You’ll remember that last summer Vanessa and I, regaining confidence after a "bad riding year," packed up our veterans of competition, Beene and Thunder, and toured west in our rig from the Finger Lakes area of New York through Yellowstone National Park to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Suffice to say, it was the time of our life.

Now that the holidays have come and gone, and we’ve had some time to reflect on our "wonder-full" trip, I’ve come to the realization that you must make your dreams come true and that life teaches lessons along the way.

A Sojourning Couple
During our adventure, not only did our dreams blossom, but we were fortunate to meet others who were living their dream, too.

One such couple was the Olivers.

We met Al and Nicky Oliver while we were at Brushy Creek Horse Camp in Iowa on our way back east retuning from our Western experience. They’d been on the road for a year and were heading west toward California, living their dream of life on the road.

With our campsites next to each other, we quickly became friends and shared stories over coffee. Al Oliver worked pouring molten steel in a Michigan foundry his whole life; in an attempt to keep his health, he retired early. Like many couples, he and Nicky dreamed of buying a nice rig and taking to the road. So, in 2004, they sold the farm, found an affordable single-axle Freightliner, hooked up their 40-foot Four Star trailer, and left!

In the 95-degree Iowa heat, we tacked up, took a long trail ride with them around the reservoir at Brushy Creek, and shared trail stories. We learned that this sojourning couple had had their share of notoriety. Once, the duo failed to heed weather advisories and rode into a remote area with limited access. A torrential rain washed out the only trail, leaving them with a very perilous return route.

Well, a bit wiser, they both got back safe with their horses. Al said it was a bad decision to venture into a remote area in threatening weather, and they’ll never do that again. Nicky dug into her personal files and showed us a magazine article written about their debacle.

Al Oliver, who traded the responsibilities of life on the farm for the responsibilities of life on the road.

A Realistic Look
If you close your eyes and dream, the image of life on the road is enticing. Free of your home responsibilities, you travel and camp with your horse — the Rockies during the summer and the desert Southwest in the winter. An air-conditioned trailer with a shower is called home. Your horses are both your focus and a source of adventure. You take in the U.S.A. and its backcountry on horseback. If you become tired of an area, you merely move on to the next national park.

But seasoned road warriors Al and Nicky gave us a realistic look at their mobile life. Sure, the trail riding was great, Nicky’s home-cooked meals were the best, and morning coffee under the awning was peaceful. In general, their life was more relaxed. As we talked, it became evident that this couple was basically happy to be on the road.

Nonetheless, their lifestyle created concerns I hadn’t thought of. Like average Americans, the Olivers’ finances are subject to the vagaries of the economy. Rising fuel prices are a concern. Links back home need to be maintained. Al needs to manage bank accounts from afar and pick up mail forwarded to predesignated post-office boxes. Different concerns are now paramount, such as the cost of renting campsites, finding Certified Weed Free hay, and keeping up the rig.

Our time together with the Olivers both in camp and on the trail was memorable. They’re trail friends in the truest sense of the word. When Thunder and Beene were loaded and it came time for us to leave, Al and Nicky came over to say adios amigos. We exchanged addresses and promised to trade notes at Christmas. I wish we could’ve stayed and ridden with them more. However, duty was calling, and it was time for us to get back to our responsibilities.

After a relaxing 18 days away from our world on the farm in New York, Vanessa and I were able to gain a new perspective on where we are in our lives. More revealing was what we learned from Al and Nicky. Our friends at Brushy Creek taught a valuable lesson: Life on the road doesn’t remove your responsibilities, it just changes them.

With Alison Kraus on the truck stereo, we traveled through our nation’s heartland, and joked and dreamed about what we could do when we retire. Our next adventure started to come into focus as we traveled back east on U.S. 20 in Iowa and I-90 through northern Illinois.

With a more realistic view of life on the road, we concurred that traveling with our trusty steeds would be fun now and then. So, a new adventure to the Southwest is now in the works. It’ll keep our dreams alive so we can plan the adventure properly and make it come true.