Vagabonding

So far, my favorite part of this trip is waking up (most likely in the car in a deserted parking lot) and not having a clear plan etched out for me, yet knowing that whatever the day holds my happiness and sense of wonder have no chance of being abated.

"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving."

Lao Tzu

Not all those who wander are lost...

Most people cast off their daydreams and half uttered plans as idealistic and irresponsible fantasies, and dismiss them from the realm of possibility with a sigh that says "Oh, wouldn't that be nice?" But for me, the feeling of seeing something that I conjured up in a tent in Montana with two friends come to fruition is too addicting to ignore.

The idea of a massive road trip was born one cold night under the stars, without any definite plans or over flowing funds. Four months later, in a car loaded down with six months worth of stuff, Brooklyn, Natalie and I are driving down Big Creek Road one last time, the snow falling gently, kissing us goodbye, out in to the big world that seemed to have disappeared. We're all brimming with excitement and vitality, coming alive again after our hibernation in the mountains.

So here's the first leg of the journey: Emigrant, MT > Missoula, MT > Mt. Rainier National Park > Olympic National Park. Updates to come.

it's a little tight 

Narada Falls, Mt. Rainier National Park

Rimrock Lake, Highway 101, Washington

Roadside apple orchard

Olympic National Park, WA

The Enchanted Forest

Ruby Beach and the Pacific Ocean!

Bursting the Bubble

My last day at Mountain Sky has arrived. I have often had trouble describing what life here is like, so attempting to explain how it feels to be leaving my isolated home in the mountains and reentering a world full of people and cities that I haven’t been exposed to in months is proving to be even more challenging. This secluded spot has literally been the backdrop for all aspects of my life: eating, working, living, socializing. I’ve been with the same small group of people, day after day, for six months, and now I’m about to leave and in all likelihood not see most of them again. Not many people engage in, or are even aware of, this surreal living arrangement. 

I know that in a month or so I will severely miss this alternate lifestyle I have grown accustomed to, and this wildly beautiful spot in the world I have grown attached to, but right now I am desperate for change. My schedule has become too routine, and my soul requires stimulation. Coming to Montana was easily one of the best decisions of my life and regret is something far from what I’m feeling. I’m simply ready for whatever happens to come next.

“I travel a lot. I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” 

Caskie Stinnett

Saying goodbye to Big Creek Road and Mt. Sky