Today we’d like to introduce you to Haley Conklin.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began traveling in 2021 when I planned my first road trip! I flew out to Las Vegas, NV, and traveled through 6 states in 8 days ending in Denver, CO! During this trip I got a taste of the West getting a chance to see a handful of monumental places that included Zion, the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Canyonlands, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Valley of Fire state park!
Since my first trip, I have taken 5 more trips out west! I grew up and live on the east coast, so the western US was a playground for me. I’ve had the pleasure of introducing my mom, my boyfriend, my two younger siblings, and my dad to the Southwest.
My time out west has always been very peaceful and soul-renewing. In November of 2022, while solo visiting Utah, I had a life-altering experience. During my first full day in Moab, I was set to go canyoneering with a local adventure company. It was a group of 4 visitors, including myself, and 2 tour guides. During our first drop into the canyon, one of our tour guides fell. The tour came to an abrupt halt and emergency services were called. My tour guide, Emmalynn, did not survive the fall.
This event for some time made me fearful of traveling. I couldn’t help but feel like something would go wrong. It had made my haven unsafe. I still think about it every day. I think about Hunter, the other tour guide who lost a friend, and I think about the 3 other travelers, who just like me, were there for a fun experience. Mostly, I think about Emmalynn; I think about her adventurous spirit the family spoke so highly of.
In July of 2023, I faced that fear and embraced her adventurous spirit, and made my way back out West. While I was not ready to go back to Moab by myself, I still faced the fear of anything going wrong and renewed my love for the Southwest. This trip was a bit different than my others!
I drove my car out and camped (mostly!) during my time out there. I loved that this trip, I did something a bit more out of my comfort zone by camping and I saw several new places! Petrified Forest National Park and New Mexico are two of the new places I had the opportunity to adventure.
My solo adventures are some of my favorites cause they allowed me to truly do WHATEVER I wanted on my schedule! However, having the opportunity to share my favorite places with some of my favorite people is the best feeling, and they would tell you that I plan a mean trip!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The experience I had in Moab in November of 2022 was a struggle; it stunted my desire to want to adventure and do things on my own.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
While @theroadtrippyhippy is a great side gig, my full-time job back in New York is as the Assistant General Manager of a medical cannabis dispensary! I’ve been with my company for almost 5 years now and started as a cashier and have been able to work my way up the ranks to my current role.
I don’t see a cap on my potential with the company and look forward to the potential opportunity I could have with my company out west in Colorado! While I don’t believe that Colorado is my end goal, it puts me one step closer to where I want to be!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I didn’t begin my solo travels until after covid began, but I feel like it taught me to enjoy life and don’t wait for things to happen!
If there is something I want or want to do, I need to seize the opportunities as there come. All of these beautiful landscapes I’ve had opportunities to see won’t necessarily be there forever so do it while we’re young!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theroadtrippyhippy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-conklin-4a7927180/
Image Credits
Haley Conklin @thereoadtrippyhippy
