Wednesday, September 9, 2009

RoadTripping Route 118

I just spent almost 2 weeks traveling around the southwest with a buddy...

We saw the Grand Canyon: north and south rim.

We drove the great, historical route 66.

We received excellent straight razor shaves at a little barbershop south of Vegas.

We paid an Indian 3 dollars to spray a water bottle on the ground to show us "dinosaur tracks".

We watched one of the most hilariously amateurish gunfight reenactment shows imaginable in Tombstone.

We walked around Monument Valley feeling like John Wayne.

We drove through a polygamous community (we stopped for gas and the first thing I heard when I walked inside the station was one woman, in a homemade dress from her neck to her feet, say to another similarly attired woman: "...so we finally decided to have one of us be in charge of the schooling, and the other one be in charge of the cleaning...")

We bought machetes at a convenience store.

We laid in the middle of the highway, in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere in Utah and enjoyed one of the most amazing views of the stars I've ever seen.

I ate a green chili burger with fries, a 1/2 pound hot dog, and the buffet at the Bellagio.

With the exception of those three meals however, I ate on plan every day, all day. I mostly ate food I bought at stores and cooked myself, but also ate a number of other meals at restaurants. Alllllll of which were healthy and beautiful.

I walked my ass off all over the southwest.

I arrived home at 5:30am this morning, and at 8:00am I got up and made the journey across town to the old folks home.

And the scale said this: 549 lbs.

I went on a 12 day vacation...

that included 5 days in Vegas...

and I came back 28 pounds later.

I saw a lot of milestones on this trip, but I didn't pass the sweetest one until I got home.

24 comments:

  1. I am jealous of both the AMAZING sites you saw and your awesome weight loss! Sounds like a great trip. You did excellent on your eating. Way to go!

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  2. The Grand Canyon couldn't be more awesome than this!!!

    i want to come along next time ... please?

    i LOVE the pic of you!

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  3. Wow! That totally rocks. The whole thing, the trip, the stuff you saw and did, and the weight loss....wow wow wow!!!

    Great picture too.

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  4. I'm glad you had a cool trip. Congratulations on the weight loss!

    I wanted to let you know that I'm back to my blog and have (finally) committed to making the real changes that I need to make in order to get healthy.

    Our last phone conversation really helped me to start dealing with my food addiction. Thanks for your support and insight!

    I dig the picture too. It looks like we're both growing out our hair. MB hates it, but I figure I'll be a total hippie by the time I lose my weight - lol.

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  5. What an excellent post. Your blog really is the total package, visually brilliant & really insightful& thoughtful.

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  6. What a great post..wonderful word pictures. When I was 8 yrs old, our family piled into an old station wagon and we made The Big Trip...same places you mentioned. We still talk about it to this day...almost 50 years later!!!

    Great job on managing your nutrition while on vacation, too. Congrats on the excellent progress.
    Loretta

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  7. Hi, I somehow bump into your blog and I want to say its really good. Congratulations on the weight loss! I really envy you. One of those days I really need to see the Grand Canyon.

    I wanted to let you know that getting the suitable food when your traveling is really difficult but you manage to do just find. Stay committed as we help one another towards a healthier life!

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  8. Ah, the lovely Grand Canyon. And the stars!
    I've "done it in the road" many times - out in the middle of nowhere.
    And yay on your progress (and machetes!)

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  9. Holy shit. That just gave me the chills. FUCKING UNBELIEVABLE. UNHEARD OF. You are kicking donkey ass.

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  10. Dude...that story is awesome!!! What a great trip...and what an awesome ending.

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  11. WOW ... sounds like an amazing trip. Glad you were rewarded when you got home. One of the hardest time to stay on track is when we're traveling but you proved it can be done. Great job!

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  12. Great post! Last time I went on a vacation its what killed my weight loss routine, brought me back up above where I was before I started.

    Keep it up

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  13. Sounds like a really awesome vacation! I am really impressed that you were able to stay on track and lose so much weight as well! Vacations can be real stumbling blocks for some folks...Kudos to you!

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  14. That's a pretty darn good vacation!! Congrats on sticking to plan while away, that's SOOO HARD to do! You rock!

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  15. The great Southwest has it's great moments! Laying in the middle of the highway...how often can you do that anywhere else?

    I lived in the northwest for a long time, but the southwest is now where my heart is...for reasons such as this.

    Great job on the weight loss, hope I can do well on my 10 day "staycation" coming up soon!

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  16. You know what? I got teary when I read this post. Beautiful vacation, beautiful post, and what a lovely reward for all of your hard work and dedication.

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  17. Like Fitcetera, I wanna come next time. This sounds like an AWESOME trip ... and what a prize when you came home! WTG. (Altho you did make me hungry for that green chili burger ... especially considering that I have roots in NM.)

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  18. That is awesome news. I know it felt incredible getting on that scale this morning.

    I really love that you got to splurge on the food, but yet you didn't overdo it.

    I love road trips.

    Do you have any pics you'd like to share?

    I'll talk to you later.

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  19. Amazing. Hopefully leaving 28 pounds of yourself in the southwest will give you a nice solid push to stay focused and heading down the right path. Congrats!

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  20. That sounds great! And I also would like to come next time, please. Road trips are made of awesome (don't laugh at me--I like that turn of phrase, okay!?). :o)

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  21. Dude...you spent 5 days in my town and didn't even call me?? For shame!

    That kicks ass about the loss...seriously, that is an awesome number and you did an amazing job. Way to go, friend!

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  22. Over 100 lbs lost! Congratulations mate! Killing it :)

    But dude, it sounds like you had an absolutely amazing, defining road trip. I'm glad for you, man. That will never be taken from you :)

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  23. the pictures and your words combined and made me tear up. good tears. so happy for you.

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