#4 We broke free! Our adventure has begun in the Wild Wild West

Truth or Consequences? Sounds like a line out of a Western movie. In fact it does lie in the Wild West. In southern New Mexico actually. A quirky little town, formerly known as ‘Hot Spring’ changed its name when winning a competition back in 1950 on a radio show also of the same name. And here we are drinking beer at their local micro-brewery, chatting to friendly folks from all walks of life. The journey so far has sure made us thirsty! We have made it! We’re now free and on the road!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. We said our goodbyes and hosted a cracking party, packed our most important belongings and checked in at Zurich airport. Of course we had a million more things to do like selling our caravan and our Mercedes, filling in a load of tax forms, etc. but we won’t bore you with all of that. We were, however, amazed at how smooth everything went and are thankful for all the help and support we received along the way.

Our dream has finally come to fruition. We have done the deed, left our jobs and despite all the anxieties and doubts, we have pulled it off. We’ve broke free from the ‘norm’, ignoring the expectations society has on its citizens, that of a young family in particular. We are travelling with a baby.

Silverskin, the name we gave our home on wheels, had to be equipped with a few more accessories, as well as undergoing a huge service before he was adventure-ready. This included fixing the suspension, changing all the oils, fitting a 60 gallon diesel tank for better range and turning the interior into a cosy home. We were once again very fortunate to have the space and the expertise of our good friends Roland, Denise and Rhonda. Thank you guys, we couldn’t have done it without you. The party they threw for us was also very sweet. Stuart once again blew us away with his ribs. They are the best! Period! We must get the recipe!

To kick-start our trip of a lifetime, we had made plans to visit Grand Canyon with our friends Patti and Mark who also happened to be around. This gave us a deadline to meet. Just in the nick of time, after bolting the max tracks and jerry cans to the truck and packing our last items, we finally (with a 4 hour delay) set off north.

Two and half hours later, we met in Flagstaff and it was already getting dark. A little apprehensive about where to camp, we settled for Walmart. However, when we got there, we had to turn around. They were one of the few stores that didn’t allow overnight parking and in addition to this, they were closed due to a recent fire! We had heard that Cracker Barrell restaurant would be an option and since our stomachs were empty it seemed like a very good idea. The meal was nice, we were able to catch up with our friends and afterwards crawl right into bed.

The following night we upped our game. After a beautiful day in Flagstaff and Grand Canyon, we camped right outside the south entrance of the spectacular National Park. Free, wild and alone. The week to follow revealed even more hidden treasures. We found ourselves camping on the beach of Lake Powell, in the middle of the desert right by ‘Mexican Hat Rock’, tucked away in the secluded Cebola Forest and on the shores of the famous Rio Grande. We drove across Monument Valley, visited Horseshoe Bend, and rode the scenic highway 12 south through beautiful Navajo lands. What stunningly beautiful sights we’ve seen and that’s just in one week.

The nights were getting cooler and after a couple of nights below freezing and a burst hose in our toilet, we had to head south, quick! Chased by a cold spell, where temperatures were threatening -15’C in the night, we drove as far south as we could and ended up in El Paso, Texas, on the Mexican border. This time, at a Walmart parking lot.

Our first two weeks as full-time overlanders went above and beyond our expectations. With nothing but good weather and a happy seven month old daughter who adjusted to our crazy new life perfectly, it is safe to say that we will stay on the road. By the way we are very happy with our new volcano grill and are looking forward to bringing you a meat story soon. Thanks for reading and we’ll meat you guys around the world.