Family comes first for me. I’m 53, happily married to my best friend, and we have two daughters. My wife understands why I want to do this. She’ll join me for parts of these trips, and other stretches will be on my own.
A motorcycle accident changed how I look at things. A knee replacement and ongoing trouble with my leg have made hiking and backpacking harder, and I miss being able to do those things the way I used to. But I still want to get outside and do what I can. The accident also made me think about how much I was putting off until later.
Most of my career has been in the corporate world, managing multiple departments. These days I work from home. The company I work for cares about its people and gives me the flexibility to take that work on the road, which is what makes this possible.
That’s the idea behind The Desk Out There. The job comes with me. Some days the trailer will stay parked while I work, with time afterward to get out and look around. Other days will be spent driving to the next place. I want to find out what that’s actually like over weeks and months, once it becomes everyday life.
There’s plenty I haven’t figured out yet. Working from home is familiar. Doing it from a trailer somewhere across the country will take some getting used to. This blog is where I’ll write about how it goes, including the things that work, the things that don’t, and whatever happens along the way.
I’m keeping the blog anonymous so I can talk openly about my own life while respecting the privacy of the people in it. You’ll hear about family and friends because they matter to me, but I won’t use their names or share things that are theirs to tell.
Or maybe this is just a very elaborate midlife crisis involving an RV, a laptop, and way too much gear.
I guess we’re going to find out.
— The Guy Behind the Desk
