We Hope This isn't a BIG Mistake | What’s Next for This RV Life Couple

Our gate guarding job officially ended, so what work camping gig are we doing next? In this episode, we share a HUGE Alaska fund update, take you deep inside some creepy gypsum caves, and answer the big question you’ve all been asking.
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00:00 Recap & Intro
00:35 Leaving the Oil Pad
03:54 Carlsbad Caverns Camping (Free!)
07:12 Alaska Fund Update
10:30 What's Next?
13:21 Gypsum Caves
19:24 Our New Normal
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Hey there! We're Joe + Kalyn!
As online entrepreneurs, we thought, "why not work from home... on the road"? So in 2019, we bought and renovated a 2005 Jayco Designer Fifth Wheel, which took us to every state in the lower 48. But the economy hit our business especially hard after the 'vid, spurring us to pivot in new directions and try different strategies, including various RV work camping jobs!
Follow our full-time RV Life journey as we build back our bank accounts in order to fund the biggest RV trip of our lifetime-Alaska.
WE SEND ONLY FUN STUFF ⤵️
bit.ly/OpenRoadingUpdates
REAL-TIME UPDATES + STORIES FROM FULL-TIME TRAVEL ⤵️
/ openroading
We participate in several affiliate programs. If you make a purchase through any of our links, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!

[@user-jo4lr8it6p]

I don’t know why people feel the need to leave a comment if they don’t like the video. If you don’t like it just don’t watch it . can’t wait for your Alaskan adventure. You guys earned it with all your hard work. Congratulations.🎉

[@walterrafolski5662]

So true, some people just have to be negative.

[@OpenRoading]

It's the internet, right? 😁 We appreciate this community so much. We have a "held for review" section where youtube filters things out and honestly...we've only ever had like maybe 5 comments in there...total. 99% of everyone here has been crazy supportive and amazing. I know someday the trolls will come, but for now we just feel so incredibly blessed by you all. -J

[@r8edrv4fun65]

I think that sometimes people feel like they've been tricked into Watching a video. Looking for the thumbnail from the beginning until the end. Especially if The title suggests something they assume is going to happen. That's their perception of the thumbnail and title. This channel, this couple, does not do clickbait. So I'm not sure why my statement would make any sense to them. Maybe I'm making a blanket statement. Now, do you feel like you wasted your time reading my entire comment?

[@brittabrand6645]

Pure jealousy!! People like watching tragedies and negativities to forget their own misery. I love watching this channel bc of their personalities and positive energy.

[@OpenRoading]

@@r8edrv4fun65 I'm thinking the initial comment got deleted by the author because this thread is now all out of context. 😂 Just know that we didn't delete it! As far as negative comments go it was quite tame. lol. Thanks for the support ya'll. -J

[@treepop1550]

Whatever energy drink you guys are using you should be their sponsor !! Great positive channel !!

[@OpenRoading]

LOL! For me it's Celsius (the powder packs, not the cans). Kalyn somehow pulls her energy from deep within her soul. -J

[@wonderwalluk1568]

I love how you guys share everything, good experiences, bad experiences, places you park up, places you visit, financials. 10/10. Look forward to next Fridays upload. Fingers are crossed that the Trinity home alone trial with the rabbit went ok?!?

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much. If you wait a couple seconds past the thank you at the end we have the Trinity reveal. 😁 We usually try to sneak something fun at the end. But yes, she was completely fine. I honestly think she would actually try to protect Cody at this point. -J

[@Dana-.-]

There is NO WAY I would have gone into the cave. NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!! Thanks for taking me somewhere I would never go! 😊

[@OpenRoading]

I love this comment so much. Such a sweet way of framing that. So glad you enjoyed it! -J

[@comingstobrazil]

I seriously felt the claustrophobia kicking in as I watched that segment. I would have made it ten meters in, tops, before hightailing it out of there.

[@OpenRoading]

10 meters....I don't know if I can claim you as my brother anymore. 30 feet...it's 30 feet. 😂 (kkkkk) @@comingstobrazil

[@OtherDianne]

SAME!!!

[@caydancebloom]

my anxiety started climbing too... and then accidentally deleting the map! I had to remind myself that you were fine because if you weren't I wouldn't be watching the video.... yes, my heart is working... thank you for checking!

[@Brighgn-qp7ce]

It truly is the way you share! You are so charismatic in all you do. Also, your work ethic!!!!! Neither of you just sat around and did nothing, expecting it to come your way. You both worked hard and shared how much it took to get the goal you needed. "Everything" from maintenance, finding jobs, and what it takes to live daily. Then, along the way, we get to enjoy it without all that work. You all deserve it! Thanks for allowing us to ride with.

