OverlandSphere » Global Road Trekker

Travel Changes You In Ways You Can’t Anticipate

Global Road Trekker — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:20:02 +0000

You may have noticed we’ve been silent for the last couple weeks about our locale. Many of you have reached out to ask what is going on, where we are, what is happening. After much contemplation, we decided to write this post and lay it all out… in all its raw honesty. People told us when we embarked on this…

Is Our Truck Bullet Proof?

Global Road Trekker — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:33:24 +0000

Because of the big sticker on the side, I often get asked whether or not our truck is “bullet proof.” And my answer is… well yes! Sort of… Think about it. Get caught in a street fight between the drug runners and the police? Just hunker down like a storm chaser and wait for it to pass. Mistakenly happen upon…

The Many Faces of Puerto Penasco, Mexico

Global Road Trekker — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:32:47 +0000

I have always said you need to live somewhere for a year to really appreciate it. You can’t expect to enjoy the deeper, subtle and endearing qualities that make any place special if all you’ve done is buzz into town, scarf down a few tacos, snap a few photos, then take off like a bad one night stand. On tour…

Global Road Trekker Crew Status: One Member (Dog) Down

Global Road Trekker — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:28:01 +0000

Neva Runs Free At Dog Beach For many people, there is nothing more special than the companionship of a dog… their unbounded enthusiasm for you, undying loyalty and unconditional love they bring every day without fail. They are empaths that know exactly how to turn your grey skies blue, they know when to snuggle, leave you be or just sit…

Arizona – A Physical Wasteland and Emotional Roller Coaster

Global Road Trekker — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:18:36 +0000

Life Ain't Always Easy in Phoenix Sorry Phoenix, I’m not going to wax on about your beautiful vistas and lush landscapes. About the best I can say is, “nice cactus.” Beyond that, let’s face it: you are a gravel pit. You’re a desolate brown land without oasis, suitable for habitation only by those with an exoskeleton or extremely high powered…

The Travels of Phyllis and Jonathan Copp

Global Road Trekker — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:18:35 +0000

It’s taken me a few weeks to write this blog. Not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I have so much to learn yet about what it all means. We knew that embarking on this adventure would introduce us to some amazing people with incredible stories. And we knew we would find joy and sadness from every…

Forget about the Illuminati! Why didn’t Anyone Ever Tell me About the Hash House Harriers?

Global Road Trekker — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:32:38 +0000

One of the greatest things about being on the road is meeting new people. Hash House Harriers Universal Symbol Everywhere we’ve stopped, we’ve connected with others who have added a new dimension to our lives. This week, through our new Phoenix friends Matthew and Stephanie, I (Wendy) was doubly pleased to have been introduced to a new social group I…

Turning a Blind Corner

Global Road Trekker — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:54:00 +0000

Sunset in Denver This week I turned a corner and got side-swiped. I didn’t realize I was approaching it, but I should have known, considering the circumstances. Walking at break-neck pace as I always do, the turn came at me out of nowhere. I blithely followed without knowing what was on the other side. And that is when things changed.…

Testing The Truck in the Glamis Sand Dunes

Global Road Trekker — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:00:57 +0000

Jim Gets it Stuck Before We Even Leave! The Sahara or Atacama Desert (South America) is not the place to test out your vehicle’s performance four-wheeling in the sand. It’s best to do this somewhere where local authorities are ready and waiting with their recovery gear to extract you should you do something stupid, where Ford parts are readily available…

California – I Just Can’t Quit You!

Global Road Trekker — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:15:43 +0000

Orange welcomes us with open arms Yes, I know everyone is tired of hearing of our delays, as if our lives are some FOX-TV series and season one is just not making the ratings. But I have to admit, that being in the OC for an entire quarter has actually been pretty cool. The consistently 76 degrees perfect weather, the…

Pimpin’ out the Expedition Vehicle

Global Road Trekker — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:26:48 +0000

Jim thinking about truck improvements Many people just buy a car or truck, hop in, fill it with gas and drive it. Maybe even drive it south into Mexico, and eventually all the way to Ushuaia. But not me. That’s just not my style, although sometimes I wish it was. I’ve got to mess with it. It’s in my blood.…

