I’m writing this in an airport terminal, waiting for a flight to Mexico City. Just 12 hours ago I was in Squamish, climbing rocks. Next week I’ll be hiking in the North Cascades, then working in Portland, bikepacking across Oregon, on a project in Tahoe, and finally–if I’m still alive—trail running in Jackson. It’s a gauntlet of travel packed into a single month. To stay hydrated I plan to fuel on gas station coffee.
After four years of living on the road, I’ve learned a lesson or three. The first were basics–where to sleep, how to eat healthy, where to find wifi, and where to shit. Soon after I learned that I could live happily without much stuff–a kitchen or bed, most of my clothes, a heater, shower, air conditioner, toilet, and laundry machines all became non-essentials, and were soon given away. I found it easy to rent, borrow, or go without all of them. That is, until it came to consistent source of caffeine.