult to prepare for because you can experience all four seasons in an hour. Since I didn’t have to carry a tent or sleeping bag, I brought a day bag with a rain jacket, shorts and t shirt to sleep in, flip flops, camera equipment, and a warm fleece. I got lucky with weather; no rain, mostly sunny days, just a lot of gale force wind. My only dire mistake was made on the first day when I didn’t tighten my hiking shoes enough and the 20 kilometer hike decided to rip all of my heel skin off (Ugh…again). 

I’ve truly never been more proud of myself than when I completed this hike on the third day (my initial plan was to summit Torres del Paine on the forth day but it was expected to rain in the morning so I combined days three and four into one excruciatingly long hike. Again, very very happy I did this, it worked out perfectly). There’s something to be said about putting your fate in your own hands, setting a goal for yourself, and achieving it exactly like you had envisioned. I know 11 year old Dean would look at this accomplishment with wide-eyed awe and think it was the coolest thing ever. 27 year old Dean feels exactly the same way.

PERU

Machu Picchu - Inca Trail

I remember being a middle schooler and having to find ways to kill time in the classroom. One thing I remember constantly doing is browsing through the seemingly endless collection of National Geographic magazines my school had. One edition I remember vividly is the one focused on Machu Picchu. The concept of a stone citadel sitting atop a crazy steep mountain blew me away. I always knew it was a place I had to see for myself.

About 3 weeks before my trip to South America I had the chance to sit down with my friend Ben who told me about his experience living in Peru for three months after college and how much he loved it. He highly encouraged me to undertake the Inca Trail which, up until he mentioned it, I hadn’t really considered. The first thing I did when I got home was jump online and Google search ‘Inca Trail hike’ and one of the first hits that came up was a guided tour through Inca Trail Reservations. I figured with a name like that, they must be about as legit as they come. I coughed up the required $691 for a 4 day, 3 night excursion, added a night stay at the Wiracocha Inn in Machu Picchu City ($80), a day pass to get me to the top of Huayna Picchu ($85), and the included train ticket back to Cuzco (all of which I highly recommend). Full disclosure: Looking back, I overpaid a bit and you could probably save some money shopping around for a better price.

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All smiles at the beginning of the 42 kilometer trek

I met my tour guide the night before my trek because I landed in Cuzco later than expected. There I had a chance to discuss logistics of the hike like distance (43 km), elevation change (1,800 m), weather, etc. We were preceded by four porters who carry cooking supplies, providing three meals each day (they are actually delicious), and a tent to sleep in at night. I rented a sleeping pad and a sleeping bag through Inca Trail Reservations for an extra $25. Both were adequate but I’d recommend using your own if possible for maximum comfort. I was picked up the morning of the hike at 5am from Loki Hostel ($10/night) and we began the two hour drive to the trailhead in Aguas Calientes. Along the way we stopped for breakfast and had the chance to grab some last minute supplies so I bought a bag of beef jerky and four protein bars to hold me over between meals. I was fortunate to have just one other person in my group, a 22 year old German who was traveling through South America for a few months which, by the end of the trek, we became good friends. 

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At the top of Dead Woman’s Pass, admiring the ascent

The hike itself isn’t especially challenging. However, the second day of the four day hike is by far the most difficult. You hike 12 km and gain ~1,200 meters in elevation over a short distance to reach Dead Woman’s Pass. The wonderful thing about hiking outdoors is that no one is timing you. It’s not a race. On this trail I encountered people of all shapes and sizes, old and young, and on the last day, when my group finally reached Machu Picchu, I saw all the same people I wandered past along the way. So I would advise to move at a pace you’re comfortable with and enjoy the incredible views along the way. 

Standing at the base of the Sun Gate, overlooking Machu Picchu at 5:34am

On the final day of the trek, my German friend and I were eager to be the first ones to arrive at the Sun Gate so we urged our tour guide to let us start as early as possible. Entry isn’t permitted on the trail until 5am so we woke up at 3am, packed everything up one last time, and headed to the trail head where we were to wait for the next couple of hours until we were able to rock and roll. As we waited, other trekkers started to file into the queue behind us, making me very glad that we got there as early as we did. The trail opened for the day and we moved at a very brisk pace to be the first to the Sun Gate and eventually make it in time to see the sun rise over Machu Picchu. An unforgettable experience. 

