Taking the Alternate

I met Karlee and Austin during my Continental Divide hike. My friend and I shipped our winter gear to their hotel and they graciously held it for us. During our stay at their hotel, the weather turned and we were forced to extend our stay. Even though being forced to take time off trail was difficult, I was grateful for the opportunity to spend more time with this extraordinary couple. They offered us a couple free nights at the hotel in exchange for helping them with a few projects in preparation for their grand opening event.What impressed me the most about Karlee and Austin was their willingness to do something as difficult as running a hotel in hopes that they could build themselves more freedom in the future. They have the goal of stepping away from the hotel after laying the groundwork and hiring a staff to manage the daily operations. I was inspired by their inclination to pursue a better life through hard work.During our interview we chat about running a hotel, owning a wedding planning business and unconventional lifestyles. I apologize for the poor sound quality and for the background noise! As you’d imagine, it’s not easy finding a quiet place to record while managing a hotel. :pSHOW NOTES:Karlee’s Planning Website: www.turquoiseantler.comTheir Hotel: www.chamatrailsinn.comTheir Wedding Venue: www.logriverranch.com

I headed back to Silver City to attend Trail Days 2019 and met some wonderful people! In this episode I talk with a new friend of mine, Zuul, who is part of ALDHA West, a company who is charge of the Triple Crown. She has hiked many trails within the states. Check out her blog - Brown Girl on the NST!Show Notes:Zuul’s Blog - https://browngirlonthenst.comZuul’s Instagram - @browngirlonthenst

Ultra light gear, Trader Joe's runs, training and getting ready for an epic hike from Mexico to Canada! Not to mention quitting my full-time, W-2 job. New phone, getting boring heath insurance and selling the motorcycle. It has really taken a lot to get ready to hike across the country. The trail community is one of the best communities I've been a part of. Being out in nature with nothing but a backpack is truly life changing and I recommend it to anyone who is able to experience it!

I discovered the idea of financial Independence quickly after my first job and we started saving aggressively by living in a fifth wheel, cooking at home and I also cycled to work most days. We even took advantage of credit card perks like 0% interest and that worked out great, until it didn't.I got laid off from my full-time job promptly after transferring approximately $30,000 that we owed on our fifth wheel onto a credit card. That's when I realized it IS possible to save too aggressively...

I knew I wanted to continue the dirtbag... er, outdoor lifestyle after the trail but wasn’t exactly sure how to do it. After a little bit of research I discovered a few invaluable resources that put us on the right track. I learned that only a few specific lifestyle choices was all we needed to help us live the life that we wanted. It came down to housing, transportation and food. We worked hard to minimize these expenses and it propelled us forward more than we could've imagined.Links: Chris Guillabeau - https://chrisguillebeau.com/RV Nation - https://www.couchsrvnation.com/

In 2012 I walked from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail. Prior to this, I hadn’t backpacked for longer than three nights. I completed the trip in four and a half months and there were many peaks and valleys along the way. The biggest challenges I faced weren’t physical, they were psychological. The hike taught me more about life and specifically, myself than I could have ever imagined.In this episode, I talk about my journey on the AT and explain how it ultimately became the catalyst for pursuing financial independence. I went into it thinking it’d be a “once-in-a-lifetime” expedition but I couldn’t have been more off the mark. It’s an experience that completely altered the way I look at the world today.