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so very much. It's funny. Both Kalyn and I right now are like completely overwhelemed with out workload and we're not even work camping! It's like we stopped that and somehow added a whole bunch to our plate. 😂 I can't tell you how much I appreciate you seeing the hustle. I think the majority of viewers don't take time to understand how much work goes into them so just the simple acknowledgement in a comment like this just fills my heart. -J

[@josephsauer8349]

Cheaper alternative-You could put a rubber self-stick rubber bumper on the top righthand corner of the lock to keep it from hitting the keypad.

[@OpenRoading]

Awesome idea. Thank you! -J

[@bencarnahan7893]

Can you flip the handle over to clear the keypad?

[@OpenRoading]

The fact that I didn't see this really bothers me. 😂 Trying it soon. Will report back. @@bencarnahan7893

[@pianogal853]

I also have to give Joe cudos for trying to fix things - even as a 'non-expert' 👏 I used to do residential remodeling, and often got jobs that someone had messed up 😂

[@OpenRoading]

Haha! People like me are job security for the experts. 😂 -J

[@ivanleelivingston4902]

Suffering brings reverence. Congradulations folks..... good news 15 K......... Give Trinity a pet for me. x/o

[@OpenRoading]

Pets given! We just finished a long travel day so she's a bit hyper and needed them. -J

[@greenlady43]

I’ve recently started watching. Former full timer here. We know folks who went to Alaska with 36 foot 5th wheels. They had to sell them when they returned to the lower 48. The rad conditions took a toll …so plan on that

[@OpenRoading]

Will do - however the roads in and Alaska have improved quite a bit over the past few years. They aren't like....smooth as silk of course, but depending on when your friends went up - things may have changed significantly. But, stay tuned! Maybe we'll be selling our RV when we get back. 😂 -J

[@daviddickson1403]

just a minute before it was stated, I said to myself they should have hardhats on. Glad everything is working out for you two. Wonderful to see that Trinity is working out .

[@OpenRoading]

Yeah...hard hats would be recommended in a cave. I am intrigued though because I've toured Mammoth cave, Howe Caverns, and Carlsbad Caverns and they don't make you wear hard hats in any of those... 🤷🏼 I'm a believer in safety...but also a believer in understanding what level of risk your willing to take and enjoying the experience. Can't be in bubble wrap everywhere 😂 -J

[@jackdumas9563]

You might try turning that wing bar Upside down- and see if it will pass by the door lock, that would save y’all some money, and yall could buy that Cute doggy some treats, lol - keep on having Fun, 🤠♥️✝️🐾🦴🇺🇸🍀🐿️🌲🥃

[@OpenRoading]

This issue has proven to me (not that I needed proof) that the youtube comments section is smarter indeed than I am. 😂 I am blessed to have that be the case. -J

[@rickfetz469]

Congrats on hitting your goal! We drove from Indiana to Alaska and back last summer. The trip of a lifetime for us., the best way to see Alaska is by driving it. And Canada is beautiful. We left out of Coer d Alene and spent our first night at Lake Louise. We spent six weeks on our trip and plan on going back next summer to visit all the places we missed our first time? Have a great trip.

[@OpenRoading]

Awesome! Yeah, Kalyn and I are pretty sure we're going to have to go back at some point! Just too much to see to fit it all in to one trip!! -J

[@hope1238]

Awesome videos, love watching your journey. Your honesty and story telling is refreshing.

[@OpenRoading]

That means a lot to us. Thank you. RV life has a LOT of "glamorous" moments that we hope to share as well - but we're gonna show the walmart parking lot stays, the rough roads, and break downs too - along with the tough decisions that you face no matter what direction you take in life. -J

[@iancurnow9060]

I'm just sitting here smiling, when you announce meeting your Alaska goal..!

[@OpenRoading]

It was an unbelievable few months. A lot of hard hard work - but we are so happy! And now we are working just as hard as we were with the workcamping to make these videos better each week! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch through our videos. The smile you got for the goal is the smile I get when I see comments appearing in video after video of someone finding our videos fun enough to watch one after the other. -J

[@AlanJones-vp1ci]

Flip the step handrail around the bottom side is a square corner

[@OpenRoading]

Check this out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqLTnp-VaaeKnMU 😁 -J

[@helenbates1843]

Love seeing you two on the positive front working towards your goal. I don’t know if I could do it but kudos to you both! Good luck and I will be praying for your safe travels and watching for your next chapter!

