The First Real Destination
When I first discovered the NASA coordinates that spell UNSTOPPABLE, I assumed the biggest challenge would be deciding where to begin.
As it turns out, the bigger challenge was figuring out how to get there.
Like many people, my first instinct was to approach the project logically. The word begins with U, so it seemed reasonable that the journey should begin there as well. At the time, the idea felt simple enough. Find the location, make a plan, and start the adventure.
Then reality entered the conversation.
Over the past several years, travel has become something I approach differently than I once did. I still enjoy exploring new places and experiencing new adventures, but my health now influences many decisions that I previously took for granted. Transportation, accessibility, flexibility, and contingency planning all matter in ways they did not before. One of the most significant considerations is that I do not currently drive.
That reality does not prevent travel, but it changes how travel must be approached. The ability to get reasonably close to a destination by air becomes important. Ground transportation matters. Simplicity matters. Every logistical challenge that can be reduced creates additional flexibility if circumstances change unexpectedly.With those considerations in mind, I began researching the U locations.
Two possible options existed. The Wyoming location looked interesting, but I found myself increasingly drawn toward Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The landscape was spectacular, the destination itself was appealing, and the location seemed worthy of becoming the first stop on the journey.
The next question became practical.
How do I get there?
That research eventually led me to Moab, Utah, which serves as one of the primary gateways to Canyonlands National Park. Flying directly into a regional airport near the park appeared to be the simplest approach.
Then something interesting happened.
A longtime friend of mine, who now lives in Arkansas, became an unexpected part of the story as well. Years ago, she and her husband lived in Colorado, where her sons—my godsons—still reside.
As I researched travel options, I discovered that one of the most practical routes to Moab involved connecting through Denver. That immediately caught my attention. Not only would the route place me near my godsons, but it also connected naturally to plans my friend already had in motion.
She was preparing for a September trip to Colorado to attend the wedding of one of her son’s longtime friends and to spend time with her family while she was there. When I realized our timing might overlap, the possibility of coordinating part of the trip suddenly emerged.
What had started as a search for the most practical way to reach Canyonlands was gradually becoming something more. The destination, the timing, the logistics, and the relationships were all beginning to align.
At the same time, my own research suggested that September was one of the most favorable times of year to visit Canyonlands. Temperatures are generally more manageable than during the peak summer months, and many experienced travelers consider early fall one of the best seasons to explore the park.
One by one, the pieces started falling into place.
The destination made sense.
The timing made sense.
The logistics made sense.
The relationships made sense.
Looking back, I find it interesting that none of those factors existed when I first typed the word UNSTOPPABLE into a NASA search box.
At that moment, the journey was little more than an idea.
Months later, it had become something different.
A possibility.
That distinction matters.
Many worthwhile goals begin as ideas. They remain ideas until circumstances, planning, effort, opportunity, and timing combine to create a path forward. The path is rarely visible at the beginning. More often, it reveals itself gradually through a series of decisions, discoveries, and unexpected alignments.
The U taught me that lesson before I ever set foot in Utah.
I did not choose Canyonlands because it was perfect.
I chose it because it became possible.
The more I reflected on that realization, the more familiar it felt.
Some of the most meaningful opportunities in life emerge in exactly the same way. We identify a direction before we know the route. We begin exploring before we have all the answers. We take a step, gather new information, adjust the plan, and continue moving forward. Over time, what once seemed uncertain gradually becomes achievable.
That process mirrors much of what inspired The Unstoppable Journey.
Progress is not always the result of certainty.
Sometimes progress begins when we recognize a possibility and choose to pursue it.
The U may be the first destination on the map.
More importantly, it became the first destination that felt real.
The journey had moved beyond imagination.
It had become something that could actually happen. And that is why Canyonlands b