Denver, Colorado | June 30, 2026
There are wildfires in the area of the yurt right now. The neighboring town of Ouray where I was just a couple weeks ago has been evacuated. I spoke with Shannon yesterday and she and the other nomads I camped with in Leadville a few nights ago got evacuated from that campsite. They’re trying to figure out where to go.
Right now I’m in a very comfortable spot along a pretty park in Denver where I often camped during the lockdown. I spent a lot of time in Denver during those years. I was criss-crossing the country often, and Denver seemed to be the crossroads between wherever I was going. I can see why I liked this spot. I think I could comfortably make this work for a long time if I needed to.
I’m debating lingering around for a couple more days. I’m eager to get back to Telluride, but I need to get some more information about the fires. There are several friends in the Boulder area I’d love to see if I have some free time here.
Yesterday I spent running around Denver doing errands. It’s been an expensive week of purchases, but every single one of them is an investment in all that’s important to me. It’s all going to make an enormous difference in my daily life.
Last night I had dinner with Dave. We hadn’t seen each other since Memorial Day of 2023, so three years. One thing I always notice about that friendship is that no matter how much time has gone by, when we see each other, we pick right back up and there’s a strong sense of no time having gone by. I love that part. He has always seen me clearly. He understands who I am in a way that few do. He’s been my friend, a supportive one, through ups and downs and sideways. You don’t get many friends like this, and I recognize how precious it is. He’s also just a brilliant mind with a lot of knowledge and a great conversationalist, to use a word I don’t think I’ve ever used before. We’re both at an age where we’ve made some mistakes, paid some heavy prices, and come out the other side to find a new appreciation for the simple things in life and a kind of freedom we didn’t have before. All that old stuff needs to move out of the way to make room for something better. We’ve both had aircraft carriers to turn around.
We ate up on the 8th or 9th floor of his hotel in some kind of private dining area. Afterwards, he wanted to see the van, so we went down there and chatted until 11. It was a lovely, nourishing visit, and my cup is full.
I did a fast cleanup of the van yesterday to make it more presentable. All the Ikea stuff is crammed everywhere I could possibly put it out of sight. So the van looks put together, but if you look in any of the storage spaces it’s a disaster, completely piled up haphazardly. Good enough til I get back to the yurt.
My mission today is to get the lenses for my Meta glasses. I’m loaded up with supplies. I might have enough supplies to carry me through the summer. Certainly most of what I need. I’ve got a full tank of fuel, which always feels good. $175 to fill up at the lowest diesel price I’ve seen in ages: $4.69. Also need to fill up my water jugs today. I have some interest in visiting the Meow Wolf here in Denver, but we’ll see how things play out.
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