Tour de Done!
When I started this journey down the Mother Road it was just me, my boots, my dog, my cameras, an idea, 12 days, and the dream of completing it in an old Ford or Chevy truck. I didn’t get a chance to find the truck, but did have an awesome Jeep at my disposal! And now, today, the trip ends…and I’m finishing it with even less than I started with. Yesterday someone stole my camera bag, full of lenses, camera equipment, the Korona, and 10 memory cards worth of pictures. So on my final day’s drive I’m ending this journey with just me, my boots, my dog, a camera, and lots and lots of awesome memories.
And guess what? The one memory card that I do have (since my camera is always around my neck and virtually unstealable!) is full of pictures of….old Ford and Chevy trucks. I’m not even kidding. While in Colorado and New Mexico I felt the need to stop at every old truck I saw abandoned on the side of the road and take a picture of it. All my photos of Route 66 are gone, baby, gone….but my dream of having old trucks involved is, in a twisted way, fulfilled!
What is the lesson in this? I don’t know. The symbolism and symmetry involved in how I left and how I’m returning is noteworthy to me. It’s been an epic trip….a heroes journey of sorts…full of so many profoundly meaningful experiences and meetings. It *almost* makes sense that, as with life and death, the price for the experience comes with a “you can’t take it with you” dictum on physical things. It *almost* makes sense that like a baptism, I am emerging from this whole experience without possessions but with a clear and bright change inside myself. In these ways, the loss of the one thing that I find irreplaceable…my camera bag with everything inside it…is the reflected cost of my growth. At least, this is what I came up with on the drive from Taos (where it was stolen) to Flagstaff (where I stayed over). Let me tell you, it wasn’t a pretty 8 hours in the Jeep. Outside it was gorgeous…thunderstorms in the desert. Inside the Jeep I was a blubbering wreck.
But, hero journeys are full of conflict, loss, battles, and tests! And without a doubt, this trip has been my own personal epic journey. I’d hoped to share it all here via epic pictures and videos. I’m really sad that I won’t be able to now, and that the Korona of awesome isn’t with me anymore. We were meant to be together! The one lens that wasn’t stolen is a rental, which is actually good because it would have sucked to pay $400 to the rental place and not even gotten a lens for it! But when I return it, I won’t have any lenses to put on my camera and it makes me twitchy to think of not having it with me at all times!
I’m still dealing with police reports and pawn shop owners to try to get it all back. We’ll see how that goes. In the meantime, I’ll drive myself back to Santa Monica…back to where it all started. Just like the heroes journey, I’ll return to the point of origin more bruised and battered and a little sadder, but with experience and growth on my side.
It’s hard to say goodbye to the things that were stolen, but that which doesn’t kill me makes me badass.
I couldn’t have named this trip any better than Tour d’ Awesome. Except maybe by calling it the Tour d’ Awesome d’ Epic!
I’m so grateful for all the people who donated what they could to help me do this! The cash donations ended up paying for all my gas. People opened up their lives and homes to give me food and shelter. I got emails and messages and so much love sent my way! And let me tell you, when you’re on the road exposed to heat and exhaustion and solitude for 12-14 hours a day, all of that is like manna from heaven. I feel like I brought all of you along on my trip d’ awesome, because I couldn’t have done it without all the help and support. Not at all. Creating this much awesome is a group effort!!!
So thank you thank you thank you! I’ll try to cobble together stories from what pictures remain, or tell very descriptive stories where no photos are available. Because let me tell you, you aren’t going to believe everything that’s happened. It’s been a crazy 12 days and the best. roadtrip. of. all. time!!!!
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i just can't believe someone stole your cameras and the Korona. But, as usual, you rock and i will just keep you in my thoughts and prayers and hope that karma brings at least the Korona back to you. xoxo Lisa
What she said. The memory cards and lenses are crazy, but the Korona? Ridiculously sad. Hopefully the universe will reset itself, and it will find you again.
Tiff, your positive spin on a truly crappy incident is inspiring! I'm so happy for the photos you had already posted, and that you have such great memories to carry with you always.
And you already know that Korona was meant to be yours just from the way you acquired it, so it will find its way back to you!
If anyone feels like they want to help out, I'd encourage you to throw a few bucks Tiff's way so she can replenish her photography gear. This lady needs some lenses! Stat! If only a relatively small # of people donated $10-20 each, she could easily replace what has been lost.
There's a hand-dandy little "Donate" button up above to make it all nice and easy for you.
I am so sorry to hear this and my heart is just breaking for your loss
Please do monitor all the pawn shops in NM if there's a way to do that…..that's bound to be where it will all end up and you'd be surprised how these things can work their way back to you. I'd like to think it wasn' t an actual photographer that stole this, so they are just looking for money.
Ironically that's how I found Flickr….I tried to collect some pics to recreate it for her to show her someday and printed a few out that people were sharing, to save for her 
In a weird way I'm glad this didn't actually happen on Rte 66 or in any of those towns because it would have shocked and disappointed me even more. Would have never seen it the same way again! On my last drive on and off 66 from OK to AZ, I had an old 35mm camera (all automatic) and was taking pics along the way (my baby daughter's first road trip too) and when we go to AZ, I went to open the camera to remove the film and get it developed and something inside broke and the film was all over the place, exposed, and I could have cried because it was her first road trip and I stopped at so many 66 things along the way I finally got to see or never got pics the first time I saw them, so made a point to be prepared that time….it sucked
I like what Linda said….I donated for the trip, without even thinking about doing that for a stranger, but who's photography and life experiences entertain me and I love hearing about, I would definitely like to help you out on getting another lens…..I will miss your pics without it…..is your Paypal acct still active??? LET US KNOW!!! All together, hopefully it will add up to a decent lens!
I always thought Taos was supposed to be such a good and spiritual place….HUH!!!
Wonderful post about something so sucky! I'd be raging if that happened, but you've managed to really put a great spin on the whole trip. Good luck on getting everything back. It could happen….you just never know!
Love ya, Girl…… Keep the faith…. it may well turn up again…. I really believe it will. {{{hugs}}}
Wow. This is probably the right time to let you know how much you have inspired me to open myself up to awesome. I live on the other side of the world (Australia) and had a very sad and frustrated son at school…I stumbled upon your blog, and since then we have started home schooling both boys…..then started unschooling both boys……then I started our own blog http://www.downonthefreedomfarm.com ……and I am going to cut off all my hair. No, I am not copying you (!), but your honesty, wit, sense of adventure and general juiciness had had a HUGE impact on me. Has helped me be brave, be authentic and be FREE(er)!! I totally hear your heroes journey wild woman, and know myself how those tears really, really clean out your eyes. Enjoy the clarity. I don't care if we never meet (although a few Tifftini's and some soulsistasharing would be fab) you have already done more for me than most. The web of connection is truly stunning huh. Big love.
You're such an inspiration, Tiff! So sorry some asshole stole your stuff. But I'm happy you had this experience. Can't wait to read more.
At times I'm incapable of writing as eloquently as you do, particularly in light of what happened as you neared the end of your tour d'awesome and understanding how I would have felt about it had it happened to me. A little something extra is coming your way, a small token of showing my support and admiration.
Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same outcome.