Stepping Outside

May 21, 2010

As I dream about escaping this plaster prison, I sink ever so slightly into a nightmare

Shaking momentarily in my shoes at the thought of facing the Lions and Tigers and Bears

 Oh my!!!! What will I do in the big bad woods???? 

Will I fall victim to the dark...  become a prisoner of freedom? 

Silly fears, ha! I need to dive right into their dark waters, only there will I find the sparkling city under the sea. 

The lost Atlantis, hidden under the depths 

Fear of the unknown, I will admit I own, I cling to my safety jacket, pathetically attached to my security blanket 

Then I remind myself... I did not choose this security blanket, it was simply given to me to keep warm in my more vulnerable years

This attachment is only a manifestation of familiarity, an illusion of necessity that I have long out grown 

It is time to peel away these unnecessary layers, expose my naked self, embrace my vulnerabilities, face my fears! 

Once again...  my courage is reborn
-Shawna

Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walking (1966)

Our Evolving Itinerary

April 30, 2010

         Ty and I are getting more excited by the day. There is so much planning to be done, it seems ironic, since we are trying to escape the confines of set schedules and structural living. However, we must have a plan for survival and that is what we are working on. It is amazing the knowledge we have at our fingertips today with internet technology. I have actually been studying the art of hitchhiking! With the ability to communicate over the web with people all around the world, there is a huge amount of information available to us. What I thought was a long lost tradition has actually evolved over the ages. Back in the "hippy era" people just jumped on the open road and discovered the troubles ahead the hard way or if they were lucky through word of mouth. Don't get me wrong, their is a certain mystique to tackling the unknown but to be able to learn from the words of millions of mouths that have already experienced the trouble you may face is a beautiful thing as well. Like the Latin proverb says, "A wise man learns from the mistakes of others, a fool from his own.". Anyways, I have been spending hours marveling at the resourcefulness of the internet, learning from the mistakes of others to plan our route.
       
          So far we have decided to begin our adventure in Santa Barbara, CA and head up the coast line hiking much of the California Coastal Trail and hitchhiking in between. We will continue along the coast until we enter Oregon where we will then head east through Eugene and Bend, then on through the southern section of Idaho, the northeastern corner of Utah, the middle of Colorado and then through New Mexico until we reach the residence of my father and brother in Carlsbad. Based on my research and our own curiosities, we plan to spend most of our time along the coast, in Oregon, Colorado and Northern New Mexico. There are so many places along the way that we want to see, I know we will have to come through many of these areas again to experience them all. We are trying to plan our route through prime hitchhiking and camping territories as we wish to avoid hotels and public transportation if possible, with Mai Tai by our sides we won't have much of a choice anyways. This is just a general game plan that is open to change at anytime as we know nothing ever goes as planned and for the purpose of this adventure we hope it doesn't.

          If anyone has anywhere they recommend us exploring along the way we are happily excepting suggestions, also if anyone has family/ friends anywhere along the way that would be willing to lend a couch, shower, and some good conversation, we would greatly appreciate if you could help arrange communication with them on our behalf. Thank you everyone for your interest in our expedition, we will be posting again soon.
-The Traveling Triad
Shawna, Tieas, and Mai Tai

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count... It's the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln

Progression or Regression?

 May 11, 2010

          Well, we are pretty much done buying supplies now. Thank goodness! I've been OCD on this computer for days now researching products and ordering everything we need, as my roommate put it, all our "extensions of the human hands". It is so funny how ill-equipped us humans are for the wild. Without big brains and imposable thumbs to create all these contraptions, how would we survive in the wild? Or is it the other way around, if we didn't create all these contraptions would it be easier for us to survive in the wild? This week, as we spent more and more money on all these simple comforts and tools, I started asking myself "do we really need all this?" It is ironic how much money we are spending to escape the comforts of society. We are leaving with nothing more than a pack full of stuff and it still seems like SOOO much, and to think we are used to living with far more comforts than this seems like such excess. Our strong minds have made our bodies weak and even our minds are becoming weak as we become more reliant on the use of tools made by machines rather than our own two hands. This is not the case for everyone, but the majority of us city dwellers. Don't get me wrong, it frees up a lot of time for us to focus on other things, but sadly what many choose to focus on is mind rotting rather than mind expanding. Is the price we pay for convenience worth it? Our senses are numbed, and our minds are dumbed. We have physically devolved as our tools have evolved. Sure we get along just fine in a "civilized" society, but what would we do if we were stripped of our comforts and conveniences? When left alone with mother nature most humans now stand little to no chance without tools. The earth provides us with everything we REALLY need to survive: air, water, food, even medicine to cure many ailments with. However, through our own manipulations of these resources for survival and comfort we have detached ourselves from our true lifeline; we have started destroying mother earth and our innate survival instincts. Would you call this progression or regression?

"There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed."  
~Mohandas K. Gandhi

The Dragon's Gift, The Gryphon's Kiss

 May 8, 2010

Hello Fellow Friends, Family, and Followers,


A Special Thank you to everyone for staying updated upon our impending departure.


I would like to make an update on our Prior Blog Posting regarding the Supplies we require for our adventure. We now have most the Provisions we require for this lengthy trek.


-Mai Tai's Back Pack is on its way:)
-As well as his Sole Guard Boots
-And We both have new boots as well, found them on sale at Big 5, they are Hi-Tech,and matching.
We have also borrowed a Marine Camo tent that is plenty spacious and fairly light/ compact.
-I have a new Hi- Tek 80L hiking backpack, with many cool bells and whistles.
-Basic First Aid Kit and Survival Toolkit
-Custom Walking Staffs (I hand Carved one of them for Shawna Personally)
-Lightweight Propane Stove
-Sturdy Hiking Socks
-Two sturdy and Combinable Mummy Sleeping Bags


We still need a few things though...
-Dylan, Send me that Bankroll Bro, we need it soon please:)
-Sleeping Pads (thinking Inflatable, Military Issues) Any Recommendations Anyone?
-Shawna needs a Camping Pillow
-Lighter- Weight Mess Kit
-One Camel- Pak Water Reservoir For Myself
-Thermal Undergarments for us Each
-Empty Boxes so we can start packing.


