A Twist of Fate

I have been dreading this post. You can probably tell I've been avoiding the blog, since I haven't posted since the first day of the new year. 

Well, here goes. We have some bad news and some good news. 

First, the bad news. BP decided not to rehire us.

I am sad, pissed and hurt all at the same time. I would be lying if I didn't say otherwise. 

Sad because that was our killer, dream job and we felt very at "home" on the road and in that role. 

Pissed because we waited 3 excruciating months without knowing if we had the gig, but were led to believe that we had it. And pissed because we turned down 1 other job opportunity, which was working with good friends managing a premier hostel.  

Hurt because it feels like it had to do with some shortcoming we had, but we only received positive feedback over the last year. It's just business, they say. Hard not to take their decision personal. 

With that being said, we have zero regret for taking the leap and working for one of the top outdoor adventure magazine in the country. We rubbed shoulders with executives we never would have dreamed of meeting. We made connections that were so far off our radar. We met Phil Keoghan of the Amazing Race. We acquired more gear than we could ever dream of owning. The list of bonus points went on and on. 

So let's just call this as it was, our adventure storybook come to life for the summer of 2013. We got to be professional backpackers and public speakers, live out of an RV on an epic road trip (30,000 miles through 37 states) and see as much of America as we could … all while getting paid for it. The only regret is that it's over, but at least it happened. And when things like this happen, you just have to believe it wasn't written in the stars. 

Which brings us to the good news. Thankfully, I think I can wrap this post up with a pretty little bow because as one door closes, another opens. Once again, a stroke of fate and a chance meeting has led to our next adventure. 

We will be the managers of an off-the-grid bed-and-breakfast inn with a mix of rustic (tipis!) and luxurious accommodations (beautiful lodge with indoor plumbing!) in … drumroll please … northeast Oregon!!  

Once again, J and I will combine our respective talents by bringing this young business to the next level and working with some very talented people. This time, we will add a new skill to our resume: cooking with fresh, organic and local ingredients! 

What a whirlwind our life has been the last 3 years, right? We always let fate (with a little planning ahead) light our path and we have certainly gone down some pretty wild roads. We went from being fully employed individuals with separate jobs and employer-sponsored health insurance to being starving, smelly hikers to being hostel managers of a castle in the woods to being professional backpackers/public speakers living out of a sick RV to being innkeepers at a rustically elegant bed and breakfast on the edge of a canyon.  


And since you've followed our adventures at Bears Den, then at Backpacker, we invite you all to follow us at RimRock! Like us on Facebook, or better yet, start planning your vacation! 


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