My wife and I sold our home during the spring of 2015. We consequently went camping for two months. It wasn't really by choice. It seems that even though there were plenty of cabins on the market to rent, no one would rent to us as we had a pair of dogs. It wasn't the number that was the problem. Since Oni was on quarter wolf, we weren't allowed to live anywhere that we had to rent.

I flipped out for quite a while. Besides having a mid life crisis that put us in this position, a had a complete autistic meltdown. My brain went into crisis mode, the stress level became overwhelming, and I completely flipped out. I put my wife in danger health-wise because of my actions, and I just plain did not think straight.

Anyway, like I said, we went camping. Technically, we were homeless. We bought a tent, put everything we had left after our home sale, packed the gear we needed to survive and went to the great outdoors. We stayed at several campgrounds outside of the Fairbanks area before we traveled a bit. We met some interesting people along the way. I learned a few things about arrogance and humility. I won't look at a homeless person quite the same way again. I didn't like the looks I received. More on that later.

One of our first camping spots was Whitefish campground, about 20 miles north of town. We met Biker Dude there. He was from the lower 48 (that's what we call the continental United States up here), I think it was Seattle he was from. He pulled into the site next to ours late one night. My wife invited him over for coffee the next morning after I had gone to town. He then staid with us for three days, just hanging out and talking.

Being autistic and not a people person at all, I felt really awkward toward him at first. He was cool though. He was on his own spiritual journey or quest, if you will, to figure out and decide his next stage in life. I wish I had planned like him. I have a tendency to act before I think a problem through. He was on his way to the Arctic Circle. Why? Just because is why. He had this old pink little stuffed animal he was carrying for his kid and was taking pictures of it everywhere he stopped. Well one thing led to another and we ended up taking pictures of stuffed animals together. I hadn't laughed like that in a very long time. It was fun.

Biker Dude was one of several people we met along the way, each with their own unique story. Although I am happy for us to be under a solid roof again, I am glad that I had this experience. I was able to see parts of Alaska that I would probably never have bean able to see otherwise. I learned quite a bit about myself in those two months. Most important, my wife and I reconnected again. I enjoyed being out with her and I think she began to enjoy being with me again. I have finally been able to started picturing in my head the bigger picture for me and for us, and have started learning to slow down and start thinking before acting.