If my current life situation were a movie, the description would be:
“Heartbroken dude travels around the Rocky Mountain West with his blind dog looking for his new forever home.”
I know, a bit sappy, but that’s what it looks like.
Hey, I’m Shaun, a 38-year-old love coach, outdoor enthusiast, people-person, and enthused traveler. And I’m new here at GFC.
This year has been challenging for everyone, and in a lot of ways, I’m more fortunate than most. My family and friends are healthy, my business is doing well, and I’m looking forward to a big adventure.
And, the last few months have been a doozy for me.
My girlfriend and I suddenly broke up, and I’ve had to grieve the end of a beautiful and loving relationship.
Also, I need to move out of Canada.
My five years are up, and it’s time for me to leave the friends and community I’ve cultivated and connected to in search of my new home somewhere in the Rocky Mountain West.
I’m putting everything in storage, heading out on the road for a five-month adventure around the West to find a community that feels right to me. And I think I won’t know where that is until I stumble upon it.
My therapist told me there are four significant events in a person’s life that can make life a temporary nightmare: the death of a loved one, divorce (or the end of a meaningful relationship), moving, and interestingly enough, getting married.
I’m currently experiencing two at once, so; it makes sense that I’m struggling a bit these days.
And, I know I’ll get through this.
I’m no stranger to long-distance vehicle travel. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time living and traveling in this truck.
Recently though, I’ve starting to crave something more than my current setup. I’m no spring chicken, and crawling in the topper has got me wishing for more headroom, a place to hang when it’s raining, and a place for my espresso station.
Last week, I discovered GFC and pulled the trigger on a deposit.
My build date will be sometime in November, and while I’m happy to wait my turn, wouldn’t it be awesome if I could get one sooner?
Why am I telling you this?
Two reasons:
- To say hi and introduce myself to this community
- In the hopes that if you’re holding a build spot that you’re considering putting up for sale, that you think of me and send me a private message.
Also, if you have a build spot and want to trade with mine for whatever reason (not ready to plump down the cash, life changes, but you still want a spot, etc…), let me know. I’m build # 2225.
I’m excited to be here, and like most of you, I am looking forward to planning the build and getting out there.
Here are a few photos of my current setup along with Roger:
A carpenter/clown helped me build this back in 2016. We cut out space for the cans and then realized they didn’t fit when we put the topper back on.
Pretty cozy setup, though now I have Roger sleep in the cab because he moves around a lot at night. When I get a GFC, I’ll leave him downstairs while I sleep in the loft.
2004 Tacoma with 150,000 miles. I love this truck, and I haven’t seen too many GFCs on the 1st Gen, so I’m excited to be one of the few!
Southern Colorado sunset. Looking forward to many more of these this year.
Roger with about 20% of his eyesight left. He doesn’t mind though he doesn bump into a lot of stuff.
Hey there.
TL;DR sad dude leaves Canada without his girlfriend looking for a new forever home and wants a build date ASAP.
PS. If you like my writing, look forward to a trip report when I get the camper!