OVRLND EXPO

Hi there!

I was very fortunate to camp next to a young man named Ian, his brother Mason, and father Matt. They’re responsible for collecting over 1,600 cans throughout the PNW Expo this year that were then returned locally in Redmond.

They’re also responsible for an increase in recycling receptacles, daily classes for kids, and general awareness.

I’d like to help them!

Question: How can we improve our trash and RECYCLING efforts for Expo’s moving forward?

While this is a story about trash, and how I’d like to help - I think it’s important to know how I got here.

My name is Matt Tarro and I just worked my second PNW Expo with Antelope Valley Overland Supply, a small family-owned business in Southern California! I travel from Denver, Colorado to Bend for a good reason!

I met Christopher Phillip through Instagram - following each other out of proximity in Southern California as well as mutual acquaintances in the off-road and overloading community.

However, our friendship would go deeper than that… when I posted something to my story including my insulin pump, I immediately got a response from Chris - with a photo of his pump.

We’ve both lived with Type 1 Diabetes for 20+ years.

Our lives as men living with a chronic disease and connecting with others like us is important. It’s also not glorified - and it should be, because more men and women live with Diabetes than ever before. [[Why I’ll be submitting presentations on overloading with a chronic illness & being prepared.]]

In general, it’s challenging to fully open up and communicate with other men regarding our emotions or challenges - even though we’ve taken very similar medical paths, we’ve all had very different individual experiences.

relevant link - BF GOODRICH FEATURE

After living in San Diego all throughout COVID - I was looking for a new place to grow as a person and decided to visit the places on my long list to ensure I made the right decision. I set out on a life-changing journey and my first stop was the 2021 Mountain West Expo in Denver.

Unfortunately, the three days on the road before I got there almost completely depleted my external energy resources for the WHOLE TRIP.

The short story is - Blake from Dometic lent his personal equipment to me, a stranger, so I could run my fridge and charge my personal battery at the same time.

His kindness helped keep my insulin cool in 100+ degree heat blasting the Loveland expo area. Without his help, I probably would have just drove back to San Diego and not completed my trip.

I was on the road a total of 16 days and got to visit 7 National Parks.

Without a question, life changing - I now live in Denver.

Renewable energy and resources have been a top priority for a long time. I just applied to be the Digital Director for Protect Our Winters.

My search for full-time work is now dedicated to a clean, energy efficient future.

I’m available to pilot a program, a one-time cleanup, or larger general plan for the future.

Thanks for reading!

Matt