Devils tower and the devils minion.

I thought stopping at the Devils Tower National Monument was going to be just another sightseeing stop. Something incredible, for sure, but still just something to check off on the way to the next park.

What I wasn’t expecting was for it to feel like more than that.

Walking around it, seeing all the prayer cloths and offerings from Native tribes, it felt different. I don’t really know how to explain it cleanly, but it didn’t feel like just a rock formation in the middle of nowhere. It felt like something with weight to it, something spiritual. The stories about the girls and the bear, the way the rock rises up out of the ground… I don’t know if you take it literally or not, but it adds to the feeling of the place, and there is definitely a feeling of presence there

And it was actually a really good day. It was my one-year anniversary for an important life milestone, and I was in a really good headspace. Just walking around, taking it in, feeling grateful to be there. I spent a few hours there and left around 3pm feeling really good about the day.

From there I started heading toward Grand Teton, knowing I wouldn't make it the same day I planned to find a place nearby keep down for the night. The drive itself was honestly great. High elevation, big open roads, a lot of wind. I was averaging way better gas mileage than usual, just cruising and taking my time instead of rushing.

Then everything changed pretty fast.

About ten miles before where I was planning to stop for the night, a deer jumped straight into the road.

I hit the brakes, stayed straight, and hit it head-on. There wasn’t really any time to do anything else. It went down the left side of the car and didn’t move after that. I’m just going to call it the devil’s minion doing a full kamikaze run on my itinerary. The speed limit on that street was 70 mph. Luckily I was cruising at a much lower speed or the damage could have been far more catastrophic.

I pulled over immediately. Hazards on. Just kind of sat there for a minute trying to process it because I’ve never hit a deer before.

Cell service was in and out, but I got through to police and insurance. The officer ended up coming out and was actually really helpful and calm. He checked everything, made sure the road was clear, and confirmed I was okay to drive the car into town. He also let me use his flashlight so I could get a better look and take photos of the damage.

Damage is definitely there—front grill, hood, and left headlight—but nothing was leaking and the car was still drivable.

So I drove slowly into town and ended up at a Walmart parking lot for the night. RVs, vans, all of that kind of mix. I dealt with insurance calls, tried to get next steps, and basically just tried to come down from the adrenaline of everything.

Insurance wasn’t super helpful that night—just “call back tomorrow” so I just stopped pushing and settled in for the night.

This morning I woke up around 7, went into Walmart, and called again. Same answer: wait for an adjuster, up to 72 hours.

While I was waiting on that, I started calling around anyway. Ford dealership first, then the body shop they recommended. The dealership told me they outsource body work, and gave me the shop they usually use.

That call actually helped a lot. The guy at the body shop was the first person who was genuinely helpful. He was very familiar with my provider and their adjuster in the area. And walked me through how the adjuster process works with Progressive, how the estimate gets handled, and basically made it feel a lot less chaotic.

So now I’m just waiting on the adjuster to get assigned.

I’m still parked at Walmart, just taking it easy and getting things organized so I’m ready to move as soon as I get next steps..

Also met a guy parked next to me—Mike, 75, van lifer. I introduced myself this morning while I was cleaning out my cooler and reorganizing. I brought him over a protein shake and we ended up talking a bit. Super nice guy, lots of stories, and he actually had some useful local contacts and advice for mechanics in the area.

So yeah, that’s where I’m at.

Not exactly where I expected to be, especially after what started as a really good day, but I’m okay. Just in that waiting stage now, letting the process catch up with everything that already happened.Read more