Nomad Spring 24 - Intro

Hello! It’s been a while and the world is a much different place now versus my previous blog posts a decade ago. Social media and instant gratification now dominate. The urge to write and document in a more lasting way has pulled me back in. So, here I am writing about what I’ve been up to recently.

Whitney and me at our family wedding reception

A lot has happened in my life. I’ve gotten married to my hard working wife, Whitney; enjoyed a challenging career as an engineer, stepped back from bike racing after making years of enduro memories, gotten passionate about restoring my old VW Vanagon, acquired another old VW Vanagon, survived the life doldrum that was the Covid pandemic, and gone on the biggest road trip of my life-literally, and maybe metaphorically too.

Not much racing but still passionate about riding.  PC: Oliver Parish

The event that changed me more than anything was the sudden loss of my father, Craig, in 2019. My dad was the quiet hero type. He raised my sister and me to become hard working, successful members of society who are loved and appreciated. In true Craig fashion, he worked selflessly for his family, saving for his family and retirement with my mom. Tragically, it was during his final year of work that he passed away at age 61. The retirement he had spent decades waiting and saving for was suddenly stolen from him.

Proud of my dad for the life he lived.

The loss to our family was monumental, and the message profound. Life is precious and is never guaranteed. It can end for any of us at any time. Reminded of this daily since that tragic day, I’ve been on a mission to make subtle but significant changes to my goals in life. The takeaway: make the most of life in the present moment.

One of the last things we did together-Boeing Everett tour.

Following 2019 were the Covid years and we all know how those went. Not a lot of memories were made during those years. The most significant thing for me personally was a couple months furloughed from work where I could make big strides on my “covid project” of restoring my 1983.5 VW Vanagon.

Brown Loaf in my high school yearbook!

Many will remember this van, the same one I’ve owned since high school. After driving it up through the first few years of college, it was simply too impractical for daily duty and was parked for storage on the side of my parent’s house. 7 years later, Whitney and I were finally in a place where we could address the old yard ornament. Decision: sell it or keep it (and restore it). Well, you know what we decided, and it was thanks to Whitney who reminisced of the days when we first dated in the van. Restoring “The Brown Loaf” was not going to happen overnight, and that was okay. Covid was the biggest opportunity to make great gains on the project, and improve my personal skills along the way.

Uncovering the Loaf from its long slumber.

Frozen brakes needed a bigger hammer.

After sitting in the woods for 7 years, Brown Loaf was infested.

Fast forward to 2024 and life has returned to normal-and it’s a different world post-covid. For the last 7 years, The Brown Loaf has been a work-in-progress and a book could be written about all the things that have been done to this van. Pretty much every system and component has been touched, inspected, rebuilt, or replaced. And, I am a different person now with a better understanding of my passion for problem solving.

Engine out of the van (for rebuild)!

But, here I was, having spent years restoring and building an adventure vehicle while simultaneously craving adventure in my post-2019 life. You know where this is going. In Spring 2024, I planned and executed the most grand road trip yet! 7 weeks away from home, living on the road, enjoying the fruits of my labor, and feeling alive and present again.

Nomad Spring '24 road trip!