Celebrating Community, Adventure, and the Season

Three years. It feels like a lifetime ago, yet it was almost exactly three years ago that we met people who would become great friends. We heard about a Rivian Club meetup at a brewery in the South Bay and decided to bring our very early prototype of the Gear Tunnel Kitchen—along with some hot cocoa—to see what folks thought. There weren’t many Rivians on the road yet. We’d had ours since May, and Matthew had already started tinkering with ideas for a kitchen after Rivian’s original Gear Store kitchen disappeared. At that meetup, there may have been more people waiting for delivery than actually driving trucks.

To say the reception was favorable is an understatement. One of the most enthusiastic boosters was Olga, whose daughter may have consumed her weight in hot chocolate, marshmallows, and candy canes that night. Olga is a Rivian employee, yes—but more importantly, she embodies the spirit of adventure this community fosters. We didn’t get to know everyone that night, but over the past three years, as we’ve grown our small business, we’ve also had the privilege of being part of the birth of an amazing community.

This time of year, when the sun sets early and mornings are brisk, we make our homes cozy with the smell of fresh evergreen and warm, spiced baked goods. It’s also the perfect moment to reflect on what’s truly important: community, our wild and beautiful country, and the connection we share with fellow adventurers—all of which rank pretty high on our list.