RoamingRushka

October – November

After a quaint and peaceful stay in Green Bay, WI, I was ready for the next Midwestern adventure. I’d heard a lot of good things about Minneapolis from people close to me. My personal experience with the city was limited to an airport layover on a childhood trip with my Nana. From what I’d gathered, Minneapolis had good city planning, a strong sense of community, a thriving music and art scene, and a surprisingly good food culture. As an added bonus, Paloma’s cousin Kimberly recently moved there, and I have some distant relatives in nearby cities.

The drive from Green Bay took about five and a half hours—made a bit slower by the surge of last-minute construction projects before the weather got too cold.

When we arrived, the vibe felt different from what I expected—in a cool, refreshing way. It was warm, sunny, and slow-paced. Even though it was a Sunday, plenty of people were out walking, and our neighborhood felt pleasantly in the mix.

Our first impression was excellent. We walked to a vegan burger spot called Francis, where servers and bartenders are actually paid a solid wage and tipping is banned. The burgers were delicious, and we ended up chatting with the bartender, who gave us a handful of recommendations for food and live music.

Our neighborhood—the Northeast Arts District—had a humble, community-driven vibe. We could walk two minutes to an artist co-op, and about ten minutes to a food co-op (fancy grocery store). Restaurants nearby were fantastic and wildly diverse. Some of the best meals we had were at Hai Hai (Vietnamese fusion), Chimborazo (Ecuadorian), and Marty’s Deli (this place is so good that I hesitate to even mention it because it’s already packed… but you’re my special reader, and I love you).

We stayed in a really cute house with a complete basement setup, which gave both me and Paloma a great workspace. As usual, I quickly became a member at the nearest climbing gym—Bouldering Project: Minneapolis—and was blown away not just by its size but by the sheer volume of community activity happening there. People flocked for climbing, workouts, yoga, and even co-working in the upper mezzanine. I love Bouldering Project gyms; I first visited their Seattle flagship in 2023, and the route setting, energy, and community have always been great. I ended up spending up to four days a week there, working on my laptop and sending fun climbs.

The first week was a blast. It was Paloma’s 30th birthday, and her family came out to celebrate “Paloma-Palooza.” We enjoyed great dinners, pumpkin carving, cider tasting at the apple orchard, and lots of quality hangouts. My parents even made the trip and met Paloma’s family for the first time! It went better than I expected. After everyone left, the weather grew colder and we settled into the work week. Fortunately, we had Kim and Ari—who hosted us earlier in Milwaukee (featured in my first blog post)—right there to show us around their new city.

We visited Minnehaha Regional Park for a walk by the waterfall; went out dancing to live music; grabbed fancy cocktails at a speakeasy; wandered the Como Botanical Garden and Zoo (donation-based); visited the Coon Rapids Dam; and took countless little walks around the area’s many lakes.

Keeping with our Midwest tradition, we also met up with my dad’s cousins for lunch and found them just as wonderful and easy to talk to as can be.

Shelton, CT

Early November

As our last week in Minneapolis approached, I was disappointed to have to leave early for a work conference in Connecticut. I had fallen deeply in love with the Twin Cities and wanted to savor every last moment (and every last Marty’s sandwich). I found myself frustrated and bummed about the trip, but once I got to the office and spent time with coworkers I rarely see in person, I realized it was exactly what I needed. I genuinely enjoyed reconnecting with them.

I even made the most of the travel day by visiting my friends—and former roommates—Bryanna and Joe (and their dog, Morpheus) in their new town near Fishkill, New York. After some much-needed quality time and dog therapy, I headed back to Minneapolis to reunite with Paloma and start the next leg of our journey: a week in the Ozarks.

The Ozarks

Mid November

The drive to Osage Beach, MO from Minneapolis is long. Thankfully, Paloma’s aunt and uncle live in St. Louis, so we stopped for lunch and a break. I have to say—I was smitten with the St. Louis skyline, and it made me want to explore the city more.

We started our drive day at 7 a.m. and didn’t reach the resort in Osage Beach until 6:30 p.m.—nearly a full 12-hour day on the road. When we woke the next morning, we finally got to see the beautiful lake view we’d missed arriving in the dark.

The Ozarks are stunning. It was mid-November, which meant almost no crowds. The leaves were about to fall, the air was crisp, and a soft morning mist hovered over the lake. One morning, watching the sunrise and the mist drift off the water, I felt myself well up with gratitude. We are truly blessed to be living this lifestyle.

For a more in-depth review of our week in the Ozarks please check out Paloma’s YouTube video that she made Ozark Mountain Roadtrip.

Lifestyle Reflections

After being on the road for over a year, I’ve deepened my understanding of myself. I want to share a few reflections.

First and foremost, I miss everyone. I miss my family, my friends, the people we’ve met along the way, Paloma’s loved ones, and even the various dogs and cats I’ve befriended. I miss the great state of California. The hardest part of this journey is knowing time is flying by and the people I love are far away. Every friendship is a blessing—but the double-edged blade of friendship is missing people when they’re not around.

The idea of a permanent home is a “grass is greener” feeling. I long to design a living space and tackle projects that require more room than we currently have. Yet, the longer we travel, the more I realize I’ll always need to feed this internal wanderlust that’s lived in me since I was a boy. My fantasies are evolving, my needs are simplifying, and I’m grateful for that.

Ultimately, the overwhelming feeling I have about this journey is gratitude. Gratitude for the people who’ve made every place feel like home. Gratitude for our families and upbringings, which gave us the foundation to imagine and pursue this lifestyle. Gratitude for this beautiful country and the incredible people in it.

We’ve tentatively decided that 2026 will be our last year on the road. After that, we’ll move back to California to regroup and spend time with family. From there, we’ll think hard about where we want to settle long-term—that was the purpose of this journey in the first place.

Thank you for reading,

—RoamingRushka