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much Helen. I know you're watching all the videos but it was a crazy few months working toward that goal and it proved to us both just what you can accomplish with a lot of hustle. Now we're applying those same lessons to our work on the youtube channel in hopes that we can turn that into our new "full time job." -J

[@mareef9617]

I had to google what boondocking is. In New Zealand we call it Freedom Camping - if I have the definition of boondocking correct that is. Here it is becoming harder and harder to do, many areas that were available have been shut down by local authorities. We do have a lot of "Park Over" properties which you can camp at for a small fee. These are often on private land and don't normally have any facilities. There are still many free spots though throughout the country. Well done on achieving your target, I am looking forward to your Alaskan adventures 😊

[@OpenRoading]

Ok...am I allowed to call it Freedom Camping now? Because I have to say...what you call it is WAYYYY better than what we call it. -J

[@mareef9617]

@@OpenRoading Do it. Start a trend and see if it catches on 😁

[@debbiemccormack781]

Fantastic job on the spray paint to replace the decals. I love it! We will need to do something like that as well soon.

[@OpenRoading]

We'll keep you posted on how they hold up. So far so good! -J

[@MyBackyardScience]

Maybe there is a way you could flip the hand rail over so it won't hit. Trinity's eyes look golden on the videos ! Its so unique! Are they really that color? 🐕 😀

[@OpenRoading]

They are! They look very "Bird of prey" like. It's honestly one of the (potentially ridiculous) reasons I was concerned about her and Cody is to me she just has the look of a dog with tremendous hunting instinct. (so far... I'm pretty sure she would protect Cody) We have discovered that if you meet her for the first time at night...this super quiet dog that almost never barks goes into full on protect mode! As to the hand rail... 🤦🏼‍♂️ Let's file this graciously under "why in the world didn't I think of that before embarrassing myself on KZbin." 😂 -J

[@DMRSIX]

Yay! I'm so excited for you!🎉 Alaska here "we" come! Vicariously through you of course! 😁 Honestly, I'm even more excited to see the National Parks,, those are on my bucket list too! 🙌 A HUGE Congratulations on making back to being digital nomads! This is our dream as well! 👏👏👏🥳

[@mikeweis5925]

Your cave adventure was epic. It created a bit of anxiety to my claustrophobic nature. It was great. What fun. We are in Big Bend now. Sure wish we could meet up.

[@OpenRoading]

How long are you there for? No promises but shoot us an email at [e-mail] and maybe we can make it happen. 🙂 -J

[@camrodger8638]

Thanks for another wonderful “happy” video. ♥️

[@OpenRoading]

We hope to keep our channel as happy as possible! And when it's sad, we hope it's resilient at the same time. -J

[@RetiredLovingIt]

We are planning an Alaska cruise next year for our 50th wedding anniversary 🎊

[@OpenRoading]

Kalyn went on one when she was in high school and she says you'll absolutely love it! And congratulations on 50 years! That is incredible and far too few people do the work to make that happen these days. 🙌🏻 🙌🏻 -J

[@OurNomadicStory]

Congrats on making your goal. You guys do a great job with your video. You do a great job of telling a story. Thank you for the storytelling and inspiring us.

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so much. We're so happy we've grown in that ability and I'm so thankful to have Kalyn who i send the first edit by and she hacks it to pieces (ok... a little dramatic 😂) and makes it better every single time. -J

[@wendyford2252]

So happy you made your goal. I can’t wait to see Alaska with you. Blessings from Scotland ❤❤❤❤

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so much! And please always remind me you are from Scotland when you comment! I try hard to remember people who comment often and having reminders like that is so so helpful! -J

[@user-wf5kr8pn6f]

Congratulations 🎉🎈🎊. Can’t wait to see your Alaskan videos!

[@OpenRoading]

Can't wait to film them! But we will wait till it warms up a touch more. 😁 -J

[@Eph1-4]

Can you flip the handle on end so the 90 degree angle is on top and misses the lock pad? Glad you hit your goal!! Trinity is a good girl👍 Thank you for another lovely video, God bless you all🙏

[@OpenRoading]

Most likely. I can't believe I totally missed that as a possibility. Going to try it in a day or so. 🤦🏼‍♂️ Thanks so much for the encouragement along the way! -J

[@agilly3]

Am so happy and proud of you two!!!!

