This post may contain affiliate links. See our affiliate disclaimer here.
[stag_intro]Two months ago Alyssa and I had a minor freak out when our deal for buying a truck camper fell through. With just one short month before the wedding and our trip, we had no vehicle.[/stag_intro]I did my best to console Alyssa and let her know that we would make this trip work, no matter what. So far on our journey, we’ve lost a vehicle and had to replace our fuel pump. We’ve had no lack of hurdles to overcome since leaving Austin a few weeks ago.
There seems to be a pattern in every obstacle we’ve encountered so far. Every time something bad has happened to us, a lot of good stuff has followed. When our deal for buying a truck camper fell through, we started researching Class C motorhomes and found Franklin. Now, there’s no way we could imagine traveling the country in something smaller than what we have now. It’s perfect. ( a picture below of what we were going to buy)
[stag_image style=”no-filter” src=”http://www.heathpadgett.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_5142.jpg” alignment=”none” url=””]When we reached West Texas and noticed our trailer was falling apart, we had no other option than to leave it at my Granny’s house. Dragging a car would slow us down and we decided we could make it without a vehicle to get around in. It would make us a little less comfortable, but would also make this trip a little more of an adventure. After two weeks of climbing mountains and steep terrains, I’m infinitely grateful we aren’t towing another 2,000 pounds behind us.
[stag_image style=”no-filter” src=”http://138.68.38.191/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_5788.jpg” alignment=”none” url=””]And lastly, just a few days ago we exited in Williams, AZ on our way to the Grand Canyon. Just after pulling through a red light, Franklin came to a sudden stop. Our fuel pump was out. Luckily, a mechanics shop was just next door and could do a replacement the next morning. This meant staying a night in a foreign town and our trip being postponed for a day. I was pretty stressed about the fuel pump and our trip getting thrown off.
But we found the only Mexican restaurant in town (They had awesome queso) where we met a nice couple who bought us a beer and invited us to their tae kwon do class. The next morning, I met a man who had owned a service station for 51 years and the movie “Cars” actually used his station for Luigi’s Tire Shop. I was fascinated hearing all of his stories.
Later that morning, Alyssa and I went to the tae kwon do class and broke the first boards of our martial arts career. We were ecstatic.
[stag_image style=”no-filter” src=”http://138.68.38.191/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Screen-Shot-2014-06-09-at-7.59.41-AM.png” alignment=”none” url=””]Our fuel pump was changed and on Saturday we pulled out of Williams. Because our plans were thrown out of whack, we had to continue on without any. We didn’t know where we’d sleep that night, but we followed our whimsy. We stopped by the Grand Canyon and then pulled over on no less than 15 or 20 “scenic views.” We were finally feeling like we’re on a road trip. We watched the sun go down in the mountains as we made a climb through switchbacks.
When we reached the top of the mountain at an elevation of 8,000 feet, we discovered a small RV campground. On the spur of the moment we pulled in and experienced our first night of “dry camping” (without electricity) for the night. The weather was cool, so we opened the windows and woke up the next morning to our neighbors frying bacon. This is the adventure we were hoping for. Add bacon to any story and it gets better.
I know we’re going to face more obstacles during our time on the road. It’s only a matter of time. Yet, I feel confident that we can turn any road block into something good. We can’t control what happens to us, only how we react to it.
My hope for anyone reading this is to remember you have an opportunity to turn any kind of obstacle into something good as well. Lose your job? Get dumped? Have a bad day at the office? Whatever is crashing down in your life, you have a chance to turn bad into good. It’s all the switch of a simple mindset.
Don’t tell yourself this is happening to you, tell yourself it’s happening for you.
When you think of bad things happening for you, it’s only a matter of time before the situation has turned around to benefit you in the long run.
It’s always your choice.
This is a truly inspiring post, Heath. I am so amazed at what you and Alyssa are doing. You are both amazing leaders who are making a real difference. I look forward to following you on this journey through your posts and videos. Thank you for all that you do. Best of luck moving forward. You are in my prayers.
great way to inspire people when they think the world is crashing down around them. Proud of you Heath, looking forward to reading about the rest of the trip.
Enjoy yourselves!! You will always remember all of the fun times on your journeys and the roadblocks will seem small as life moves on year after year. We have always known you were such an awesome person. I’m glad you have found someone special to share your life with now and forever. Take care!
Love,
The Harveys
(Jaime, Gina, Ryley and Rylan)