moving

It took us 4 days to make it from Washington to Colorado. Day 1 and day 4 consisted of about 3 1/2 hours each, the middle two days were a healthy day of driving. Everything we owned managed to fit into my Honda Crosstour, his eighty something Nissan Pickup truck, and the trailer that we had packed with only the things we were keeping in it. (I still feel like it’s entirely to much stuff but I’ll give myself some time and an adjustment period.)

The truck made it. Took the weight of the load like a champ — We were prepared to rent a truck halfway down but we were pleasantly surprised! 🙂 I would say average speed for us was about 60 mph… Low as 35 uphill/over a mountain pass.

Really tho — Ben was the real MVP. He drove 4 days in that thing with vinyl seating, no A/C, heat on so it wouldn’t overheat, and it was 90 degrees the whole way. I don’t think I would’ve volunteered to drive it, but I don’t really have a manual down to a smooth process, so I didn’t have to put that question to the test!

So day one (a Thursday), we drove to my in-laws and stayed the night there. We slept for the first time in the thing and let me tell you, it was not too shabby my friends… If you look at face value it seems very shabby, but look at the potential and it’s a whole new ball game. It’s like a grown up fort.

What I discovered immediately was it wasn’t stuffy without a window like I thought it would be. The vent on the top almost serves as a cool fan. (Almost) The wind funnels down the vent and the trailer is constantly fed with new fresh air. Not to say that it doesn’t get pretty warm in here cause it sure does! We purchased a fan to help with that issue and are trying this one out. We plan to get a little A/C unit, but since summer is coming to a close we can give that decision more time and thought… and now with insulation it might do just fine. 🙂 We also found a little floor heater fan from a yard sale that will do the job on the colder nights, of course paired with some insulation — I digress. So it’s okay to sleep in and be in without a window… For now, but there will be windows put in… I’ll get into that more later.

The one thing I’m not liking so much anymore is the rush, and the need to be somewhere right away etc. So Friday morning we took our time getting up (as we did each morning) saying goodbye, and just left as the time came. We didn’t really pull out of Spokane until 1 PM PT. We had some last ends to tie up (break lights) and cool gadgets to buy for the adventure 🙂 We drove until about Butte, MT. and stopped at an OHV recreation area out in the middle of nowhere and tested out night number two in the trailer. (We are still in the process of naming it).

Where we stayed night 2.

It was so silent and in the middle of what seemed nowhere, probably was, and the stars were beyond stunning. I feel like I’ve never seen the Milky Way so big and bright before… or at least it’s been a VERY long time. We have a converter plug, and an extension cord so we were able to run the lights and electric in the trailer, so it really was quite the set up.

Saturday morning silently came without any issues or surprises and we slowly got going yet again. We pulled up to this park in Wyoming called Natural Bridge, a public campground, that night when it was time to call it. We had been driving since about 9AM or so that day and it was about 7:30PM when we pulled in, and we picked the wrong night and time to come apparently. We had wanted to stay at this camp the last time we drove through, however it was booked full (there’s only about 5 campsites). It’s supposed to be a cool historic natural landmark and we wanted to check it out! When we got there this time there was no one there to hog the campsites — but there was quite the drama between the one other set of campers and the managers. “Sick of dealing with people” and not wanting to hear that we didn’t know the others (case of bad timing I guess) they rudely kicked us out of the campground. SO as exhausted and hungry as we were, we packed up again in the middle of nowhere headed to find SOMEWHERE to stay the night. THANKFULLY KOA has overnight check in so we were able to find a place and bed down for a few hours, and have a fresh shower.

Somewhere on the drive…

Oh the 3rd night was in Douglas, WY… so we only had about 4 hours to drive on Sunday. So when morning came, we slid out of there like molasses and arrived Sunday afternoon and didn’t do a damn thing when we got to our destination.

And it never felt so good.

Ben during one of our many stops along the way

My entire adult life has had one constant… Change. The thing I hate the most, yet the thing most comforting. Change is inevitable, its guaranteed to happen on every level, and I’ve gotten used to it. But I still haven’t figured out how to make it a seamless transition (getting closer I think) .

Anyhow, I’m a mover. Since I was out of school I was gone – moved 2 states away to the north, and then down south, back up to the north west, and zig zag back again. Each move had been the best decision of my life. It is hard constantly having to uproot and meet new people, but it’s also allowed me to open up and put myself out there… It’s enabled me to make relationships with people all over the states. Maybe moving has been my way of being able to travel and see the country, I’ve loved every place I have been and it makes me want to see more! I love the excitement a new place brings, moving isn’t for everyone and some are completely content to stay where they have always lived, but I highly recommend that everyone live someplace new at least once and at least for a year. Or at the very minimum travel! But the more I see the more I realize how much I don’t know, and have yet to see.

Growing up in a town about 45 minutes or so north of Chicago, and spending most of my time in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota I was used to flat lands, corn and cows.

I spent about 2 1/2 years in Minnesota – enjoyed living in an area that was closer to the cities/metro area. Sure Illinois was that way, but Minnesota had extra charm to me. (Forever and always GO HAWKS!) Living in the Midwest always had green trees and fresh water nearby… Always in abundance, and I’ve learned to appreciate that. I moved to Texas in 2011 (I think) and I discovered two more things. I LOVE the heat, and yet I missed the diversity of the seasons, but I knew I could never go back to a Midwest winter if I could help it! (Okay that’d make it three things then)

I met Ben in 2013… we met online in 2011 — someone brought me up to him and we emailed for a short time. But we finally met in person a couple years later and he decided to move to Texas to be closer. Ben also happens to be rather nomadic as well if not more than me. He has been around a few states and even into Canada a few times to live… So we are both used to that lifestyle. We both knew that Texas wasn’t our end point and knowing we wanted to adventure together, we shortly moved up to the Pacific Northwest. And that’s where I fell in love yet again. I love that area, the pines, the mountains, the smells, the hills, the water, the heat and the four seasons!

I didn’t know I would love the mountains, coming from the flatlands… I never did the outdoors hiking, backpacking, camping thing, and never gave it any thought. Sure camping — but always and only in a campground. Ben has definitely been one to get out into nature, and in going out on trips with him, I found something I didn’t know I was missing.

There is something very humbling being in the mountains and nature. My first real backpacking trip was up a mountain, the trail was about 4 1/2 miles and had pretty steep sleek rock at the top. It was the 4th of July and instead of a beautiful mountain top lake (that was promised), we were greeted with snow and frozen ice that was just starting to melt. I was exhausted, freshly quit smoking (the day before), out of breath, pissed off (don’t remember why – probably a nic fit) and threatened violence (with no follow thru of course). I don’t remember how many hours it took but the packs were loaded down to stay for the night. Instead we ate lunch at the top and headed back down the mountain, and it was still amazing. The whole way home (saw my first Moose BTW) I was exhausted and ecstatic that I did it — Sore down to my toenails but worth every ache!

I’d say I’m more of a city girl simply because that’s what and where I’ve usually lived, so it still can be a bit of an adjustment, but I am adjustable… And perfectly capable. It’s not that I want to keep moving and not settle in one place, it’s just the way my life has gone so far, so I may as well embrace and enjoy it. Colorado seems to have a nice mixture of what my ideals are in a place to live so I’m excited for the possibilities! Keeping an open mind to whatever may come my way– Because something else always comes, as it has to with change. 🙂 My soul will know when it’s found it’s place to set up camp, and will keep looking until its found it.

dynomadic life

Dynamic Design. Nomadic Nature.

The move.

Dynomadic