The Road Less Traveled

It’s 12:12 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019, and I’m sitting at picnic bench at Lost Maples State Park in Vanderpool, Texas, deep in the heart of the state’s beautiful hill country. It’s quiet out here. The only sounds are an occasional gust of wind and a squawk from a hungry raven helping himself to the crumbs left behind by parkgoers who had stopped for lunch in front of this same stretch of the Sabinal River.

There’s no reception out here, and for the first time in months, I can finally hear myself think. I mean really think, the kind of deep reflection that can only be found in solitude. It’s why I’m out here—to reconnect with that inner quiet place that is too often drowned out by the noise and confusion of a busy life.

I have wanted to visit Lost Maples for a few years, but the drive is long and the wait list even longer, especially in the fall when the leaves of the Uvalde Bigtooth Maples change color. Uvalde Bigtooths are native to this part of Texas, and campsites fill up fast each fall by nature lovers looking to glimpse the annual explosion of colors.

I just finished a 4.5-mile hike along leaf-covered trails lined with barren maple branches. Apparently, I arrived a few weeks too late and was left to imagine the brilliance inside my mind’s eye. I’m not complaining though. Since picking up my van—named Honcho—in Colorado at the end of October, I have seen more breathtaking views in the past month than I typically do in a year.

I realize I’m traveling a road that few people get to explore, but it’s a road that comes with challenges rarely captured in the pictures and comments posted on the Instagram profiles of many full-time van-lifers. For me, it’s coming to the understanding that I’m now officially a home-owner, and my responsibilities to Honcho are no different than they would have been if I had built a home like I had planned to originally.

This means learning to deal with, and repair, a frozen faucet line, malfunctioning heater, or damaged storage slider. It means taking the time to carefully budget, plan, and schedule any necessary upgrades that will not only set me back financially, but potentially leave me homeless for a few days at a time. It’s also why I’m heading back to Dallas on Friday to drop off Honcho for a week-long makeover that will include a suspension lift, all terrain tires, new wheels, tow hooks, bull bar, cruise control, and tire rack.

I’ll be flying to Colombia during that time to visit an orphanage and celebrate my cousin’s wedding. When I return, I will have a week to start the design process of a new website with my developer before shutting things down for the Christmas holiday. The road to my future is waiting for me, and I have to keep the pedal to the metal if I expect to be traveling full-time by the middle of January.

Follow me on Instagram at @Joshua_Maven or @HonchotheVan, on Twitter @MaventheRaven or Facebook at Facebook/TheLastImperial.