If you’re like us you can never have enough inspiration to get you ready for your next adventure. Well, we’ve got you covered with our 5 favorite stories (plus a bonus) from friends across the country. Hear from world travelers, van lifers, non profits, community builders and even a professional BMX rider turned stuntman. Find your favorite story below and get stoked for your next adventure!
1: Life on the Trail
Danny Collins left the Ozarks, diploma in hand, for the corporate bustle of New York City... four years later he came running right back brimming with a new passion for the outdoors he left behind. Now in Springfield, Mo, Collins brings back not only a newfound career, but a myriad of experiences spanning from the Bronx to the starlit skies above upstate New York to the steamy jungle paths of South America and back. Read more...
2: The Wunder Couple
You could say Paige and Matt Wunder are professional travelers. Their destinations include all 50 states and 37 countries and counting, but they aren’t here just to share gorgeous pics of Thailand and selfies on the beach. The Wunders want to take you one step further to teach you about the budgeting, preplanning, hard work, and coordination that goes into traveling the world. Read more...
3: Life, Liberty, The Pursuit of Happiness and a Really Big Van
While most Millennial couples are looking at landing their first home, Matt and Grace aimed for the stark alternative. No, not a tiny home, they’re past that hype, but think the same concept but on wheels. They ditched the two-bedroom, two-bath in the suburbs for a decked-out Sprinter van with nothing more but their hopes and dreams, their dog Sawyer, and the whole world on the horizon. Read more...
4: More Than Just A Path In The Woods
If it’s anything that Mary and John from Springfield’s Ozark Greenways love, it’s the ground beneath their feet. Literally. Naturalists and conservationists at heart, the two are on a mission to improve the city they call home. If they have their way they hope to line all of Springfield with trails that connect the local community with the natural world around them. Oh, they also chat about that one time someone found an alligator on the trail. Yes, you read that last part correctly. Read more...
5: The Dream That Started With A Napkin
Shep Roeper founded his nonprofit Beyond Boundaries with one goal in mind: finding adventure for everybody. His story began in the rustic outdoors of Richmond, Virginia where he discovered his love for nature, sport, and helping others. It’s been a journey that dates from all the way back when he was a kid building teepees in his backyard to today, guiding disabled persons down white water rapids in the James River. His program, Beyond Boundaries seeks to bring exciting outdoor adventures to people who would otherwise not have the opportunity. Read more...
BONUS: You Can Sleep When You’re Dead!
Mike Escamilla has lived the outlandishly action-packed career that a kid with a race car bed frame could only dream of; pro-BMX star, stuntman, world traveler, TV host, a part in Guardians of the Galaxy. Hell, the man is even a playable character in Matt Hoffman’s Pro BMX for Pete’s sake. Listing Escamilla’s accomplishments is like reading off someone’s wild bucket list; the entries only get wilder as you go down. At 41-years-old, Escamilla is certainly not throwing in the towel anytime soon. In fact, he’s just getting started. Read more...