Alaska to Arizona 2025: Day 1 of Another Wandering Road Trip

I set out from Alaska on another wandering road trip! My basic plan for the trip was to get down to Arizona for some time in the desert, but to keep the plans full of free, wandering potential. I was able to do a trip similar to this last year (I've collected those videos into a playlist called, "Nomadic Wandering Solo Trip 2024"), and it was amazing. The solitude, the wandering, the increased amount of time in nature...it's all just what my soul thrives on. So I decided I needed to set aside the time and make it happen again.

In order to ensure a solid dose of wandering potential, I have my vehicle (just a basic Jeep Compass) set up with a sleeping area in the back and all the gear I need for traveling from freezing temperatures in the north to the near 100 degree temperatures further south. I have a good supply of food and water to keep me going and allow me to not have to be dependent on making constant food or supply stops. I keep things fairly simple with regard to my living situation, and that allows me to focus on flowing toward what calls to me.

I'm home from this trip now, and will be working my way through editing these videos. I was able to wander for about three weeks, and I did what I could to share some of the adventure with you by filming what I did throughout the trip. Last year, while I filmed a good amount of footage, my needs for that trip were different, and so I felt it was important to fade out of the camera a bit and only share some of the sights and sounds I wandered with during my trip. This time, I was able to share a little more of the happenings throughout the day, and ramble about some of the things I felt like rambling about. So hopefully some of you will enjoy following along with these videos that I'll be releasing throughout the next several weeks.

In this video, I'm just starting my first day of driving as I head out from my home in Alaska. Alaska is a big place, so it takes a good amount of miles and drive time just to get out of the state. Even though I'm focusing on getting the miles in and working my way down toward the desert, I try to let myself be open to stopping as often as I want. Last year, I left a month earlier than I did this year, so there was a lot of snow (and storms) on much of the route south, but this year (being in May), provides a little more opportunities for getting out and exploring along my drive (without needing to dawn boots and snowshoes).