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks!! -J

[@alaskanight940]

So glad you made your fund goal. I hope your adventure to and through my home state goes well. Everything is better once you leave the lower forty eight. Take your time ... we have snow for next three months. June, July, August, Sept, are great, then run for the sun. 😂

[@OpenRoading]

Plan is to enter in early June, weather permitting. You just know how much we love the cold. 😂 -J

[@alaskanight940]

June 1st is when we plant gardens. Should be just in time for green up. Pretty much is mud till then and all turns green overnight. Vegetation grows real fast up here. I am in south central, Wasilla.

[@mojim880]

Can you make a special video around and staring Trinity?

[@OpenRoading]

Hmmm...We'll have to do some thinking on that. At the moment it would be her mostly sleeping in various locations around the RV 😂 -J

[@M.Campbell]

"The big thing is whether or not there's a turn around spot..." Send up the drone. On your way to big bend you could stop at Marfa and try to see the Marfa lights. There is a rest area next to the viewing place and in Texas overnight parking is allowed at all rest areas.

[@OpenRoading]

oooo! Just looked them up. Probably not on the way down but will keep them in mind. Gotta stop by the "Prada" store too. 😁 -J

[@thinkingcloset]

The transition moment from anticipating the sunset to actually seeing it gave me chills. 🥰🥰🥰 Loved hearing your enthusiasm and gratitude for reaching your goal! Thanks for bringing us along. 🙌🙌

[@OpenRoading]

I'm convinced that there is no sunset like a western, big sky, sunset. -J

[@dewald711115]

I don't know if you will read my comment however, can I suggest that you swop the grab rail around (putting the top at the bottom) This way it won't hit your door lock when you close it

[@OpenRoading]

Seriously....like....such a simple solution! Sometimes I amaze myself with my lack of observational skills. 😂 Thank you! -J

[@GarrettKoval]

As a dog owner my self, just wanted to remind you most national parks are understandably not dog friendly… aka, you can’t bring them on any trails. Since I got my pups, we mostly avoid the over crowded parks in our travels & stick with the blm and national forest lands.. Thank you guys for the content. Subscribed.

[@OpenRoading]

Yeah, national parks are annoying like that. So we'll be having a mix of National park adventures without Trinity (sad trombone) along with other Trinity safe adventures. -J

[@scottwaitley6790]

I love your videos. I follow about 8 full time rv couples and I feel your videos, especially this last year or so, are among the best and most entertaining. Please keep it up and I’m going all the way back on your channel and binging them. I only found your channel a few weeks ago. ❤

[@OpenRoading]

Yes... you don't need to watch anything before "we're broke" 😂 We left them there for the sake of not erasing history but...oof...some of them are rough. 😂😂 Thank you so much for you very kind words. Like...among the best when there are a LOT of amazing creators out there is some very high praise that I am not sure we can live up to. But we will continue to work hard to keep you looking forward to your Friday nights! -J

[@scottwaitley6790]

Thanks for leaving them up and yes, I did watch most of those earlier ones and enjoyed them. You’ve definitely come a long way and I enjoyed the video that you guys did explaining your different stages. You have come a long way and I along with others are enjoying watching your day to day happenings. I’m looking forward to more.

[@scottwaitley6790]

Plus I really enjoy the longer videos you’re now doing too

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks! The longer form was one of the big changes from our earlier tries.@@scottwaitley6790 -J

[@dennisealey5193]

Next time you go spelunking just lay down some rocks on the ground in a pattern to find your way back

[@OpenRoading]

Good call!! -J

[@wolverinealaska6937]

Excellent video. Being in the medical field I cringed a bit about going through the cave without a helmet (had to suture a few heads in the past) but you survived. As for the weather in Anchorage it was 2 degrees this morning but sunny. We still have 4 feet of snow in the front yard so at least that keeps the dust down. Happy travels

[@OpenRoading]

Yeah - I know that's a bit of a risk. 😬 I really appreciate your tone though!! Care not judgement. Sounds fun there in Anchorage. We'll stick in the continental US for a while longer. 😂 -J

[@japakn]

Take the handle and flip it over. Top to bottom. Then it will fit over lock

[@OpenRoading]

You know those times when you see something and you are like "Why didn't I think of that?!" This is one of those moments. Thank you! -J

[@debjukes5548]

Nice to see people riding real bikes! Good for you!

[@OpenRoading]

😂 Funny story...we've been offered about 4 different brands of ebikes (so far). We've turned them all down because right now...frankly...ebikes just aren't us. We see bikes as an opportunity to get exercise as opposed to simply transportation. No shade at the ebike people! We'll just do things our way over here. -J

[@stevelinderman7521]

The reason I came to the channel and watched every week was the work camping format. It was intriguing and showed opportunities for others to explore. Not sure what the “hook” will be for the future. I’m going to watch a few more to see what happens.