Life – It’s Complicated

Global Road Trekker — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:43:01 +0000

This morning I woke up and did what I always do: I looked at my scribbly notepad filled with pages of open “to do’s” to see where I could make forward progress today. Pen in hand, I began by crossing off yesterday’s completed items, giving myself a little pat on the back for each one. Then I started adding new…

Life Unscripted – our First Two Months on the Road

Global Road Trekker — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:37:12 +0000

Neva and Wendy were standing at the corner of our driveway outside our suburban Colorado home watching as movers carried a stranger’s sofa, tables and chairs into our house without as much as giving them a second glance. It was 3 pm on November 10, 2011 and I had just handed over the keys to our renter, making us officially…

Selecting the Best WARN Winch Parts and 4WD Recovery Gear

Global Road Trekker — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:44:54 +0000

Front Winch on the Expedition Truck Even though we’re driving a beefy 4X4 expedition truck with 40” tires and a high-lift suspension, it’s inevitable that we’ll get stuck somewhere and need to put our winch gear into action. Weighing in at over 18,000 lbs. fully loaded, we’ll be hard pressed to find a truck or even 4X4 shop in the…

So When do you Guys Leave?

Global Road Trekker — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:10:50 +0000

Half Way to the North Pole! I get this question a lot. And each time I struggle to explain that we already HAVE left. In fact, just because we are standing in front of them, speaking English, and still in our own country, does not mean our journey has not begun. Sure, it seems more exotic to think that there…

Blazing Through the Best Parts of California

Global Road Trekker — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:57:08 +0000

Bye Bye Winery Ah… the Redwoods and the wineries, and the beaches. There is nothing better than meandering down the California coast on a leisurely drive, stopping to taste the local varieties and gawk at the magnificent old trees towering into the sky. That was our plan for the day after Christmas. But instead I awoke to Jim’s roar at…

Exposing the Greasy Underbelly of Truck Porn

Global Road Trekker — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:04:04 +0000

Sexy Rotor Protector Ok gentlemen, I know who you are and I know what you want, as I’ve met quite a few of you in the last month. I’ve met you at gas stations, outside restaurants, even in parking lots. You stare, your mouth agape, lick your lips, then snap a few photos. You are inexplicably drawn by nature to…

Real World Practice at the Wilderness Remote Medical Training Course

Global Road Trekker — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:44:37 +0000

Jim at hospital with kidney stones We were hunkered down for the night in the woods of, well, downtown Seattle, exploring the outer banks of Magnuson State Park. This 400-acre compound of athletic fields and NOAA buildings, engineered wetlands and one kick-ass dog park was our unofficial weekend home while attending the recent Wilderness Medical First Aid course. Class bound…

Four Road Trip Mistakes to Avoid On Your Next Adventure

Global Road Trekker — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:44:06 +0000

Seattle’s Mecca Cafe – a local head banger bar and tasty breakfast joint Ahh… road trips… the intrigue of the open road and the mysteries ahead. But not all road trips are created equal. And the difference between a road trip that creates memories you savor versus ones you can’t wait to forget, is all in the details. Just what…

The Currencies of the Digital Nomad

Global Road Trekker — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:52:04 +0000

Showers, Power, and Wifi, Oh My! It didn’t take but a few days of being on the road and officially homeless for the true “digital nomad survival needs” forces to kick in. Albeit we were sort of cheating as we’d not even left our home town, but were suspended in time, somewhere between launched and not launched, trying to get…

The Journey from Arvada to… well… Arvada

Global Road Trekker — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:44:58 +0000

New Suspension makes the truck TALL! Yes, we’ve been silent since the big 11-11-11 launch party and I apologize for that. It is not because we’ve not had any adventures, because we’ve had plenty. It’s more that we’ve been living a life that I’ll sum up from a Roger Staubach quote by saying, “there are no traffic jams along the…

What David Bowie Taught me About Change

Global Road Trekker — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:21:50 +0000

It was Spring, 1984. I was 17 years old and couldn’t wait to take the world by storm on my own terms. Feeling quite stylish with my Pat Benatar Pixie and black o-ring bracelets, I was set to head off to Boulder Colorado for college in three months. But just as the school year gave way to summer, I met…