We had the coolest time in Boulder and Golden last weekend! A successful event at the lazy dog, hanging at Erik’s place outside of Golden where we went rope swinging into a lake, and then went climbing with Erik!
Where the Gypsies go to Blog
25
Aug 2011
Reflections on Expedition Impossible
posted in: Expedition Impossible, InspirationThis is what it all comes down to! Everything we have been up against and have over come has been for this moment. We are down to the final four teams ready to battle it out in the season finale of Expedition Impossible. Its definitely been the most epic adventure of my life and getting to share the experience with my two best friends has made it even cooler. Starting out, we didn’t know what to expect or if we would be good at this. We trained really hard and not just physically. We took a holistic approach making sure we were prepared for any situation we may be faced with. All of us committed to a primal or paleo lifestyle (basically eating only what one could hunt or gather). Thanks Uncle Mark and Robb Wolf! We crossfitted together (mostly at Invictus in San Diego), did a lot of yoga, and did our best to train in an environment similar to the one we would face.
We spent weekends in the Mojave desert of Joshua Tree national park and in the mountains of Idyllwild. We practicing navigation, orienteering, ropes, horse riding, and even got into some snow! Just training for the show was a huge adventure in itself. One of the main focuses of our training was mental toughness. We did a really good job of putting ourselves in difficult situations to see how we would react together. Learning how to stay focused with clear intent under stressful situations was key. 
Most importantly, we bonded. We set our goals and learned how to work together to achieve them. If the Gypsies had been made up of three Erics, Taylors, or Johns, we wouldn’t have made it through the first stage. Each of us brought something unique to the team and shared equal responsibility in its success. Our motto was thirty three and a third because without one of us, we would fail. Competing on Expedition Impossible exceeded any of our expectations. I never could have planned such an awesome adventure. We got to see the absolute best and most beautiful that Morocco had to offer. We had helicopter supply drops, mules, camels, Arabian stallions, rafting, kayaking, and we didn’t have to plan a single thing! We never knew what was going to be around the next corner, just trying to make it from one set of instructions to the next! There’s something pretty amazing about that. We were just along for the ride and enjoying every moment of it. It’s cool to do something you’ve never done before and just be awesome at it. To be a part of a great team. If it were up to us, we would keep racing for the rest of our lives. Okay maybe a week or two break occasionally would be great.
So now, after 9 grueling stages, we are at the end. We’ve made some great friends through out this expedition and are stoked to get to watch the finale with our brothers on No Limits. We’ve made it across Morocco together and now we’ve teamed up to raise funds for our charities of choice No Barriers and Free the Children. We’ll be partying together in the name of philanthropy!
As I write this Taylor and I are waiting to board a flight to Denver to meet up with Eric and the boys in orange in Boulder, Co. I couldn’t think a better way to end this adventure and begin the next!
22
Aug 2011
Episode 9: Come Hell or High Water: Charge on!
posted in: Expedition Impossible, Show Recap
This was a special episode to me. I think that it taught valuable lessons on life and the human character. As we grow older, many of us become set in our ways. We acquire certain sets of values/morals that we believe define the people we are and the decisions we make. It takes a very special person or unique set of circumstances to change these beliefs. This episode did exactly that. Forget about all of this for a second and think about the competition. Today was a WATER stage! First off, this is kick ass
news for us. This was definitely not setting sail on a placid lake. This was the biggest and baddest white water we had seen yet. Based on our packing list the previous night (pack PFD, helmet, wetsuit, water shoes, etc), we had an idea that we would have a long day on the river. On the day, we could smell the rippling water of the river which lay several hundred yards of the starting line. Dave sent us on our way and we raced down the valley towards the sound of raging water. We eventually made it to the rafts and saw that we had a choice of “guides” aka “captains of the river.” With this in mind, we chose the badass which we believed to have the most experience (these were all amazing Kiwi guides; any of them would get the job done right!). The other teams caught up to us, but we were the first into the water and quickly raced down the canyon.