[@OpenRoading]

Hey! Thanks so much for the feedback and for giving us some time to continue to try to earn your sub! Our initial hook was saving $15K for Alaska and Work-camping was always the means to that end. We of course are working on transitioning to Alaska planning and travel BUT our style is going to remain very much the same. In our last few videos you learned very little about work camping and were just watching out day to day and some adventures. Our content will continue to look similar with of course our "fun styled" info videos (like the one that dropped tonight). There's a chance that after giving us a shot, you decide we're not for you, and that's OK. We don't deserve a single unearned view. 😃 (and if the Alaska thing isn't your jam come back and give us a look in November...we have plans) -J

[@anthonymartinez749]

Ready for another great video🎉

[@OpenRoading]

Another first comment award! 🥇 (we were traveling today so sorry for the late delivery of the medal! -J

[@hank1527]

Thanks!

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so much for being a supporter of this channel. We honestly are so amazed at this. Thank you. -J

[@chadkoller7809]

Congratulations guys

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you! -J

[@danettehead7353]

🎉 congratulations so happy for you. Looking forward to seeing your Alaska adventure. ❣️ For Trinity and Cody

[@OpenRoading]

❤️ given to the animals for you! -J

[@rvcurmudgeon]

Congrats! Alaska!!!

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so much! But I feel like this sort of positivity is not allowed if your youtube handle is RVcurmudgeon. 😁 -J

[@marshak1926]

Good for you!!!🎉🎉🎉 so excited to watch as you head "North...to Alaska"

[@OpenRoading]

First stop north... Big Bend National Park. 🤔 Maybe we should invest in a compass... -J

[@TakeTheRide]

Congratulations on your Alaska fund. 🎉🎉

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so so much! -J

[@FotoMatt]

🎉 Congratulations and happy Alaska planning!!

[@OpenRoading]

We probably should start doing that.... 😂 -J

[@acatzr800]

Congrats! I'm so excited for you both!

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much, Dan! Now to not screw this up! 😁 -J

[@skeeterforever6475]

Congratulations. I am so excited for yall.

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much! We don't want to mess this opportunity up. -J

[@ianchurchman5630]

Love it!

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you! -J

[@teabroncfan]

Muddy Puddy. Sad story. Congratulations on reaching y'all's Alaska goal.

[@OpenRoading]

Very very sad and horrific! I didn't get a lot of sleep when I read about it just before going to bed. 😭 I can't imagine being the guy, the rescuers, or the family. -J

[@Bunny-cz5wo]

Congratulations guys, so happy for you both 🎉

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you! Now to build our income so we don't go back to square 1. -J

[@wanderingwithwellness]

Whoot whoot! 🎉 Congratulations!! 🎉. Awesome. Good job. Stay safe.

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much for being such an encouragement along the way! -J

[@joylynnburkhardt3202]

Congratulations on reaching your goal! Looking forward to another great video!!

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much! -J

[@RVingwithLuck]

Congratulations on hitting your goal!

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so very much! It's still kind of sinking in over here. -J

[@DJ63phx]

Congratulations, have fun in Alaska.

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much. We hope we can take everyone with us virtually and provide a summer of entertainment and hopefully only a little drama. -J

[@mikeellindonut2004]

Thank you for sharing your story love this and looking forward to every week ,

[@OpenRoading]

Whenever someone says that they look forward to our videos...It just fills our hearts. Never imagined someone would say that. Thank you so much for your kindness. -J

[@jasonwitters7860]

Congratulations!!!!! Looks like a neat spot.Safe Travels

[@OpenRoading]

Such a cool spot! A little windy sometimes but so so cool. -J

[@connieatkins7390]

Brings back memories. Thanks

[@OpenRoading]

Hopefully good ones. -J

[@connieatkins7390]

@@OpenRoading please take time to enjoy the Yukon. It's fabulous.

[@OpenRoading]

Will do! We don't plan on rushing so we won't see everything but we want to really enjoy the places we go through@@connieatkins7390

[@Hammer-jt6bz]

You guys are hitting your stride with the you tube videos.! Great job. I think one of the reasons they are becoming popular is the sense of normalcy and familiarity conveyed in the videos. It is like visiting with the nice couple who lives in an RV. Can’t wait to come along on your Alaska adventure. Safe travels.

