RIDE ALONG WITH ERICK ON HIS WAY TO FATHERHOOD.
Erick has spent years traveling around the United States, visiting new places, meeting new people and experiencing what the country has to offer. Throughout his adventures, he says he couldn't have done it without the support of his wife. "The hardest part of traveling is saying goodbye to my wife. Her love and support means everything to me. I've always said she is the only one that understands my spirit. As I look towards my new adventure of becoming a father, I look forward to being the tour guide in my son's life the way my father guided me throughout my journey of life; my journey of becoming the man I am today. I leave nervous, confident, excited and humbled. I have big shoes to fill, but it's an adventure I welcome."
After starting his California road trip, Erick stopped at Apache Junction, AZ and stayed at Lost Dutchman State Park. Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert at the base of the Superstition Mountains.
The name "Superstition Mountains" was inspired by Pima Indian legends. The area has been a source of mystery for generations. In the 1870s Jacob Waltz, "The Dutchman'' was said to have hidden many caches of gold that were never found. Empty searches that ended in mysterious disappearances add to the mystique surrounding the mountains.
Hours on the open road with adventures in between gave Erick the time to reflect on not only the physical journey, but on his personal growth as he soon becomes a first-time father.
"I haven’t seen my dad for a year due to the pandemic. I have so many questions for him. I’m about to be a dad and I would like to raise my son with the lessons and experiences my dad raised me with. I want to be able to pass on and instill the knowledge I've learned from my dad.
I know what the open road does to for me. The reflections and the growth that happens to someone from riding cross-country is something everyone needs to experience. That's why I knew just before my son’s birth, this would be a trip I had to do. I had to ride to Austin from Los Angeles to see my dad, not just for me, but for my son."
Arriving on his Road to Reunion, Erick’s road trip may have ended, but his journey into fatherhood has just begun.