This was our domain. The rush of the whitewater through our paddles and the the thump of the waves rocking our bodies, jolted us into action. Before we knew it, we had arrived to our first check point and were racing up a formidable mountain in wetsuits (I think Taylor might have “peed his suit” at this point). At the top of the peak we came to a hault as we were confronted by several locked boxes. Our challenge was to unlock the boxes with a 5 letter word. We spent sometime coming up with an answer and eventually all the other teams caught up. The answer, “banks,” was indeed “all around us.” After coming up with the answer, we saw our No Limit hombres still contemplating the box. Taylor gave them the little hint, “where do you keep your money?” We stashed the goodies which were in the boxes (that included a bottle of red and white wine….gypsies love them some wine!).
The rest of the stage seemed like a blur. We really did so much in one short day. I remember muscling our way through “the sludge,” rowing our way miles across a turquoise lake, and rappelling down into the tight black wormholes of the caves. We managed to keep our lead, but since the day was so long and the course was so spread out, we couldn’t help but think that a team might have slipped past us, out of sight.
After a beautifully picturesque swim through a narrow channel, we were back on our feet and racing towards the finish line. We couldn’t see anyone in sight, but were constantly thinking that the Fab 3 could have weaseled their way past us. However, this was not the case. After spotting Dave with his big, square jawed smile; we knew we were on top. This was great news, but our attention immediately shifted to the other teams, specifically No Limits.
It was a close race…Fab 3 had finished, so had Football…but the cops and the boys in orange were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, we saw speckles of both orange and blue; It was a foot race! Dave even made a point to exclaim this as we watched the blue and orange dots get closer. I cringed, thinking of Ike having to endure a foot race on his mangled limb. As the blurry dots turned into people, we saw that the No Limits had indeed won the sprint to the finish. The feeling in the air was electric and this was accentuated by the No Limits celebrations. This was indeed a victory for the books.
Everyone says that this show is different because of the heart. Despite what some people might say, the relationships developed were as real they can get. All of the teams at some point have come together and shown their compassion in different ways. Today showed me what it means to persevere and NEVER give up. It doesn’t matter what circumstances you are under or what hardships you have to overcome; do the job and get it done. This should be a lesson to people from all walks of life. You can make the impossible, possible as long as you have the will to endure and the heart to charge on.
We also wanted to thank EVERYONE for coming out to our viewing party! The show of support has been overwhelming! Gypsy Love!
Also, if you missed it, WATCH THE FULL EPISODE of EXPEDITION IMPOSSIBLE
Or read Jeff Evans of No Limits’ heartfelt take on the Episode HERE
NEXT WEEK: And then there were 4…
We are so excited to announce that we will be joining Team NO LIMITS for a Fundraiser/Finale Party this Thursday in Boulder Colorado. We are beyond excited to spend this exciting night than with friends, family and No Limits heroes. Host Dave Salmoni and Executive Producer Lisa Hennessy will be joining us. ALL proceeds go to the No Limits’ Soldiers To The Summit project as well as our non profit of choice, Free the Children. What a great way to spend the evening!
Please find all the info necessary to purchase tickets for the FINALE PARTY here or if you are unable to attend, simply support the cause and MAKE A DONATION!
17
Aug 2011
Congratulations Honorary Gypsies! *MUSTACHE CONTEST WINNERS*
posted in: Contest, MustacheWhat fun friends we have! We loved each and every entry and wish they could all be winners..
In a way you are ALL winners…because now you ALL have mustaches. 
BY YOUR VOTES:
MALE WINNER
Matt Ahearn
FEMALE WINNER
Shireen Haque
We’re so proud of you guys! We will be contacting you both to arrange delivery of your
Compassionate Adventurer T-Shirt by Jedidiah Clothing.
We wish we could send one to you ALL! But since we can’t…feel free to order one by clicking the link above! Thanks for participating honorary Gypsies and stay tuned for our next contest!
We also wanted to mention the man with undeniable Gypsy Spirit, and the best looking mustache in the military, Expedition Impossible’s own Aaron “Ike” Isaacson of Team No Limits! He was also a front runner for male winner, and we will make sure he gets a Gypsy shirt!
