It was our last night in Utah, and all we had to do was get the bags from the rental up to the room. Nobody wanted to make trip after trip, so we borrowed one of those big housekeeping carts, the kind they use to haul linens down the hallway. We piled it to the top, and somehow we were all still standing there holding bags. Then the quiet one in the group looked around at all of us and said, "Yeah. We're minimalists." We lost it, horse laughing right there until we could barely breathe.

Hi, we're Jeff and Connie, and that's pretty much how we travel: too much luggage, good friends, and a lot of shenanigans.

A lot of our best memories start this way: good friends, loose plans, and something nobody saw coming. That spirit is at the heart of Born Wild Live Free.

How it started

Born Wild Live Free actually began with our boys back in 2014. Back then it was called Into the Wild, a high school and college project built around all three of them climbing and hiking together. That was the original vision. Then their lives began to change. They graduated, one moved away, jobs turned into careers, and a couple of them got married and started families of their own.

Into the Wild went quiet for a few years after that, until Connie and I decided to pick it back up and give it a new name: Born Wild Live Free. Connie named the bear Bert, and he's been right in the middle of the logo ever since. Into the Wild still lives on as the name of our blog.

What we've discovered

So the two of us decided to hit the trail, have some fun, and see the country. Along the way, the rental car never stayed clean for long, and the trail horse wanted to stop and eat every five seconds. We've learned that a trip doesn't have to go according to plan to be worth taking. Sometimes the detour becomes the part we talk about most.

Memories, not stuff

Some of our favorite memories aren't things we bought. They're things we did together. The hike, the campfire, the day everybody got rained on and laughed about it anyway. Stuff wears out, but memories last forever. That's what Born Wild Live Free is about: getting outside with family, friends, or both, and making memories worth keeping.

There's more to explore

We don't want to keep putting off the places we want to see or the time we want to spend together. Someday has a way of turning into never. So we're getting out there now, and we'd love for you to come along. This is where we share what we find: honest trip reports, gear that works for knees with a few miles on them, and the lessons we learned the hard way so you don't have to. That includes how to pack lighter. We're still working on that one.

And Bert? He pops in now and then with a "hey, did you know." Great bear. Can't type. The stories are ours.

If you want to come along, we'll see you in Into The Wild, The Monthly Campfire

— Jeff & Connie