A weeklong sojourn in the Andes was complete. We had just finished two beers in the dusty town of Huaraz when Paul arrived. To celebrate our recent summits and Paul’s arrival at 12,000′ we started into the first bottle of rum on our 35 minute taxi ride up to the lodge.

Four bottles later, our camper was cozy and warm with the cheer of friends reunited. This cocktail party of four was our first maximum capacity shindig. Accordingly, noise complaints were filed the following morning. For two weeks we fell into a new kind of rhythm with these guys.

Weekdays were spent camping and hiking in the mountains. Weekends were consumed with a startling pattern, ambitious attempts to visit every last bar Huaraz had to offer. In juxtaposition to our normal 10PM lights out, the bars here have no posted closing time. These late nights, made our 15,000′ hikes all the more impressive. Our friends reminded us, even in a truck camper traveling the PanAm, life doesn’t have to be routine.

After seven months in our own universe (population two), things can get a little skewed. Most PanAm Overlanders make a trip home at this point. Taking some time away from the road to re-group with family and friends is invaluable. Fortunately for us, home came to Peru in the form of Paul, Ty, and later Logan’s parents. We were in need of a re-alignment, a necessary connection to the lives we had disconnected from was in order. Many thanks gents for the shotskis, the Running with Milk ‘do, the Circle of Life karaoke, and the underwear antics (not pictured for obvious reasons).