I want to get lost, rained on, and find inspiration in whatвЂ™s real. I want to connect to the world, not just the wifi. I want to have deep, insightful, intellectually stimulating conversations. I want to spend more time working on my creative endeavors surrounded by people who are focused on the same. IвЂ™m looking forward to carving out more time to write, reflect, read and be inspired. In the spirit of poetry and the celebration of nature, IвЂ™m including both my beer recap and some poetry I wrote while sitting by a lake in the wilderness at the close of this post.ДЄs I ponder upon my trip in these final moments of drafting this Wanderhops Comeback, IвЂ™m sitting at a coffee shop in West Hollywood. Once released, I would like to make a donation to a charity helping to protect our oceans and California wildlife using a portion of the bookвЂ™s sales. In addition to the return of Wanderhops, IвЂ™ve been working on a compilation of poetry that I hope to self-publish. But I also was reminded of my desire to make an impact by protecting our beautiful planet, which is all we have. My brain immediately began plotting more adventures before the inevitable вЂњcool downвЂќ that makes camping less ideal due to less comfortable temperatures. I returned to LA with a desire to disconnect more often. We have a finite amount of time on this earth, and yet we are guiltier of destroying nature than protecting it. The trees are so alive and resilient, and as humans we forget that weвЂ™re far more temporary on this planet than these gorgeous giants. These trees have lived for hundreds, some even thousands of years, and they have survived drought, fire and extreme temperatures. You can touch a sequoia or a redwood tree and feel the magic embedded in the bark. The lakes, trees, sunsets, stars and even the rain seemed louder, sharper, more saturated and more beautiful by being grounded.

With iPhones on airplane mode, we used our smartphones solely as cameras, and were able to pay attention to the sights, sounds and sensations of the Sierras. The greatest value in this trip was disconnecting from what we often confuse as being вЂњreal lifeвЂќ and connecting to nature, the people around us, the earth beneath our feet and the sky above. I embraced the forest filth and opted to use camper-friendly disposable cloths to feel clean in between hikes and cozying up a little too close to the fire (I may or may not have melted part of the soles on my boots.) Our campground, White Wolf, offered flush toilets and sinks, but no showers. There are two things we will never control: the weather and separate souls. It was a testament to the easygoing nature of our group that no one became sour and that the vibe wasnвЂ™t ruined due to soggy circumstances beyond our control. With the inevitable mishaps, itвЂ™s important to have perspective and be able to roll with the punches. Our four days in Yosemite fortunately were not hindered by the wildfires that had been ravaging the area, but we did encounter rain several times which forced us to prematurely wrap a hike and settle for a dinner of candy bars and Doritos while taking shelter from the hail in our groupвЂ™s largest tent. Having driven alone from LA to Austin and back a few years ago with just two days of travel per leg, I was more than well equipped for what was a breezy six-hour commute by comparison.Д«y the end of the drive, I gladly would have sat for six more hours for the same view of the Sierras. IвЂ™ve driven North on many journeys out of LA-moving to San Francisco in 2014, traveling for a hockey game in San Jose, venturing to Big Sur-and I spent a quiet moment both reminiscing and filled with excitement for another voyage ahead. The tires of the Jeep started rolling before sunrise on Sunday morning.ДЄfter a Saturday morning workout and Saturday night closing shift that wrapped at 1:30am Sunday, I was a bit weary for our journey, but too excited by the prospect of adventure for my energy levels to flatline.ДЄs we left sprawling Los Angeles in the rearview, I watched the sun rise over the SoCal landscape, providing a natural filter over the mountains and desert landscape.

West coast wanderer food truck