I’m sure it’s been obvious in previous blog posts- but I’m going to state what may be the obvious: I’m a big car guy. In the past, my infatuation with cars has led to poor financial decisions (anyone know what being underwater on a car loan means?), to wasting money on insurance, registration, and taxes on short lived vehicles, and to some serious stress between my wife and I (probably related to the first two consequences of my automotive decisions.) I have calmed down A LOT when it comes to switching out of cars- and I have grown to accept that I can’t own every car I like.
This dive into my personal history is helpful to me to understand where I am trying to go with everything I am taking on: this blog, the YouTube channel, the instagram posts, a second business venture (I’ll write about that when it’s solidified and launched.) Why am I doing this? I think it’s because I have a desire to take my passion, cars, and somehow intertwine it with a sincere need to help others learn. Right now, my focus is (and will be for a long time) on the world of four wheeling, camping, and exploring. I want to share my knowledge, pass along my experiences, and bring a sense of accomplishment to my kids when we are out tackling obstacles.
So, I have dived head first into the world of Jeeps. Back in high school, I cajoled my parents into letting me get a 1993 Jeep Wrangler “YJ” with a four cylinder engine. I enjoyed four wheeling with by friend Evan in Parker, Colorado in places that are now developed into suburban neighborhoods. Of course, my car-based ADHD kicked in, and I convinced my parents the Jeep that wasn’t equipped with A/C was no match for my college in Tempe, Arizona. I sold the Jeep to Evan 21 years ago, and he still has it! I always thought I would end up with another Wrangler, but it didn’t happen until earlier this year in the summer of 2021.
I now find myself researching feverishly everything Jeep. I have a working knowledge of axle swaps, required modifications for various tire sizes, suspension considerations, and a host of other nuggets now live on in my head. I enjoy “ducking” other Jeeps- the act of leaving a small rubber duck on a cool Jeep in a parking lot as a token of appreciation and a way of saying “I see you!” I have posted Instagram posts about ducking, and while they don’t seem to get a huge number of likes, I plan on doing them as long as I can- for one reason: community. That’s what I’m finding about being a “Jeeper,” is that community is strong! I want to contribute! Check out what I mean by a “ducking” post on Instagram:
I find myself trying to define “who is my audience?” when I think about what Get Out There Colorado means to me and all of the social media work I am doing. I find it a little scary, because I don’t know who my audience is! I have read online that the key to creating a successful YouTube channel is to define your audience and to cater to that audience. That is easier said than done! I hope that people who are into Jeeps, four wheeling, and learning about things tune in to my channel- that’s who I am, anyway. I suppose for now I am just going to keep filming things I think are cool- and hope that one day an audience identifies itself.
So, what’s next this upcoming week? I suppose before I get into that, I need to do my shameless plug for this past week’s China Wall video, ha ha! https://youtu.be/WEuwvkjfDgI There you go! Anyway, this week will be an attempt to find some time to do something I really have no experience with: four wheeling in the snow. I’m not going to go crazy and do some insane trail covered in snow, but I do want to get my feet wet (is that a pun?), and see what there is to learn. It will either be an awakening into making the winter a little more bearable from a four-wheeling perspective, or it will make me want to travel to fair weather states for my four-wheeling fix over the winter! That should be fun to see.
Thanks for reading. This week turned into a little more of an introspective for me- it’s tough to want to something to grow- and it just takes time, I hope! Even if I don’t know who exactly is going to be interested in my shenanigans- I figure there’s got to be someone like me out there waiting for more content to come along for them. Hello, if that’s you!
Get Out There Colorado 