{"id":1193,"date":"2014-04-01T19:22:37","date_gmt":"2014-04-01T19:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/usnomadstudio.com\/usnomads\/blog\/?page_id=1193"},"modified":"2014-05-23T17:36:17","modified_gmt":"2014-05-23T17:36:17","slug":"notes-from-the-road-mar-31","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/usnomadstudio.com\/usnomads\/blog\/?page_id=1193","title":{"rendered":"Notes from the Road – April 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NOTES FROM THE ROAD<\/h2>\n
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< more recent<\/a> | APRIL 2014 | older ><\/a> <\/p>\n

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ON THE ROCKS AT RAUSCH CREEK<\/h5>\n
Enjoying some Jeep time closer to home…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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12 APRIL 2014:<\/strong> Took some time out this weekend and headed west to the Blue Mountains of Pennsylvania where I could give the Jeep a workout at Rausch Creek<\/a>. Temporarily trading in the desert sand for rocks and mud, I was re-familiarizing myself with the typical terrain back in the north-east of the U.S.A. It was a great weekend to be out in the woods exploring new trails and getting focused…
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THE RALLY POSTSCRIPT<\/h5>\n
The road ends back in New York, “home” after a long but wonderful adventure…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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6 APRIL 2014:<\/strong> Finally made it home tonight, after more than a month on the road driving from Europe to Africa and back in the amazing adventure they call the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles. My head is brimming with a confused collage of the experiences of the rally. The journey of the past month has been intense, but I think the real “learning” has come through all I did to get there. In some ways after all that, the rally itself was simply the “public proof” — kind of like the “recital” at the end of dancing school. And now, as I reflect upon the whole thing, sitting under a full moon, warm and cozy in front of a fire on my terrace back home, I wonder where I’m headed next…
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RETURN TO PARIS<\/h5>\n
After the rally the journey isn’t over — we still have several days of travel before “home”…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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3 APRIL 2014:<\/strong> Arrived in Paris late last night after a fourteen hour drive from Barcelona with minimal stops en route. The road home seems a lot longer than the road to the rally — though I imagine it just feels that way.

\nIt’s been an amazing journey and I have the impression we have been gone for a lot longer than two weeks. The desert has worked its magic, leaving a lasting impression. It will take a while to make sense of all the “lessons” learned during this intense immersion, but I think that we have made some important “discoveries” both on the practical and the more metaphysical level.

\nNow it is time to begin thinking about “next steps.”<\/p>\n


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PREVIOUS NOTES FROM THE ROAD<\/a> ><\/a> <\/h6>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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COMING UP SOON:<\/strong>
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\nUSnomads is going to Overland Expo<\/a>, an international event that educates and inspires people to get out and explore the world. The three-day event brings thousands of overlanders to Flagstaff, AZ for a chance to connect and exchange information.
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SUPPORTING MOTHERS<\/strong>
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\nTeam USnomads is proud to support the work of MothersToMothers<\/a>, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that recognizes the ability of mothers to change their destiny. MothersToMothers, founded by Pamela Parlapiano, partners with local women to create community supported day care and learning centers that change lives. Their model project in Amacho Wato Kebele, Ethiopia, has shown how with just a little help, the mothers in the community can improve the lives of a whole village. Please join us in supporting their efforts to take this successful model to more villages: Donate to MothersToMothers here.<\/a> (Note that all donations go 100% directly to MothersToMothers).
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TEAM 171 PRESENTATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nUSnomads, c’est l’histoire d’une amiti\u00e9 de plus de 20 ans, qui s’est construite \u00e0 travers le temps, les cultures, les exp\u00e9riences de la vie et des voyages. Seule l’union de deux caract\u00e8res forts et respectueux l’un de l’autre explique que nous soyons arriv\u00e9es \u00e0 nos fins dans chacun de nos d\u00e9fis.

\nCeci est notre premi\u00e8re participation au Rallye des gazelles et nous ne sommes pas des professionels, mais JoMarie a une certaine exp\u00e9rience de l’Afrique et des situations d’urgence. D’autre part, elle s’est totalement investie dans la pr\u00e9paration de cette course et Isabelle s’est r\u00e9cemment mise \u00e0 la navigation.

\nLe Rallye des gazelles dans le d\u00e9sert marocain sera le th\u00e9\u00e2tre d’une nouvelle \u00e9preuve pour nous : une Jeep, une boussole, une carte et tout le pouvoir de notre volont\u00e9 d’y parvenir fera le reste.

\nCe d\u00e9fi sportif s’inscrit dans un projet humain plus large, celui de traverser le d\u00e9sert du Sahara d’Ouest en Est dans l’espoir d’accompagner les \u00e9quipes d’ONG dans leurs micro-projets d’aide aux peuplades nomades locales. JoMarie en produira un film documentaire qui donnera \u00e0 mieux connaitre les hommes de cette partie du monde.

\nL’\u00e9quipe 171 prendra fi\u00e8rement son envol le 15 mars 2014 avec toutes les autres participantes ! Et que les meilleures gagnent !

\nMais quelle valeur et quelle port\u00e9e aurait cette le\u00e7on de vie, si nous n’\u00e9tions pas soutenues par l’amour de nos proches, de nos amis et de tous ceux qui nous entourent. Merci !<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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CURRENT WEATHER<\/strong><\/p>\n

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