It is true about what they say about traveling…..a lot of people just wont understand what you’re doing. Even if your path is so clear to you, it may be next to impossible to convey that to someone else because not everyone has that “I need to go and see things” bug. But [...]]]>

It is true about what they say about traveling…..a lot of people just wont understand what you’re doing. Even if your path is so clear to you, it may be next to impossible to convey that to someone else because not everyone has that “I need to go and see things” bug. But don’t let that slow you down! Because you will also find a lot of people ( at home and on the road ) that are on the same path. When you find people like this make sure that you pick their brain and find other fun adventures and jobs. One quote always comes to mind though, when people question why I do this…..

” If the day and night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal,-that is your success. All nature is your congratulation, and you have cause momentarily to bless yourself. The greatest gains and values are farthest from being appreciated. We easily come to doubt if they exist. We soon forget them. They are the highest reality…The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning and evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.”
Henry David Thoreau

Always enjoy every second that you have. Learn to appreciate all the small things and you will gain more out of seasonal work and life than you ever thought possible. I have worked all types of jobs, from housekeeping to kayak guide and let me tell you that there is something to be learned at every job that you WILL use again one day. A lot of people don’t travel because they believe it would be too hard. But honestly the hardest part is getting the courage to just do it. Just get out there! Seasonal work and traveling in general is a lot easier than it seems because you will almost always find someone that is more than willing to show you some original things and help you on your journey. If you have any questions and need to ask someone feel free to write me and I can help you out or send you in the right direction. Have fun and…..GET OUT THERE!

A month ago my friend Craig stopped at my house in Phoenix on his road trip across the US.  His second day there he looked at me and said, “I want to go on a hike, and I don’t care how hard it is.”  Well I looked [...]]]>

Craig and I with the Flatiron looming behind us.

A month ago my friend Craig stopped at my house in Phoenix on his road trip across the US.  His second day there he looked at me and said, “I want to go on a hike, and I don’t care how hard it is.”  Well I looked right at him and said “I’ve got just the hike for you.”  (with a devilish grin)  The next morning we headed out bright and early to the Lost Dutchman State Park to cook breakfast and prepare for our hike up to the Flatiron via the Siphon Draw trail.

The Flatiron is an iron like rock formation on the top of the Superstition Mountains located in The Lost Dutchman State Park.   You gain 2,780 ft in less than 2.7 miles!  (that’s steeper than most sections of the Grand Canyon.)  We hiked the trail in the middle of our blooming season, so the area was full of color with all the grass and flowers.  Be careful if you hike this trail in the hot months, because it is extremely hot out the with very little shade.

Hedgehoge Cactus blooming by the trail

The top of this hike has amazing/terrifying views in all directions from the top and on the way up.  Watch yourself once you get to the top because there is some very big exposure up on top of the Flatiron.  Overall this hike is very difficult, but extremely rewarding.  We spent over 7 hours out exploring, but you can hike the full trail round trip in about 3.5 – 5 hours.  You can find more trail information by clicking here.

The Lost Dutchman State Park is scheduled to close  June 3rd, 2010 and ongoing discussions are being held to help find financial solutions to this park along with 4 other parks.  This is already after 5 parks have been closed and 10 other park’s operation hours have been cut.  For more information on the closings contact (602) 542-4174 (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free (800) 285-3703) or visit AZStateParks.com.

enjoying the fruits of my labor

I know it’s hot out and you need to cool down….I know school is tough and you need to unwind….I know you’re thirsty and all you brought is beer….I know your bored from floating at a pace of 1/10 mph and there is tons of soggy/bobbing marshmallows just begging [...]]]>

Wild horses on the Salt River

I know it’s hot out and you need to cool down….I know school is tough and you need to unwind….I know you’re thirsty and all you brought is beer….I know your bored from floating at a pace of 1/10 mph and there is tons of soggy/bobbing marshmallows just begging to be thrown….I know you have tons of empty beer cans/garbage and they just float oh so well in the river….I know there is wild horses on the shore and they just look like they are begging to be yelled at….

In short I really do love all you guys and we can keep this river beautiful if we all just do our part.

Beautiful emerald green waters, peaceful white sand beaches, dangerous mountains, and raging waterfalls….are all amazing scenery that you won’t get a glimpse of around my hometown in DeKalb, IL.  I have been traveling for four years now and this is my first time spending more than 3 days back at home!  I think mainly the [...]]]>

Illinois

Beautiful emerald green waters, peaceful white sand beaches, dangerous mountains, and raging waterfalls….are all amazing scenery that you won’t get a glimpse of around my hometown in DeKalb, IL.  I have been traveling for four years now and this is my first time spending more than 3 days back at home!  I think mainly the reason for this is because I always thought of coming home as a kind of defeat.

A lot of travelers that I talk to have some of the same worries about coming home.  We feel like if we come home that we will be stuck there; in our old, boring lifestyles that we are all so desperately running from.  We don’t want to be forced to work mundane jobs in boring places, with people who have never left their hometown for even a day of their life.  We have seen a different way of life and now we have that taste in our mouth.  Which makes it hard to come home even for a short spell, because you want to live a different life.

