As many of you already know, I made a major move from Alaska to South Carolina last summer on a very short timeline. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, and although it seemed sudden to some people, it was something that I had contemplated for well over a year. Once I made the decision to move, I only had a few weeks to plan how I would move myself and two kids more than 4,000 miles. #chaos
After much deliberation about passports and timing, I decided that I would fly the kids to my mom in SC, fly back and drive through Canada alone, and then meet my brother in Seattle for the rest of the trip. When talking to some colleagues about my plan, one of them mentioned that she would be driving to Seattle the same weekend I needed to leave and offered to let me follow them. Seriously, what are the odds?! My master plan came together beautifully, and I embarked on the most intense and terrifying trip of my life. I packed the last of my things in my Chevy Malibu on a Friday morning and hit the road with tears in my eyes. I was so overwhelmed with emotion – sadness for the life I was leaving behind, excitement for the new life I was going to create, gratitude for the amazing people and adventures Alaska gave me, and anxiety about starting all over.
Day 1 – 588 miles: Fairbanks, AK to Whitehorse, Yukon
Day 2 – 786 miles: Whitehorse to Smithers, British Columbia
Day 3 – 806 miles: Smithers to Seattle, Washington
Day 4 – Rest and sightseeing in Seattle
That’s 2,180 in three days…and for reference, over HALF of my trip overall. Canada is incredibly gorgeous and tranquil, and I took advantage of my solitude to think deeply about my life and future. I checked in to an AirBnB, took a shower, and crashed for 14 hours. I spent day four resting and sightseeing in Seattle at Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and the serene Snoqualmie Falls. On day five, I loaded up on road trip snacks, got a mani/pedi at a local salon (highly recommend London House Salon if you’re in the area), and then picked my brother up at the airport. I hadn’t seen him in over 3 years, and it felt so good to hug him again. We threw down on some burgers and fries at Red Robin and then hit the road. Washington is almost as beautiful as Alaska. I can’t wait to go back!
Day 5 – 476 miles: Seattle to Missoula, Montana
Day 6 – 785 miles: Missoula to Mt. Rushmore and Wall, South Dakota
Day 7-8 – 1,576 miles: Wall, SD to Greenville, South Carolina
That’s 2,837 miles, including our sightseeing. We hiked up to the Wild Horses monument in Washington, star gazed in the big sky of Idaho, had a close encounter with an elk in Montana, visited Mount Rushmore, and spent hours exploring Badlands National Park in South Dakota. By the way, if you’ve never been there, put it on your bucket list and GO. It has breathtaking views and lots of great hikes. After the Badlands, we got serious about the drive and took turns napping and driving for 24 hours. We watched the sun set and rise again while we made our way across the USA. We laughed until our sides split, cried about the major transitions happening in our lives, and talked about the future. I’m so grateful for the quality time we had together on this trip and the memories that will make me smile for years to come. Over 5,000 miles through 17 states/territories in 8 days with moose, elk, bears, coyote, and deer…what a trip!
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
#FlashbackFriday #roadtrips #badlands #canada #alaska #SnoqualmieFalls #seattle #SpaceNeedle #MountRushmore #malibu #chevy #crosscountytrip #WildHorsesMonument #greenville #southcarolina #PikePlaceMarket #bucketlist
Cultivating Chaos 