The leap we always knew we’d take
On May 31, 2026, we retired from the business we had built together for more than 30 years. The next morning, June 1, we climbed into YOLA, pointed her north, and began the journey we had dreamed about for years.
Our home is now a 4th-generation Toyota 4Runner. Our backyard changes constantly. And for the next 3–5 years, our plan is wonderfully simple:
Travel slowly. Stay curious. Meet people. Collect stories. And see how far around this beautiful world YOLA can take us.
We began by heading north from Pleasanton, California, through Oregon, Washington and Canada toward Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. But reaching the Arctic was never the destination. It was simply the beginning.
From North America, our intended route will eventually carry us through Central and South America, Antarctica, Africa, Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe before bringing YOLA back across the Atlantic to Canada and, someday, home.
Some of that route is planned.
Much of it isn’t.
And that’s exactly the point.
We aren’t racing around the world or checking countries off a list. We want enough time to take the unexpected road, stay another night, share a meal, learn someone’s story and change the plan when something better comes along.
The route gives us direction.
The people and experiences give the journey meaning.
