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SALT LAKE CITY — When Adam Jewell quit his office job in February 2010 to ski in Utah for two months, he never suspected what was supposed to be a break from “normal life” would become a four-year adventure.
At the age of 36, Jewell had been working in an office cubicle for 10 years. One day, he finally mustered up the courage to do what he had been dreaming about for years — quit his job, head to Utah and ski full-time.
Jewell said leaving a comfortable job and good benefits was initially nerve-wracking, but it was something he knew he had to do. On Feb. 17, 2010, he finally took the plunge.
“After … spending the last 10 years or so of my life in a cube staring at a computer screen away from sunlight and the outdoors and getting exercise 99 percent of the time on a machine,” Jewell said, “it was time for a change.”
Jewell used what savings he had and headed from Philadelphia to Utah for the spring ski season. His plan was to ski for two months and then return to Philadelphia to find a new job.
After ski season ended in Utah, he decided to extend his trip and went from Snowbird to Moab. He spent a week at Arches and Canyonlands national parks in Moab.
“Much of the drive down is very scenic,” Jewell wrote in a May 2010 post on his blog. “There are little towns scattered along the way, friendly people at the stores willing to give directions to help you get where you’re going.”
From Moab, Jewell headed west to Mammoth Mountain in California. The resort was open for skiing every day until the Fourth of July, and he wanted to grab a few extra runs before summer. While there, he explored the surrounding area, including Devils Postpile, Rainbow Falls, Yosemite National Park and Highway 395 in California.
“While Rainbow Falls is not one of the tallest falls around (it’s 101 feet high), it’s one of the most stunning sites to see,” Jewell said in June 2010.
Jewell said the state of Utah and the eastern Sierras around the town of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., were two of the most spectacular areas he had ever experienced.
Inspired by the initial journey to the ski resorts in the northern part of Utah and the national parks in the southern part of the state, Jewell decided to spend the next three years traveling around the U.S. documenting his adventures through blogging and photography.
“Problems and obstacles can in fact be opportunities if we choose to see them as such,” Jewell said. “While I haven’t yet come to see every adversity or problem as a gift from heaven, I’ve definitely come to the realization that the way we view things can greatly affect our lives and what we see as a good or bad situation or occurrence.”
His trip would take some logistical planning. Jewell said he wanted to see as many national parks as he could.
“That goal was to get to all the U.S. national parks in the lower 48 states,” Jewell said. “It was also my goal to do so at a leisurely pace. Accounting for drive time, it would be possible to achieve such a goal and spend four or five days at each park over the course of a year.”
Jewell said it became quickly apparent he would need to find more time and, consequently, a way to make his savings stretch even farther. His solution: sleep in his car and save on hotel and hostel costs.
“Could I get away with sleeping in my car?” Jewell said. “Would someone come up to the car and try to rob me or steal the car? What about the police, would they come give me a ticket or take the car and haul me off to jail? Would I freeze or sweat to death? Would grizzly or black bears try to break into the car for food?”
Jewell soon realized that he was safe in his car at night, and said he has yet to have any major problems with the setup.
(My trip) illustrates how choices can make huge differences in what we are able to do and experience in life.
–Adam Jewell
“I chose a moderate level of discomfort so I would be able to see more of the country and stay on the road for a longer period of time,” Jewell said. “It is still uncomfortable but by doing it I’ll be able to spend 4-5 years road tripping around the U.S. instead of 2-3 years.”
He plans on wrapping things up in 2014 and said his journey has been one he’s never regretted.
“(My trip) illustrates how choices can make huge differences in what we are able to do and experience in life."