[@OpenRoading]

So so kind. Thank you. I do think there is an incredible amount of, I don't know, let's call it "crazy" in the world. It's highly possible that 10 years ago we would have never stood out but in today's backdrop "normal" seems niche. (which I gotta admit...is kind of sad 😢 ) Although our lifestyle is still outside the norm for sure 😂 -J

[@christinepotter7117]

Yay You Guys! 🎉 So happy for you. Love the videos. Love Trinity. ❤❤❤❤❤

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much! Gave trinity some head scratches for you! 😁 -J

[@darleneinch3392]

Congratulations! So excited you have your goal for Alaska! 💛

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so so much! -J

[@SomedayisNow]

Another fun and informative video thanks

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks for going through the archive!! We love seeing people taking the time to watch and comment on multiple videos. Fills our ❤️ because we never imagined people would do that. -J

[@inhertrax9612]

CONGRATS YOU GUYS !!! YOU DESERVE NOTHING LESS THAN A TRIP OF A LIFETIME. I CAN'T WAIT TO RIDE ALONG. 🎉❤

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so much. I don’t know how much we deserve but we are really looking forward to it! Hoping nothing goes drastically wrong between now and then! -J

[@StuPedasso]

The LevelMate is awesome...only problem is the battery. There are several videos showing how to hardwire it to your RV battery...not difficult and you can do it for under $30 - you'll need a 12v to 3V/3A "step down" (under $10) and a cheap soldering iron (under $20). Super stoked that you guys reached your Alaska goal with time to spare! 😁 I'm sure you've already considered it, BUT just in case you haven't...start getting the animals vax records in order for the border crossing. Enjoy the journey guys, thanks for letting us join.

[@OpenRoading]

Thank YOU for watching and taking the time to be part of the comment section! We appreciate you. Now you've got me very intrigued about hardwiring the LevelMate. Not something I have time for right at the moment but....it would be nice to have one less thing to have maintenance on. We have Trinity's vax records but we do need to do more research to make sure we have all our ducks in a row. Last time we crossed with our rabbits there was zero paperwork they wanted on them which was nice. -J

[@KoriandJack]

So amazing, you guys! Congratulations! Can't wait to keep watching and your journey! 😃🙂😊

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so much for taking the time to be encouraging here in the comments! -J

[@caydancebloom]

congrats guys! so happy for you. it's awesome that you get to take your time getting up here.

[@OpenRoading]

Yeah! Thank you. As we are working in Big Bend this week we both are like “there is no way we could get all our work done AND travel once a week!” 😂 -J

[@fzt6ktoonolxavbjgv]

Congrats on hitting your Alaska goal! Enjoy!

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so very much! -J

[@dianeschmiane]

Congratulations, can't wait to see you guys go to Alaska!!!🍾

[@OpenRoading]

We're gonna have to wait a couple of months. You know how much we just LOOOVE the cold. 😂 -J

[@dianeschmiane]

@@OpenRoading LOL, I get it, I'm probably as big a fan of the cold as you are... :D

[@karakrantz1391]

Since you don't have a "home vet", here in Oregon the Coastal Farms has a Vet Clinic in it. It is separate from them, their name is Good Neighbor Vet Clinic. You can get your pets shots and flea meds, etc. They don't have a visit fee and they don't do surgeries and that kind of things. But after Trinity is "fixed" it won't be a problem. They do have a website so you can see if they have one in your area. So glad you are going to be heading to Alaska soon. :) Kara

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks for letting me know! Sounds like a place with an amazing mission. -J

[@jamesclark5310]

Congratulations on making the 1st goal. On to the next !

[@OpenRoading]

Alaska here we come and working hard at making this youtube thing pay more of the bills! -J

[@traci635]

Caving is exciting and scary all rolled into one adventure. Congratulations on reaching your Alaska fund 👏

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much Traci! -J

[@fistfulofgoldwing]

Oh my gosh, congratulations! Can't wait to see the roads ahead, including Big Bend and Alaska!!!

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you! We're super excited and really nervous. After work camping for a solid year it feels weird stepping out and relying fully on our own income streams again! -J

[@TrailerTravelin]

Wow! Congrats on hitting that HUGE target! So well deserved. Your videos are great. Can't wait to see Alaska. Safe travels!

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so very much! We sometimes can't believe it ourselves right now. Just keep waiting for something to go wrong but we're gonna keep working our butts off! -J

[@michellekayser1673]

So excited you made your goal, you both seem very happy ❤❤

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you. Generally we are happy but we have our days…. 😂 -J

[@jonathandavis3312]

Man you guys hit that goal fast!

