Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Thompson.
Hi Emily, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have had a love for the outdoors, for adventure, and for the natural world for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a small town on the Gulf coast of Texas where I went hunting and fishing, raised animals for 4-H, roamed around friends’ ranches, and imagined the creek behind my house was a vast uncharted wilderness. When life got scary or confusing, I went outside, and found comfort. I always knew I would leave home, and had an urge for adventure I had to feed. After getting an undergraduate degree in Business, then surfing in Costa Rica for three months and returning home to my parent’s house feeling uncertain about what I wanted to do other than do handstands in the yard, I reluctantly took a job in advertising in Detroit, MI, and within a year knew I was on the wrong path. I didn’t belong in pantyhose and heels — I needed flip-flops and hiking shoes.
So I left the corporate world to take an Americorps position with the Student Conservation Association at Lake Mead National Recreation Area where I made $500 a month and lived in a trailer in the park. And that decision changed my life forever. I returned to the natural world, drove boats around Lake Mead, found myself studying native fish species of the Colorado River watershed, and learning about water in the west and the world of conservation. I also learned that high-paying jobs don’t bring me happiness. I wanted to study human impacts on the environment, and to be a scientist and work outdoors — and that’s what I did. That year I got to volunteer on a fisheries research trip on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon and had a life-changing experience. I fell in love with the canyon and the southwest and vowed to spend a career working to protect and preserve the public lands of the region. I spent my 20s working in Grand Canyon as a technician on fisheries and sediment research projects, worked at a ski shop, mowed lawns occasionally, did some commercial river guiding. I eventually decided to go back to school and get a higher degree. I spent a month kayaking around southeast Alaska while earning credits, I needed to apply to graduate school. I decided on a Master’s Degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana in Missoula. I bought my first boat, a 14-foot NRS raft and ran every river I could find and hiked up a different mountain every time I had a free moment. Life was an adventure and I couldn’t get enough of exploring new wild places with my dog Frida. I worked for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation as an intern, was a field instructor for the Wild Rockies Field Institute teaching college students on the Yellowstone River, and worked for a local catering company. My heart eventually pulled me back to the desert and Flagstaff, AZ and I took a job with the Grand Canyon Trust, where I led volunteer groups on research and hands-on conservation projects, worked with young people to advocate for environmental and social justice in the region, and then planned and led multi-day excursions for members and donors.
In 2019 I felt the need for a new adventure. I went on a sabbatical and spent a month traveling around Hawaii. On Maui, I rented a Jeep that came with camping gear and a rooftop tent, which I thought was such a cool idea. I didn’t know where life was taking me next, but as I slept in that tent I wondered if anyone was doing anything similar back in Arizona or Utah. After a little research, the answer seemed to be NO, and the idea for Southwest Jeep Adventures was born. I bought a Jeep with a little help from my family, outfitted it with a rooftop camper and camping gear and did a test run in Flagstaff. It worked. I eventually decided to sell my house and move on from Flagstaff, and felt pulled toward Moab, UT, an area where I had worked and played over the years. The landscape of southern Utah was always alluring to me, and what better place to launch a camper Jeep rental company? Turns out, it was a pretty good decision. I moved to Moab with Frida, spent the winter months building a website, officially started an LLC, wrote a business plan, and poured myself into this new idea, while still working part-time at the Grand Canyon Trust. Then a pesky virus shut my whole world down. I embraced the empty streets and dirt roads of the area, and roamed around doing research for my business. It was incredible to have the public lands that surround Moab all to ourselves seemingly and even with the fear and uncertainty that the whole world was feeling, I felt a strange sense of peace and confidence that I was on the right path.
Once Moab re-opened, my business thrived. Turned out, camping is what EVERYONE wanted to do. Southwest Jeep Adventures is a culmination of my time spent in the southwest, and combines all my experience, knowledge and passions from the last 20 years into a new purpose to help others experience the same love and respect for this landscape that I do.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As I look back and reflect, sure, at times, the road was smooth. I have had incredible experiences, met amazing people, found community and love and support everywhere I go, listened to my heart and my gut, and lived a life of intention, always wanting to learn and grow and make the world a better place. The universe has always taken care of me. But struggles are a part of life, and I’ve absolutely found myself on washboard dirt roads, some impassable and the only choice is to turn around and find a different route, or decide to push forward and trust there is a way through. My struggles are no different than anyone else’s: I’ve had debilitating heartbreak, I’ve lost loved ones, I’ve been disappointed and I’ve disappointed others, I’ve made mistakes, I’ve lost money, I’ve lost others money who trusted me. I’ve lived and coped with depression and anxiety. I’ve been surrounded by people and never felt more alone. I’ve been terrified of failure, of not being enough, not doing enough, knowing I am capable of doing more, yet not knowing where to start. But then at the end of the day, I always somehow find the courage to embrace the unknown. To take risks. I LOVE the unknown. When I approach a rapid on a new river, or hike up a new mountain, or get lost driving in a foreign country, or move to a new place where I don’t know anyone, I realize this is when I thrive. All the fears, noise, and voices that hold me back disappear and I trust in myself. And when I do trust and believe in myself, I realize I am capable of anything. The only thing holding me back is me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Southwest Jeep Adventures is a camper Jeep rental and trip planning business based in Moab, UT that provides everything you need for a weekend, week or month-long camping trip in the iconic southwest. I do the packing, planning and cleaning up, so you can show up and go play. I provide itinerary support, airport delivery, bike racks and food packing — whatever you need help others plan a dream adventure. That’s what I do. Here’s WHY I do it:
I have experienced and seen firsthand how time spent outdoors, particularly camping and completely unplugging, can have positive impacts on our mental and emotional well-being. I firmly believe in the healing power of nature and in the research that proves it.
I have watched tourists and visitors flock to our national parks and public lands, often in tour buses or passenger cars that stop at viewpoints, take a photo to post on Instagram, then drive away with only a photo as proof they were there. Alternatively, the pandemic created a new interest in the outdoors and I watched as a whole new subset of the population decided to try out camping and recreating on our public lands with little or no understanding about stewardship of these lands.
Southwest Jeep Adventures isn’t your typical Jeep rental business. I saw a need in the tourism industry to bridge recreation with conservation as public lands are seeing record numbers of users. Our underfunded and understaffed federal agencies often fall short when it comes to educating the public about their impacts and responsibilities as public land users. And there’s a huge need for business owners to step up and fill this important role, especially in small western towns like Moab that have economies that thrive and depend on the millions of tourists who flock to the national parks, monuments and forests each year to enjoy what makes this country so unique and special: our public lands. With a career rooted in conservation, environmental science, recreation and education, I want those who recreate on our public lands to recognize the impacts they have and choose to become stewards, not just users of the land. I have a deep connection to and appreciation for the lands and cultural history of the Colorado Plateau region, a strong belief in the benefits of time spent outdoors, and a desire to provide an opportunity for others to not just visit, but experience the southwest, both respectfully and responsibly.
As a small, woman-owned business, I take pride in my friendly nature, my customer service, and my desire to help my clients have a unique, memorable, life-changing experience when visiting the southwest. I want to know my clients, who they are, their stories, and how I can provide new perspectives through a camping trip in the desert. I know what can happen when you venture off the well-worn path, lose cell service, rely on maps, your instincts and each other, and sleep under a blanket of stars like you’ve never seen. And I want to help facilitate that kind of transformative experience for others.
Pricing:
- Packages start at $200/night
Contact Info:
- Website: southwestjeepadventures.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southwestjeepadventures/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southwestjeepadventures
Image Credits
Alex Keeling
Andrew Baker
Tomy Brown
