Introducing Eva and Jordan, a couple who embarked on a yearlong adventure camping all the National Parks in the US for the National Park Service Centennial October of last year! As they wrap up the last few months of their journey, they share with us thrilling details of their expedition and their nomadic lifestyle. Make sure to swing by their Instagram pages!
Hometown:
[Jordan] Colorado Springs, Colorado
[Eva] Arlington, Texas
Instagram:
[Jordan] @jordanjayvaughn
[Eva] @peachnectar
Tell us a little bit about yourselves - what were your lifestyles like before you started this expedition?
I (Jordan) grew up playing baseball year-round, so for ten years I lived in Colorado and didn’t explore all the amazing outdoor opportunities in the area. I graduated from UT Arlington in ’12 after playing baseball there, and began working at lululemon athletica where I met Eva. She had played soccer growing up had a similar sport-filled background. We decided to move down to Austin in ’14 and fell in love with the outdoors lifestyle. We began to spend weekends camping the Texas State Parks and adding to our camping gear. The combination of these weekend adventures and our goal-oriented culture at lululemon led to the crazy idea that we should take a giant leap and hit the road.
What do you two plan on doing after you complete this year-long journey?
We have really fallen in love with the on-the-road lifestyle so we are doing whatever we can to continue. We get married in April, so there is a lot of excitement for us in planning the wedding, and we have talked about backpacking Europe for a couple months as a Honeymoon. Our real passion is in helping people overcome the mental hurdles to living a life they love. Too often self-doubt and fear get in the way of us acting on our dreams. So, we are currently designing a journal for people to create and sustain self-development, creativity, and fulfillment.
Favorite place you visited during this trip:
[Jordan] It is so difficult to choose one place. Part of the wonder of the National Parks is how diverse they are. We just backpacked Glacier National Park for four days and it was stunning. I think it and Yosemite probably take the cake as far as grandeur and beauty go. I also love that you can spend a week in both these places and barely scratch the surface.
[Eva] As Jordan put it, it’s so tough to just pick one! A park that you don’t hear much about that stole my heart was Dry Tortugas National Park off the coast of the Florida Keys. It’s an island mostly taken up by an old Naval Fort. Never have I felt so secluded!
Most memorable giving experience:
[Jordan] Recently we donated to a couple friends who are going on a mission to Kenya to teach locals sustainable physical therapy practices. We were in a situation before we left for the trip where many of our friends and family helped us out, so it has really encouraged us to support those who are up to awesome things. Even small gifts can make a huge difference.
[Eva] What comes to mind for me is the time I spent in Haiti with the Mission of Hope. It was an unforgettable, humbling experience that made a huge impact on my life.