[@OpenRoading]

4 months! End of October to the end February. We knew going in that gate guarding was going to be our best shot at making it but I think we are both still in a little bit of shock that it happened. And without amazing people helping out without ever being asked, it would have taken us a few more weeks. What an incredible community we have here. 🥲 -J

[@FairylyBookish]

I’m SO excited to see the different places you all end up visiting!!! :D 🎉

[@OpenRoading]

We are too! We are so glad to have the opportunity to be back on the road. 🥹 -J

[@skeetermalcolm1655]

I am so happy for you guys, congratulations on the Alaska funds, you two deserve it

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much. Now we just have to keep working hard to build Kalyn's business even stronger and this KZbin channel so we can get out of the work camping cycle! -J

[@nhbomar]

That is so exciting!!- I'm looking forward to seeing your Alaska trip whenever you can make it there!

[@OpenRoading]

Still somewhat in shock over here even though we saw the numbers climbing. The plan is to hit Canada in early May, Alaska in early June. All depends on the weather....because you know how well we handle the cold. 😂 -J

[@medic1541]

Although there are A LOT of pull of points in BC, Alberta and Yukon, keep in mind the Provincial parks don't open until May 15-ish. We just got done spending the summer up in Alaska last summer! It was EPIC!!!

[@OpenRoading]

If you watched out "9 Degrees" video you know we aren't a fan of the cold. 😂 We plan on crossing into Canada in early May BUT it's all weather dependent. (at the moment thinking of going up through via Calgary.) Thank you so much for the heads up! -J

[@EuniceCoughlin]

Yayyyy! So excited that you made your Alaska goal! Love watching your journey. I am not brave enough to go caving but it was cool watching you two do it. Can't wait till your next video!!

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so much. We were only a little brave. 😁 -J

[@RonAaron33]

Nice job

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks! -J

[@rodgerankarenhowell2952]

Yea!!

[@OpenRoading]

Super stoked over here (do people still say stoked?) -J

[@michaelbishop6159]

Hello, I live in Alaska and it is so beautiful here. If you have questions about Alaska please ask. I know a lot of campgrounds and some of the attractions. A little bad news, diesel fuel has gone up 40 cents a gallon in the last week. Hopefully it will come down some soon but usually fuel prices go up in the summer months.

[@OpenRoading]

Good to know. We have $4K budgeted for fuel (Continental US border back to Continental US border). If my math is right....this would cover us for over 6,000 miles of travel (10 miles to the gallon) at $6 fuel prices. Of course it can go beyond that as it appears to be close right now - but I won't start getting worried unless everything starts going north of $8 a gallon. -J

[@michaelbishop6159]

@@OpenRoading Wasilla/Palmer area is $3.44 per gallon and Anchorage is about $3.69. Other areas are going to be more expensive.

[@OpenRoading]

@@michaelbishop6159 If it stays below $5 a gallon I'm pretty sure we'll make it back with fuel budget to spare (which would be awesome!) -J

[@bakerfamily808]

I know it’s expensive - but do you think a “channel advertisement” wrap would bring a lot more people to your channel? Not sure if the juice would be worth the squeeze on that, but just a thought 🤷‍♂️

[@OpenRoading]

Excellent question. I honestly don't think it would be worth the squeeze but more importantly to me...I don't want to live inside a billboard. 😂 -J

[@user-mp2uc2bz3h]

Hello from Las Cruces! Nice to see you in my area. The caves are awesome! Congrats on getting to go to Alaska. I can’t wait to see the videos.

[@OpenRoading]

You'll see more of your area in a few weeks if all goes according to plan. We've got another national park to cross off our list. -J

[@lindamiller5489]

Cave is so cool

[@OpenRoading]

It really is! I'm sure braver people would enjoy crawling through some of the tight spaces... we were just fine to turn around. 😂 -J

[@sherrynorth1293]

Congrats !! I'm so excited for you both and can hardly wait for the adventure to start to Alaska . It was another great video except it goes by so fast lol.

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you so much. Now the waiting for Alaska begins. 😂 But somehow I think it will go by similarly to how you described our videos. lol -J

[@kevincoughlin4459]

Congratulations! Maybe we'll see you in Skagway. If not have a great trip. We will be following as we can. Safe travels!

[@OpenRoading]

That would be awesome! If you don't already, follow us on Instagram (openroading). We hope to get the youtube channel to be about 2-3 weeks behind real time for editing sanity sake, but we will keep IG much more real time so that if we're somewhere nearby you can reach out and let us know! -J

[@earlscheets7550]

I think you can take your handle off and turn it over so it won't hit your door lock.