I’m just want to remind you not to wait too long to come back home for a visit.  People take it personally, and it’s hard for them to understand why you can’t be back every free day of the year.  Now that I’m home I realize that I’m not actually stuck here.  My family supports my travels and there is always “next season”.  But one of the most difficult parts about coming back to Illinois was trying to live my active outdoors lifestyle,  in a not-so-active city environment.  It is hard to do, but not impossible.  I have been taking hikes through all of the city parks and taking every side path I see.   People will also take their bikes through the parks too.  Another fun thing to do is to take a canoe, kayak, or just an inflatable raft down any river or creek by your town.  Just remember that you take what you learn on the road everywhere you go.

Home might be a lot different than the road, but you have to embrace that and remember “it’s a great place to visit!”

I’m not sure exactly how many people really know about the seasonal job world, but I hope I can help open a few people’s eyes to a world I never knew about until 4 fours ago when I stumbled upon coolworks.com.  Seasonal jobs are temporary [...]]]>

Thats my cabin on the lake in South Lake Tahoe, CA

I’m not sure exactly how many people really know about the seasonal job world, but I hope I can help open a few people’s eyes to a world I never knew about until 4 fours ago when I stumbled upon coolworks.com.  Seasonal jobs are temporary jobs that can be full time or part time.  They usually have a specific start and end date but there is usually an opportunity or two for year-around employment if you fall in love with a certain spot.  National Parks, State Parks, Resorts, Ranches, Kids Camps, and Ski Resorts usually all hire seasonal employees.  A lot of these jobs will supply on-site housing or they can help set you up with a place to rent.  There are even some jobs that will supply you with food while you are there.  On top of all that,  you get to work with a lot of really cool and interesting people from all over the world!

I have a few links for great places to find seasonal jobs on my website.  My three favorite seasonal job websites are Cool Works.com, Back Door Jobs.com, and Job Monkey.com.  Check them out frequently because they post new jobs everyday.

Seasonal jobs usually hire with the seasons, and a lot of jobs will do their hiring for the whole year in spring.  All of the jobs are extremely easy to apply for because of online applications.  I have also found that if you look around on the internet, you can find all types of websites, reviews, pictures, and sometimes even movies about the company you are interested in.  Even with the economy being as bad as it is, there is still a plethora of jobs on Cool Works, Backdoor Jobs, and Job Monkey.  (Which are all great resources for finding seasonal jobs, or a career in a beautiful new place.)   Most of these seasonal jobs are only a few months long, so why not give it a shot?

I’ve been traveling for almost four years now and it seems that on every journey I take,  I meet someone that’s brand new to this type of life.  I usually try to give that person as many tips as possible and try to make their first time an experience they won’t forget.  And every time [...]]]>

Smokey Mountains, TN

I’ve been traveling for almost four years now and it seems that on every journey I take,  I meet someone that’s brand new to this type of life.  I usually try to give that person as many tips as possible and try to make their first time an experience they won’t forget.  And every time I meet someone like this I think about my first time leaving home and why I really got into doing this.

As I’ve said before my family owned a campground when I was growing up so I was lucky enough to have a childhood that anyone would covet.  We had a lake, river, forest, dogs, cats, goats (yes I said goats) and the best part of all was…..I never had to wear shoes!  On top of that my family would also go hiking, and take “country cruises” to other cool places in the area.  So you can most likely say that I got my love for the outdoors at an early age.

But then my Mom and Dad got separated and we sold the campground when I was 13.  We moved into a tiny one-story house in a small town called Waterman, IL.  I don’t know if it was just being young or if I was just having trouble with living in town and having everything be so different with my life, but I turned into a jack-ass.  I was just so bored that I was doing things that were totally unlike me.  So needless to say, just a year and a half later we were on the move again.

This time we moved to a bigger town called DeKalb, IL.  I spent another year or so going down the wrong road when one day I realized how stupid I was being.  I changed everything.  I changed friends, I moved out on my own, and started to work very hard.  It was during this time (about 6 years ago) that I found Cool Works.com.  I applied at every job I found on there but I didn’t know anything about the seasonal world and it was off season.  (Plus like everyone else, I had other things going and I didn’t think I would actually do something like that.)

Me with a few of the kids

During my big change I was working as Head Maintenance Man at a big apartment complex.  I wanted to start “my new life” helping others so I bought 25 bikes from the bike auction that me and my mom were volunteering at, and I fixed them up.  Then I let every kid who didn’t own a bike at the complex come and pick out their bike of choice.  That day I got to see 3 kids ride a bike for their first time.  After I saw the looks on those kid’s (and mother’s) faces I realized that I love to help.

