Daniel Milks
I am the owner of My XO Adventures, guide, tour manager, explorer, daredevil, and occasional writer.
I absolutely love travel, experiences, am a bit of a daredevil, and an occasional writer. My favorite place is the place I've never been.
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Black Hills Return
A “Black Hills Return” is more than a drive, a plan, or a change in direction. It is a moment when the past and the future meet in the quiet space we call the present. When I look at where I stand today, I can still feel the echoes of who I was and the pull toward who I am becoming. Writing this now feels like speaking across time, as if I am leaving a message for the person I used to be and the person I will eventually become.
Before any journey begins, the mind fills with mixed emotions. Hope stands beside hesitation. Curiosity walks with fear. Determination shares the same breath as doubt. All of these feelings try to step forward at once. Yet in the middle of them, there is always a quiet place where a simple truth lives. That truth is the one I return to every time I make a significant change: I will be alright. I have been alright before. I will be alright again.
The day I set out for the Black Hills, I had just finished packing the van. Each time I carried something out to the vehicle, a new question surfaced. Would the road be kind to me? Would I find the answers I needed? Would I continue learning about myself and others? Would I be allowed to help someone in a way that mattered? Would this path bring new friendships into my life or lead me down an unexpected path? These questions filled the space between breaths, yet none of them held me back. Faith stepped in where certainty could not.
The Black Hills have played an important part in my life. I found friendship here, and laughter, and lessons that continue to guide me. These lands shaped my spirit in ways I did not expect. Granite peaks, pine-covered ridges, open grasslands, and places of profound cultural importance left their mark. When the invitation to return came, I accepted with gratitude. The Black Hills welcomed me like a homecoming I didn’t know I needed until the moment it arrived.
My time away was filled with its own stories. Florida had its charm and challenges, and the road between states offered countless reflections. Yet some places continue to call you back long after you leave them. The Black Hills are one of those places. People often say the land remembers. I believe that. Because I felt it when I turned my thoughts toward returning. The land felt familiar. The way the wind moves through the pines. The soft curve of the hills. The pull of the Badlands just beyond. All of it stayed with me.
Helen Keller once said that a bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn. Her words speak to moments when life shifts unexpectedly. We all face those bends. Some are gentle. Some are difficult. Some test our strength. The important part is recognizing them and continuing forward. During my return to the Black Hills, this reminder stayed close to my heart. I felt grateful each time the road curved and revealed a new view, a new possibility, or a new chance to grow.
Whenever life begins to tug us in directions that do not feel like our own, it helps to pause. Breathe slowly. Look around. Remember what has been given freely. Remember friends, family, memories, and the natural world that continues to support us even when we forget to notice. The Black Hills taught me that awareness. The quiet pines, the vast sky, and the endless layers of land remind me that presence is a kind of strength.
As I prepared for this next chapter, memories surfaced from the early days of my journey back in April of 2020. Five months of the unknown brought me to a place of deeper understanding. I learned how quickly life can shift and how important it is to trust the gentle voice inside that encourages you to keep going. Those early days shaped everything that followed. They shaped this Black Hills Return. They shaped the person writing these words.
Gratitude fills the space between each step. I am grateful for the people I have met on the road. I’m thankful for those who shared their stories, kindness, humor, and support. I am grateful for the challenges that helped me grow. Most of all, I am grateful to still feel excitement when I look toward the future. That is a gift I do not take lightly.
The Black Hills evoke a sense of placing your hand on the pulse of something timeless. These hills have seen countless lives, countless seasons, countless changes. They are patient. They wait. They welcome you back in their own quiet way. Coming back here reminds me of why I chose this path. I love what I do. I love meeting travelers. I love sharing the stories, geology, culture, wildlife, and spirit of this place. This work feels meaningful, and meaning is something worth following.
As I prepare for new seasons, new tours, new conversations, and new moments on the road, I carry with me the lessons from this journey. I carry gratitude. I carry hope. And I believe that the paths we choose can bring us home in unexpected ways.
Thank you for walking through these thoughts with me. Thank you for your kindness, your messages, your time, and your presence. If our paths cross again in the Black Hills or the Badlands, I will be glad to see you. Until then, keep your heart open to the journey ahead. Life has a way of surprising us with beauty when we least expect it.