[@OpenRoading]

My favorite part of this video (and this is not sarcasm I promise) is being reminded daily of how I missed this thing right in front of my face. Every new comment saying "Flip it over" is just a reminder of how many amazing people not only can see the obvious thing I missed, but have all been so kind in informing me of the solution as opposed to saying "Hey you idiot... Flip it over!" 😁 -J

[@earlscheets7550]

Everything looks different thru someone else's eyes:) love that yall are living the dream and letting us follow along in your journey:)

[@Heatherandthedogs]

So happy for you guys and the Alaska fund. And oh wow… hard no on the caves from this claustrophobic!

[@OpenRoading]

Thank you! And I totally get it on the caves! I know many people would have ventured further than we did but once it looked like it was going to be a crawl it was a hard nope from us too. -J

[@Rvbull]

Good job on making it on KZbin it’s so hard to get where you’re at very happy for yall your videos are very good

[@OpenRoading]

These videos are tons of work and it's so much harder to put them out and have no one watch them. We are so grateful that a community has started growing around enjoying this content and we couldn't be more excited and also humbled. -J

[@rogergraves242]

Remember That Fuel is $$$$$ double priced in Alaska,Food nothing to spend $20.00 Dollars A person to eat A meal so good Luck.

[@OpenRoading]

Last I checked average diesel price up there is around $4 a gallon per AAA. I’ll get nervous if it goes north of $8. We will still be making money via our work from home hustles so the $15k is only for fuel, excursions, and buffer and by removing fuel from our monthly budget that will free up cash for the fact that everything else is more expensive. -J

[@PittsWithAPurpose]

Congratulations from Paul and me. What a great job. Another great video. See you next week. ❤

[@OpenRoading]

Thanks so so much! We're back down in TX now. We couldn't stay away. 😁 -J

[@PittsWithAPurpose]

@@OpenRoading it's so wonderful in the winter.

[@OpenRoading]

It is! Heat without the humidity and crisp nights. @@PittsWithAPurpose -J

[@johnsandell4501]

Enjoy Denali as Alaska is so beautiful.

[@OpenRoading]

Looking forward to it! Denali is on the list! -J

[@ernestinebyrne9912]

Just found you tonight. Wow! You are a breath of fresh air. Looking forward to watching you grow and the trip to Alaska. Travel mercies.

[@OpenRoading]

I kinda want to add "Breath of fresh air" to our bio! 🙂 Thanks so much for your kind encouragement! -J

[@ernestinebyrne9912]

@@OpenRoading you should because that is what you are.

[@ElaineMorrison-rq9xg]

I look forward to your Friday evening vlog! Really enjoy thdm. I am so impressed with your financial statements. How do you keep track of everything??!!! 😊😊

[@OpenRoading]

To answer your question - Kalyn is a tracking fanatic. If it can be tracked, she will track it. For the budget she says it's super easy through YNAB. (A budgeting app). It keeps all your transactions and you just categorize them. Then you can sort the data out. Thank you so much for making us part of your Fridays. The thought that someone would actually look forward to our videos as opposed to just seeing them at some random point when they jump on youtube...just wows us. -J

[@dianaj3139]

So far I have only watched a few videos... This one was terrific! I will admit I have done a fair amount of cave hiking... And it was during the 2 miles of underground caving that I first discovered what it means to be Claustrophobic! That was years ago, and I guess I sort of forgot about it until doing some underground tunnels in Mexico under the world's largest Pyramid in Puebla, MX It was a busy tourist day and a large group of people totally paused to visit in front of us.... then from the rear another group came up... with NO place to go, I suddenly felt nauseous. >>> I closed my eyes and sat down on the ground and imagined myself in a huge field of waving grass .... there were butterflies and white puffy clouds overhead... once I got focused on my "new surroundings" I felt a tap on my shoulder that it was time to move forward... WHEW!!!! So yeah your video brought all that back to mind... hahaha! THANKS FOR THAT!!

[@OpenRoading]

Oh man! That sounds awful!!! Yeah, crowds add a whole other level when it comes to feeling closed in. I think my "moment" for that fear is very similar to yours. If I feel like I can't turn around I start getting into my head in a hurry. (that's why the crawl space in the tunnel was a no-go for us. 😂 -J

[@brittabrand6645]

Oh wow - congratulations 🎊🎉 well deserved! We are so happy for you guys meeting your goals - do you have a date going to Alaska? About the handle - can you just flip the handle upside down? Looking forward to your next adventure ❤

[@OpenRoading]

I'm really starting to be embarrassed by the number of people who are obviously smarter than me on that handle. 😂😂😂 I'm going to try that this week. I'm sure it will work. LOL Thanks so much for the encouragement! It's so appreciated. -J