Then the day came around when I lost my Head Maintenance position.  I was devastated!  That night, I was looking for other jobs online when I happened to look at Cool Works again.  I wasn’t getting any replies back from anyone, but I had the “travel bug” and there was no getting away from it.  I took a long look at the USA map and I remembered that we had a family friend in Tennessee.  That night I packed everything I thought I would need and shoved it into the cab of my 1982 GMC S-15.  I had made up my mind.

The next morning my family was extremely shocked when I called them, and they did not like my idea.  But they also knew that if I say I want to do something, the chances are that I’m gonna do it.  So we made a compromise.  Instead of leaving the next day I would wait a week, and me, my Dad, and my sister would all go to the Roger Water’s concert.  The days coming up to that concert I was so freaked out because I was starting to have doubts and I really wanted one of my friends to come with me.  The only problem was that none of them wanted to leave!

Rainbow Falls in Gatlinburg, TN

That night at the concert I was blown away.  Not only by how good the music sounded but because one line really hit me…..”kicking around on a piece of ground, in your hometown, waiting for someone or something to show you the way”    (Pink Floyd, “Time”)  I heard that and decided instantly “that’s not me, I’m not waiting for anything!” I was really gonna do this!  The next morning my family had a nice breakfast and we all had a sentimental send off.

Leaving that house was one of the hardest parts of all my travels.  But as soon as I set out on that 11 hour road trip, I started to have the best time of my life….. I was doing it!  I was getting the chance to see places I had only seen in a book or on TV!  Not only that but I was going to be living in The Smokey Mountains!  I was so stoked!

I had someone down there that helped me along the way and I had tons of fun.  I also got a calls back from tons of jobs once the season started back up too.  I had almost forgot I put in all those applications at Cool Works!  I ended up moving to California, learning about the seasonal world from other seasoned workers, and never looked back.

I’m still chasing my dream and I hope to still be doing this for years to come.  If you ever thought about doing this then try!  Most seasonal jobs only last a few months so even if it’s not for your thing, you still get the chance to spend some time living somewhere that most people only dream about.

I bet a lot of you really want to go somewhere but you think because you have an old car it wont make it out of town.  Well in some cases you may be right, but usually your old car can take you a lot [...]]]>

My Ford Probe I drove 17,000 miles around the USA

I bet a lot of you really want to go somewhere but you think because you have an old car it wont make it out of town.  Well in some cases you may be right, but usually your old car can take you a lot farther than you think.  I had a 1989 Ford Probe that I bought for $800 in Carson City, NV.  I had it for 3 months when I decided I wanted to take a road trip all the way around the USA.  I really wanted to go but I didn’t want to take my old car and get stuck somewhere on the road.  The only problem was that I would never be able to afford a new car….So I decided to find out a little more about cars.

Autozone has a feature on their website where you can plug in the year/ make/ model of your car and then you will get a complete repair manual for your car.  It will tell you everything from how to take out your engine to changing your fuses.  First I always suggest that you change your spark plugs and wires ( which is very easy and inexpensive. )  This will make your car run smoother and get better gas mileage.   Another thing to remember is to ALWAYS check your oil and other fluids before you leave on an extended drive.  It is very easy and only takes a second.  Something as small as checking your fluids can add YEARS on your old car.  Just don’t think because you added 3 quarts last week that it wont need another 3 this week.  Some older cars can burn through oil at an alarming rate!  At that point I usually suggest selling it (maybe on craigslist?) and getting a new one.  When I went on my road trip I would drive for 3 hours and then let my car cool down and check all my fluids.  This is a good thing to do for any car when your driving a long distance.

You can also invest in AAA or some other type of roadside assistance.  You can find this through many different places like insurance companies, and even some phone companies.  This will help in case you need a tow, change a flat, run out of gas, lock your keys in your car, ect…..I upgraded my policy through Gieco and got roadside assistance and full coverage for $60/ month (prices vary by age, driving record, ect….)  I never had to use it and I downgraded when the trip was done but I had it if I needed it.

The last bit of advice is to make sure somebody knows where you’re at and what you’re driving.  This is a very small detail but its nice to know that if something happens to you that someone knows at least where you were headed.  It may sound bleak but its a great precaution to take.

Other than those few tips  I just want to say….”don’t let anything hold you back from what you really want to do”.  Where there’s a will there’s a way right?  Get out there and see more than your hometown.  Even if that just means going on a “country cruise” a few towns over.  Just remember to check your fluids!

You can also use this site to contact me for guided hikes, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, or backpacking trips.

I’m [...]]]> I’ve been traveling since 2005 and I’m on the constant journey to extend my adventures.  I started this website so I can write articles about what I experience and learn on the road or where ever I’m calling home. 

You can also use this site to contact me for guided hikes, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, or backpacking trips.

I’m a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR) through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and a certified Kayak Touring Instructor through the American Canoeing Association (ACA).  I have also been an outdoor guide since 2006 and I’ve led guided kayaking, rafting, canoeing, biking, hiking,  and backpacking trips.

I have included few helpful links for jobs and other helpful traveling tools on this site too, so bookmark my site, leave some comments, check  back often, and Get Out There!