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London: Oct 10 - 17, 2023 Istanbul: Oct 17 - 23, 2023 During the last couple of months I embarked on my first international adventure since the pandemic. An old friend of mine invited me on a trip to Egypt and I couldn't resist. This summer has mostly been solo travel, and I jumped at the chance to travel with a companion. I had done countless hours of YouTube research, booked Airbnbs in Cairo, Alexandria, and Luxor. A couple of nights before our flight war broke out between Hamas and Israel causing a re-think of traveling to Egypt. Furthermore, there was a report of tourists and their guide being shot and killed by an Egyptian officer. That was just enough to feel like traveling to Egypt might not be the right time so a decision was made to do London and Istanbul instead. A week in London in the fall was quite nice. A jacket was sufficient in the mostly sunny and dry with occasional misty rainy days. All in all I checked into 31 places. Many coffee shops, famous sites, restaurants, parks, and Uber boat ride down the Thames. It's officially winter time here in Missouri with nights dipping below freezing. Due to Ill Niño December has been mild. Up until recently I was able to ride my bike, but now I'm thinking it's a bit too cold! I'm planning to take the bike and to head to California for the winter.

Trip Dates: September 6 - October 9, 2023

Trip dates: August 9 - 31, 2023 I spent the month of August RV camping at 7 different spots in Arkansas and 1 in Oklahoma. This was the longest contiguous time that I had spent living out of my Airstream camper - a full month! If you're curious about Arkansas state parks take a look here -> Arkansas State Parks Guide. Living up to its namesake, the natural state, there are over 50 state parks. Here are the places where I parked my trailer in the northwestern region of Arkansas. Spending time in the heavily forested and Arkansas river and lake areas. • Hipcamp in Little Flock, Arkansas • Lake Dardanelle State Park, Arkansas • Lake Ouachita State Park, Arkansas • Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas • Mount Nebo State Park, Arkansas • Sallisaw KOA, Oklahoma • Lake Fort Smith State Park, Arkansas • Hipcamp in Bella Vista, Arkansas My big takeaway from this camping trip is that I don't think the full-time RV life is for me. It can be a bit lonely on the road by myself and difficult to build community when I'm always on the move. As a secondary reason, there's also a lot of things that need to be done to operate and maintain the trailer such as tank dumping/sanitization, tires, electrical, etc., that you don't have to worry about when living in a typical house or apartment. The trailer is now in storage and my next adventure is in Texas and Louisiana.

Trip dates: July 4 - August 6, 2023 I'm sitting at a bustling coffee shop in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas called Onyx Coffee Lab. Their other location, Apple Store-esque, looks like it could have existed in pre-pandemic San Francisco. If you've ever been to Sightglass where the roasters uniforms seemingly appear to be denim, slicked back hair, and tattoos - here you're more likely to see a mullet probably covered in a hat, among other middle of the country vibes. Next up is establishing my home base in the Bentonville, Arkansas area. This mostly involves moving all my stuff to a storage unit for easy access while I live nomadically and use the area as a central point of all my travels. I'll be dreaming about where to travel to next.

Trip dates: April 16 - June 25, 2023 Hello folks! What a whirlwind month it has been! I can hardly believe all the incredible experiences I've had in the past few months. From the west coast to the middle of the country, I've embarked on an unforgettable journey filled with unique places and thrilling adventures. First on the list was my unforgettable RV caravan experience at Lake McClure. Nestled amidst the ridge of a lake reservoir, I found myself surrounded by stunning vistas that took my breath away. And let's not forget the magical "superbloom" that graced the area, turning the landscape into a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors. If you're curious to relive the magic, check out a more detailed account, RV caravan at Lake McClure during the Superbloom.  As if that wasn't enough, my wanderlust led me to the mesmerizing oases hidden within the Joshua Tree National Park. From surreal rock formations to captivating desert flora, every step felt like a journey into another world. The tranquility and natural beauty of Joshua Tree left an indelible mark on my soul. If you're yearning for an escape to nature's desert embrace, take a peak into my enthralling adventure, Journey to the Oases in Joshua Tree. After spending some time in California I embarked on a roadtrip to Missouri, my final destination. My next road trip will be to the vibrant and electrifying city of Las Vegas! I'm thinking of doing some tent camping in Colorado or Utah along the way.

While I waited for some follow up repairs to be done on my tow vehicle (more on that later), I decided to book a modern glamping cabin in Joshua Tree. I was in search of an Oasis. Literally and figuratively. I'd been eagerly waiting to venture out of California and see the rest of the country. In the meantime I planned to adventure places I could get to from central California in less than a day. It all started with my stay at this spot that I booked on Hipcamp. It was beautiful, comfortable, and private. The trip was rejuvenating. There is still so much more to see. Next time I've got stargazing on the menu as it's very dark in the park at night. You can go into the park any time of the day as it's open 24 hours year round.

We RV caravan'ed during the spring after the heavy rains in California at Lake McClure. The group consisted of myself, my sister Christina, nephew Bryan and Steve. Bryan helped me tow the Airstream, while my tow vehicle awaits hitch repairs. He was a champ and did an amazing job! Steve had the Jayco being pulled by a GMC Canyon. The drive was under an hour and a great nearby spot for taking the Airstream out on its first camping trip. At the campground, Steve booked us side by side sites that were on a point. Each site had an electric and water hookup. For dumping there was a nearby campground with a station.