This is the first time I’ve been slow on updating the blog, and it’s for one reason – our trip is over. Abbey and I arrived at my dad’s place in Maumee, Ohio on May 8th, a full 239 days from when we set out in our Volkswagen campervan named Evelyn.

We had been staying with our friends Chris and Kelley and their kids in Phoenix. We were self-quarantining due to the pandemic, and we couldn’t have picked better people to do it with. We drew chalk art. We played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We played loads of video games.

We made sure to keep in touch with our friends and family back home, too.

As the days rolled on, we knew that this pandemic wasn’t going to be over quickly. With National and State parks, forests, and open spaces closed, we had limited options. And Abbey and I knew it wouldn’t be socially responsible to continue traveling across the country during a pandemic.

Chris got a puppy for his birthday – Sammy. She brought a bunch of cheer into the house, but also sheer fear when she went for your ankles with her little needle teeth.

Abbey and I had another concern on our minds – the collapsing economy. When I planned this trip, I considered the worst possible scenario – that there would be a new recession we’d both struggle to find jobs when we were done traveling. I’m glad I considered that – and thankful that we have the reserves to weather it – but it sucks it’s coming to fruition. Ironically, the last time I was looking for a job was right after I graduated college in 2008 and the great recession was underway.

Abbey and I started looking for jobs, and after 40 days of living with Chris and Kelley, we chose to head home to Ohio. We (or rather, I) drove 2,000 miles in 4 days.

In New Mexico, we drove past Gallup, where the entire town had been locked down under the Riot Control Act. There were police barricades at all the entrances. We kept driving past Albuquerque and stayed the night on some BLM land where there was no one around besides antelope.

The following day, we pushed into Kansas and were the only ones at a beautiful county park. The small lake and surrounding prairie meant there were a host of birds – we saw red wing blackbirds, bluebirds, thrushes, killdeer, and rather surprisingly, two glossy ibis.

The third day we made it to Illinois and the rain and cold of the Midwest. As odd is it sounds, it was refreshing and welcoming. We stayed the night in a Cracker Barrel parking lot (of all the parking lots you can spend the night, we’ve learned these are BY FAR the best).

On our final day, we drove through Casey, Illinois, home to the world’s largest rocking chair and several other oddities.

Crossing into Ohio was bittersweet. We were glad to be home but also sad that the trip was ending. This was the greatest trip of my life, but it was also fraught with challenges, from the loss of my mom to the global pandemic. I learned so much about myself, Abbey, nature, and life, and it’s an experience I’ll cherish forever. I keep reminiscing about great memories from the trip, like when we watched a Barred Owl catch and eat a crawdad in Congaree, or when we looked out on the sunset from atop a cliff in the back country of Big Bend.

As for now, Abbey and I are living with family while looking for jobs. I am greatly considering writing a book about our trip.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading our blog. Abbey, Kirk, Evelyn, and I wish you well!

Cheers!