June 21st - A Break From Living On the Road

One of my favorite parts of traveling is having an overall destination but no defined idea of how to get their or what the adventure will become.  We can very easily get sucked into the day to day routines of being productive and getting something done, but on these trips Peter and I have a special ability of letting the day come to us.  We are documenting our travels as a way to celebrate the awesome opportunity we have to experience our massive country, as well as share a bit our travels with others.  We started Thursday morning knowing we were going to watch all three World Cup matches and then find our way down towards Phoenix and spend a day in the area. However, we did not know how we were going to fill the day.  

Our experience over the last 24 hours in Phoenix were amazing largely due to two specific people and I want to tell each of them Thank you. My first thank you goes to Matt Clines.  I knew Matt had moved out to AZ a few months ago and I sent him a text message out of the blue on the off chance that we would be able to catch up or grab a drink at a local bar.  Matt greatly exceeded common hospitality and offered us his apartment.  He lives in an amazing apartment, in a perfect location and with a pool that could not have been more relaxing.  After several nights of staying in motel after motel, it was a refreshing break to stay in a house and feel like we weren’t living out of a suitcase for a day.  Seeing good friends during a long trip always has a way of bringing a smile to your face, so Matt thank you for everything. 

The other thank you we want to give is for Keenan Gagliardo.  Keenan is a good friend that I know from my college days who I had not seen in years but he saw a photo I had posted from the Grand Canyon and reached out asking if I was in AZ.  On a random Thursday night during the summer, he accompanied Peter and I on an epic night of bars, adventures and overall good times.  The good times van would be proud.  Thank you for being an awesome friend. 

Arizona is a magical place that has countless adventures awaiting full of natural beauty.  I would highly recommend anyone interested in traveling, hiking or the outdoors in general to visit AZ.  You will not be disappointed with what this state has to offer.  

- Miguel