That really covers our immediate needs, with so much more having been made possible with the help of our wonderful roommates, a Special Shout- Out to Destiny and Ben, for Taking car of not only our two lovely Cats, but for also allowing us to have a no- cost place for storing our personal affects while we venture off into the unknown. Thanks Guys:)


Also both of our Parents (Shawna's and My own that is), have greatly contributed to this epic endeavor, my parents through refinancing my truck back to them, Shawna's dad with a generous contribution of an iPhone, which will allow for mobile updates and G.P.S. Navigation while off of the beaten Path.


If Anyone has a contribution, information, or supplies, please let us know, we leave the last weekend of June, so so very soon!

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

Counting Our Blessings

May 5, 2010

          I must admit that when we first made the decision to leave the comfort of our home for the freedom of the wild world, I was nervous. However, since we have announced our departure I have been reassured that we have made the right choice. I was worried that we were going to get opposition from friends and family and that our resolve would falter as a result, exactly the opposite happened though. We have had extraordinarily positive reactions from both friends and family alike. In fact, nobody seemed very surprised by our choice. We have gained much inspiration from everyone's support and cannot give enough thanks for the kind words and blessings that have been sent our way.
     
          Another big worry was that we would have trouble with the necessary preparations, such as finding a place for my cats and snake to stay, obtaining the necessary supplies and funds for the trip, etc. We still have much to accomplish before we leave; but, we have had fantastic results in this area so far as well. These are all signs to us that this was the right decision to make.
     
          We are so blessed to have such wonderfully supportive and open minded people in our lives. The benevolence of our friends and family has allowed this idea to blossom into a reality. It is through your participation that our small story will become an epic adventure. You are all very much appreciated. Thank you so much for supporting us on this crazy adventure; we will be sure to keep you updated as our journey unfolds.
-Shawna, Tieas, and Mai Tai

"An intention is a quality of consciousness that you bring to an action."
~ Gary Zukav- from "Seat of the Soul"

Needed Supplies and Philosophizing

May 2, 2010

Hi everyone,
  Shawna and I have 58 days left (but who's counting, lol), from launching our daring adventure. The time is flying by so fast, and there is so much still left to do.  We have compiled together a "Wish List" of sorts, of the equipment we will be needing for such rugged living, and shall be posting it so friends and followers may offer pricing suggestions or provide donations on some of the smaller, more basic supplies.
~ 2 Pureland sleeping bags (23 Degree Protection, zip together, $75 for both)   http://cgi.ebay.com/Two-PURELAND-Hippo250-23-F-Mummy-Sleeping-Bags-20-F_W0QQitemZ400111689775QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5d2883e02f#ht_2280wt_908
~ 2 Lite Sleeping Pads ($80 for both)
~ Hiking Backpack for Mai Tai (Granite Gear, Size Medium, $60) http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/product_Granite-Gear-Ruff-Rider-Dog-Pack_212211_10208_10000001_-1_
~ Hiking Booties For Mai Tai (All that walking, plus the weight, we want him to be comfy, Size small, $20)
http://dogbooties.com/products/toug90boot.html
~ Car Charger for Phone (For Palm Pixi from Sprint, $35)
~ Phone Case For Palm Pixi
~ Solar Phone Charger (For Palm Pixi, Solar... Need we say more? $60) *Image in upper right corner
~ Boots/ Dr. Scholl's (for the both of us, about $60)
  Along with all these supplies, we are saving money to keep our bills paid (Phone, Credit Cards, Etc.) as well as saving towards camping and eating expenses.  It's ironic that we have to spend a ton of money to live with next to none.
  On a side note, this is not my first cross country excursion, though every time before, I was hindered into hauling my hindrance's behind in the form of various vehicles which all invariably suffered some mechanical malfunction along the way.  Dylan, my younger Brother accompanied me from California on through 6 more states, with month long layover in unknown terrain, and no survival skills except those honed by us, from an early childhood rampaging upon the streets.
  Like a fine wine that ripens into its fullest potential with age, I can now re- embark on a fantastically more exotic road trip, accompanied with my lovely soul mate, Shawna, this time free from obsession of the material, in tune with the natural order around us.  Not only am I confident in the wonders we will yet behold, the friendships formed, the lives touched, but I am also secure in my self determination, aware of my strong self reliance, and the skills I have learned through experience that will manifest these unfathomable future observations.
  I intend to use this website as a scrapbook, with all our friends comments and all of our own experiences and pictures posted in a chronological order, starting from now.


“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

A Welcome To The Traveling Triad!

Hello, and Welcome to the Blog source of "The Traveling Triad", a Real Life adventure of a young couple and their faithful canine companion!

Having decided to partake of this wild adventure, it suddenly became clear to us that our travels must not go unshared. Having founded this Blogsite, we have established the means to give credit to those whom will help us along our travels, while updating Friends and Fans of our current locations and activities. At the same time, Bloggers can make a small contribution towards the well being of this triads ambitious quest, and intrinsically and vicariously follow along as active participants.

As of now, we are still working out the cogs and details, but have ascertained a definitive departure date of July 1st, 2010. Keep posted to see what things you may be able to help us acquire, as well as advice to offer or contacts we may be able to use for Hot Showers or even an overnight "Couch- Surfing" opportunities.

Thank you for your avid interest and support... The Traveling Triad, Tieas, Shawna, and Mai Tai