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Standing at the lookout point atop Huayna Picchu, overlooking Machu Picchu

Once you make it to Machu Picchu you quickly realize just how much of a tourist attraction this place is. Our group set foot atop the citadel right around 6am and by then there were already bus-fulls of tourists rushing in. We were fortunate to get beautiful blue bird weather to explore the small town that has yet to be fully understood. After the 43 km hike, the ascent of Huayna Picchu proved to be a bit more challenging than expected but absolutely worth the view. They let two groups in each morning, one at 8am and one at 10am. Having just done the Inca Trail I figured the 10am group made the most sense. After about an hour of drudging up the steep steps you are rewarded with an opposing view of Machu Picchu from what you saw earlier that same morning. Enjoy the view and take it all in because you never know when you’ll get to see something so unbelievable ever again.

Because I had such limited time between my flight landing in Cuzco and beginning my Inca Trail hike, I wasn’t able to coordinate a tour to take me to Rainbow Mountain. And I’m so happy it worked out this way. Tour busses typically begin the three hour drive from Cuzco at around 5am. This was too late for me. I read horror stories online about how crowded the trail becomes because tourists (like me) come in by the droves. 

On the way back to my hostel from Machu Picchu I met a cab driver and, through my broken Spanish, we became friends. I inquired about how much it would cost to drive me the three hours from Cuzco to Machu Picchu and she quoted me a price of roughly $100 USD. After asking around a bit more I decided to take her up on the offer and boy am I glad I did. She met me at my hostel the following morning at 2am and we set off for the colorful mountains. I would strongly encourage anyone considering this to be sure they have everything they’ll need for the day before setting off. Nothing will be open on your drive to the mountain and you don’t want to be caught up there without food and water. 

I arrived at the mountain at 5am and set off. Entirely alone at 5,000 meters. Even my cab driver was a bit awe struck by the fact that no vendors had even set up for the day (they are usually ready to go by 8am). This is when things went a bit awry. I remember reading online that it was a two hour hike to the rainbow mountain so I kept a mental note of how long I was hiking. Since the sun wasn’t fully in the sky, I wasn’t able to fully appreciate the incredible colors around me. And because of that I actually walked right by the rainbow mountain itself. As I continued down the valley, eager to see the most beautifully colored mountains I could imagine, I started to get a bit concerned. Two hours came and went until I finally came across another hiker. I asked which direction he thought the rainbow mountain was and he pointed in the direction I had just came from (oops). It’s 7am at this point and I’ve walked about 70 minutes PAST the rainbow mountain. I knew the tour busses would be arriving soon so I had no choice but to turn around a more or less jog back the mountain I so foolishly walked right on by. As I gained the summit of the rainbow mountain mirador (for a second time) there were two Peruvian sherpas boiling water for tea. This made me a bit upset because part of the reason I wanted to get there so early was so I could have the area to myself. However, after a few words, they were willing to late me fly my drone over the now beautifully saturated hills right in front of me. 

I hiked up a bit further to the valley mirador and I saw the first few waves of hikers approaching the summit. Despite my confusion early on, I’m very happy I was able to beat the masses to the spectacle. From there I noticed a trail veering off, up, and over a hill along the rainbow mountain trail. I descended down and began the journey off to see where it might lead. As I summited here, I noticed it was the entry point to the Red Valley. I paid the park ranger at the front $5 to let me through and I had the sprawling valley of intense red and greens all to myself for the next two hours as I hiked around. If you have the time (an added benefit of hiring a car for the day because you WILL have time), I strongly encourage you to check this area out. It’s absolutely breath taking. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I chose to write about this trip first for the simple fact that it was one of my all time favorite experiences and it left me feeling more proud of myself than almost anything I’d ever done. If I could go back and do things differently I think I would be able to save about 25% of my money by booking flights earlier, having better luck with a few unfortunate situations, and simply knowing the area a bit better. All that said, I’m grateful for the experiences I had - good and bad!

I hope this quick write-up is able to help you if you’re planning a trip to South America and are interested in seeing Torres del Paine, Machu Picchu, and/or Rainbow Mountain.

I’d really appreciate your feedback! Leave a comment below about what you liked and didn’t like and I will continue to try to mold this site into a valuable tool for the prospective traveler.

Thanks for reading!

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