Pack It Up and Hit the Road
Approximately 1,650 miles long and 3,000 miles wide sits a country full of wide open road.
I grew up in a road trip family. Nine days out of the year were spent crammed in our 2003 Dodge Ram with the pickup full of camping supplies and freeze dried meals. I sat in the middle squished between my two brothers enormously long legs. Crosswords, the license plate game, and endless snacks were requirements. So was a lot of terrible storytelling and arguing over bad navigation skills and missed turns.
Whether it was the long haul to the Black Hills of South Dakota, one of our six or seven trips to Yellowstone, Lake Tahoe, the beauty of southern Utah, or any of the other unique journey's in between, my heart resided in the middle of nowhere highways that span across the West.
There is something so blissful about pulling open the zipper of the tent and stepping out into crisp, clean air at 6:30am. I would walk over to where my dad was making breakfast, crunching twigs under my feet as I went. Usually we had eggs, bacon, and hot cocoa. I would be bundled up in my touristy sweatshirt that I hadn't taken off for days, a comfy pair of sweatpants and long socks. And for that moment in time, the only thought in my head was, "I wonder what I will see today."
When I went to college, I knew I longed to continue exploring. I headed out to Salt Lake City, conveniently located only a few hours from at least six national parks. I was engulfed by nature. With mountains practically on top of me and red rocks only a short drive away, it felt like every breath was full of fresh air.
The moments and memories continued to flood in. I saw the Arches in Moab with my best friend, snowshoed through the Grand Tetons with my roommates, hiked through a river in Zion, and cried as I drove through Monument Valley because it was that ethereal. I played spike ball on the Salt Flats, toured Mesa Verde, and saw moose in Cottonwood Canyon.
My education brought me to Utah, but the experiences kept me there.
I spent my summer in a concrete jungle. My whole college experience was gearing me up for life on Capitol Hill. Don't get me wrong, I would not change my summer for anything. I made incredible friends and experienced moments unlike anything I could've imagined. But by the end of my eight weeks out in Washington DC, my body and brain were craving grass between my toes.
That perspective changed everything for me. I think eventually I will make my way back East. I can even see myself living and working there for a decent amount of time. But for now, I really want to just pack it up and hit the road.
I'm only a few days outside of college at this point, but the one thing that those 2.5 years taught me was to keep exploring. I don't want to just see something, I want to see everything. And because that is pretty much impossible, I am settling for seeing as much as I can.
