Derek Honeycutt

My Rules: 13. Never Give Up On A Dream

“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau

This is one of my rules that is remarkably simple. Dream. Dream often. Never stop dreaming. Grab onto the dreams you dream and chase them unceasingly. Unwavering and stubbornly. When your dreams seem to run away, you run faster. Never give them up.

Death Valley and Owens Valley

Yesterday, after finishing my work for the day, I decided to go grocery shopping and then bail out of the general Las Vegas area. I ended up driving through Death Valley to get to Owens Valley. After one night stay at the magnificent Alabama Hills, I headed north towards Bishop to stay at the Volcanic Tablelands.

My Rules: 12. Embrace the Unknown

“People don’t want their lives fixed. Nobody wants their problems solved. Their dramas. Their distractions. Their stories resolved. Their messes cleaned up. Because what would they have left? Just the big scary unknown.” – Chuck Palahniuk

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

There is this common thing I hear some times about people fearing the unknown. This rule calls to put such fears behind and embrace whatever that unknown is. By embracing it and heading into it with arms open to it, I allow it to unfold in its purest, most beautiful form.

An Adventurous Day on the Road

Yesterday morning, I left Blair Valley without any real plan of where to go. I just packed up and hit the road. I explored some areas around Joshua Tree National Park before deciding to head north, eventually ending up at Lake Mead once again.

Inaja Memorial and Blair Valley

I bailed Trona Pinnacles at the end of last weekend, heading back to San Diego to finish off the last things to do there. Picking up my mail and appropriately setting up mail forwarding to the new address, I hung out for a week, and am slowly heading my way out elsewhere.

Nevada Residency and Trona Pinnacles

Yesterday, I drove into Henderson, NV to finally make my Nevada residency official! It took most of the day, but it’s all done, finally. Then, I headed out of Nevada to go find a campsite at the wonderful Trona Pinnacles.

My Rules: 11. Always Maintain an Adventure Mindset

“Funneling the intense energy of insanity and uniting it with the sound coolness of rational decision making creates a potent force in emergency scenarios. Condensing this potency can best be summed up in one simple statement: the clarion call ‘Party On!'” – Cody Lundin

“If you are scared, you will die.” – Richard Van Pham

This is another rule I consider absolutely important for survival. It builds on and provides a base for many of my other rules, and can be expanded in many ways. The essence here can be captured in Cody Lundin’s “Party On!” Other more common takes include keeping a positive attitude, being a survivor (see my rule 8), and similar thinking, all in the face of the terrible, unfortunate things that will continue to happen in whatever it is you are partaking.

8 Mile Road

Sometimes, a campsite just kinda sucks for me. It can be one that seems great, has great reviews, etc. For whatever reason, it just sucks for me. This was Government Wash for me this weekend.

Last night, an LEO came and told me that the spot I had setup in was apparently not acceptable for some reason. I didn’t understand why, to be honest, but I wasn’t going to argue, so I packed up and moved to whatever random, acceptable spot I could find as night set in. Only to then be woken at 2am by some asshole blasting music. Again.

So, I broke and gave up on it. Government Wash was just not working out for me at all. I had read that 8 Mile Road, just a couple of miles further East, was a good, more quiet and solitary alternative. After breakfast, I packed up and headed there, where I found some nice, quiet (so far!) spots to setup. The views aren’t quite as spectacular and there’s no toilets here, but if I can actually sleep through the night and not get complained at by law enforcement, among other possible improvements over Government Wash, I won’t complain!

Government Wash Lake Mead

Yesterday, I decided that I had enough of Telephone Cove. After finishing my work for the day, I packed up and headed North again. I made my way up to Hoover Dam, which was quite an enjoyable experience on its own. From there, it was a rather short drive up to Government Wash, a large camping area many other nomads I’ve met have mentioned. So, here I am, now!

Leaving San Diego: Amboy Crater and Telephone Cove

The time has finally come. I’m headed out of San Diego for however long it takes. I left yesterday morning, taking a scenic drive through San Diego’s desert, and continued on through scenic desert driving all day. I visited the Painted Canyons, Box Canyon, and Joshua Tree National Park before finally arriving at Amboy Crater. After one night there and a morning hike, I passed into Nevada and found a camp in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, at Telephone Cove.