Jupiter in Joshua Tree
Hello! This will be a series of three different blog posts based on a trip manifestation that happened during the COVID-19 lockdown in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the early pandemic months, we all dreamed of far away lands and future adventures. One that kept being a recurring one was a road trip through Joshua Tree. The initial plan included a glamping experience, a stop at Palm Springs and a visit to Slab City. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and that plan became a reality. A new potential experiential venture took me to California and everything fell into place.
My COVID precautions: First, I want to be transparent about my traveling during COVID times. This is what I do in order to keep myself and others safe. I always get a COVID test 72 hours before flying and 72 hours before coming back. Some destinations are more flexible but I still do this every-time to ensure that loved ones and friends are safe. I used to do a 5-7 days quarantine but since my vaccination, I eliminated that step and now I just get a test prior to arrival.
With this being said, let’s now focus on one of my favorite topics: TRAVEL! For every trip I create a playlist and in this case a lot of driving was involved and the right playlist was essential in order to set the mood for the adventure. This is my heavy spring rotation playlist, the one that I can rock and cry too and was perfect for all stages of this trip. The first step was arriving to LAX and drive about 3 hours (without traffic) to our off-grid glamping experience at The Castle House , a estate with different glamping accommodations nestled in 9 acres, located minutes away from Joshua Tree National Park. In our case we stayed at this futuristic off-grid dwelling unit inspired by the stars, called Jupe. Our host Jeff Wilson, Founder of Jupe, told us one of the most interesting life stories about his educational journey to a minimalism lifestyle and how the inspiration behind this new endeavor came about. I also found admirable his innovative vision around solving housing problems for disadvantageous communities specially homeless and refugees.
Before our meet cue with The Castle House, we had one of the most amazing dining experiences in Kitchen at The Desert. It was a breezy and chilled night that started zipping spicy margaritas and indulging in a feast that felt like we had arrived at a culinary oasis in the desert. Eating delicious apps made from scratch and all under one of the most starriest of skies. Perfect way to decompress and let it sink that we weren’t in the tropics anymore. My night at Jupe was wonderful. I loved how, compared to other glamping experiences, this one it’s engineered for functionality and it had enough space to store ten large suitcases in its inner compartments and all off-grid. Jupe has it’s own solar panels and the lighting makes you feel like you’re in your own spacecraft. Maybe it’s because it was engineered by former Tesla & SpaceX designers. It was a long day of traveling and driving so a comfortable bed was mandatory, and Jupe didn’t disappoint. During road trips a lot of unexpected things can happen but this one was just what the doctor ordered. My trip partner was my good friend Gabriela Puig, she is an easy-going creative soul, that I love because of her wonderful heart and energy. Gabriela was the perfect partner because she eased my anxious soul with comfort and laughter. The following days were packed with desert, sand, sun and art installations filled with retrospective moments created to shed light into some of the world’s biggest social problems.
After the pandemic my heart has been more open to reflection about the world, our space in this earth and how to make it valuable, impactful and meaningful. This last year has been tough but one can reflect and be grateful to be alive. Is now our duty to continuously explore ways to be the change the world needs through our day to day actions. Good vibes to all and thank you for reading my thoughts. More to come soon!
