Returning to our Roots – Overland Journal

Sweaty palms. Blood flowing quickly through our veins. Butterflies blooming in our bellies. We were Yosemite bound. The thought of being suspended thousands of feet over

the valley floor, balancing on webbing no thicker than a thumb, began to consume our minds with each passing mile. Since departing sea level, we’d been eastbound for the high desert, redwood forests, and everything in between. We’d set out to put the new rig, our Toyota Tacoma Xtra Cab Limited Edition Four Wheel Camper, to the test on a classic California overlanding expedition.

After each of us spent four years living full-time on the road (Travis in his 1994 Dodge Ram van and me in my 1983 VW Westfalia), we paused our travel-centric lifestyles to explore new avenues of opportunity—city life. They say you never know what you like or dislike until you try it. I felt overwhelmingly confident as I recommitted to the

vagabond lifestyle, knowing without a doubt that this was my desired path. At this point, we had each attempted the modern-day routine for roughly one year, and it was around this time we met. Travis had come to the same conclusion that I had, and there was no other comprehensible solution other than to hit the road together. The truck was packed with surfboards, highlines, skateboards, hiking boots, and any other adventure accessories that would fit, including my furry four-legged companion, Koda. Days later, we departed Southern California in search of routes accessible only by 4WD, and summit views only seen by those willing to put in the effort to get there.

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