Finding Sundance

Good morning!

I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to invest in life experiences.

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Two weeks ago, I shared the story of my first solo cross-country road trip.

Last week, I shared how an unplanned left turn led me to my favorite place on the planet.

This week, I want to tell you about the one destination I return to every year.

The place that anchors my annual cross-country road trip.

In 2021, my girlfriend and I decided to take an extended road trip across the country.

We traveled for six weeks and visited more places than I can count.

But it was during one stretch of that trip, while driving east from Portland, Oregon, that I found a destination I’ve returned to every year since.

As a general rule, while on a road trip, there’s no plan.

I wake up early, start driving in the direction of the next intended destination, and rarely know where I’ll end the day.

And it isn’t until late afternoon or early evening that I start looking for a place to stay for the night.

That’s exactly what we did while driving through Wyoming during that 2021 trip.

Using an app to look for accommodations, we found and booked a cabin.

In a small town called Sundance, Wyoming.

Sundance turned out to be the perfect base. It’s close enough to Badlands National Park. It’s near Devil’s Tower, one of my favorite places to walk, reflect, and reset. And, as a bonus, there’s an excellent steakhouse within walking distance of the cabin.

We stayed for two nights.

That first stay was unintentional.

But every stay after that was deliberate.

Because cross-country road trips are one of my annual non-negotiables, I no longer want to drive across the country just for the sake of driving.

I needed an anchor.

A destination with purpose.

So Sundance, Wyoming became that destination.

With the exception of 2024, I’ve returned every year since 2021.

The routine is simple.

It takes me about three days to drive from New York City to Sundance. Along the way, I drive through Badlands National Park. Once I arrive, I check into the same cabin and stay for about five days.

During that time, I wake up early to watch the sunrise. I spend hours sitting on the front porch reading and thinking. Most evenings, I walk into town for dinner.

And I drive to and walk around Devil’s Tower at least once.

There’s no sightseeing agenda. No daily plan to optimize. No schedule to keep.

After five days, I get back in the car and head home.

This single experience gives me something I cannot replicate in my day-to-day life.

It gives me distance.

• Distance from routines

• Distance from responsibilities

• Distance from the constant low-level stress that comes with everyday life

Driving solo across the country, then spending time alone in a quiet place, creates a deeply meditative experience for me. 

It’s in that experience that thoughts settle, priorities realign, and clarity emerges.

It’s not about the drive.

And it’s not even about Sundance.

It’s about what happens when you step away from your normal environment long enough to actually hear yourself think and process your thoughts.

The Lesson

Not every meaningful experience needs to be new.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is step back and return to a place that gives you space.

Familiar environments reduce friction. They allow you to settle more quickly. They remove distraction and create room for reflection.

When novelty fades, insight has room to surface.

What’s the Point of All This?

The point is that most people are constantly searching for change without ever creating the conditions for understanding.

They want clarity without stillness.

Answers without space.

Relief without distance.

But clarity rarely shows up in the middle of your routine.

It shows up when you temporarily step outside of it.

You don’t need a cross-country road trip to do this.

But you do need intentional separation from your normal responsibilities and stress, even briefly.

• A quiet weekend in a cabin

• A few days away without an agenda

• Time without obligations, noise, or constant input

When you slow down enough, you start seeing your life more clearly.

The Final Point

You don’t need to escape your life.

But you do need space from it.

Because clarity doesn’t come from constant motion.

It comes from stepping back long enough to understand what truly matters.

And once you find that space, whether it’s across the country or just a few hours from home, its value compounds every time you return.

Fun Fact: The “Sundance Kid” of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid fame was named after Sundance, Wyoming, where he once spent time in jail.

Quote that caught my attention:

“The freedom of the open road is seductive, serendipitous and absolutely liberating.”

—Aaron Lauritsen

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