We're back!

So much has happened since the last time we sent an email about our trip that it is almost overwhelming to think about, let alone share in writing! Half of our trip is now behind us. It's mind-blowing to even think that, but here we are, right at the halfway mark. What used to feel like forever now has a timeline, even though it's far from over. And as of this weekend, we have headed out on what we're affectionately calling our H2 Adventures. Now seems like the perfect time to get back into the routine of sharing at least semi-regular updates. So here we go!

Looking back on our first six months ...

We have traveled far and wide!

We drove 15,000+ miles! We have been all over the great American West, exploring Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, and Washington. My parents and their dog joined us for three action-packed weeks in Utah. If you have been thinking of meeting us out on the road, let's talk about it!

We saw some incredible, bucket list places, like Zion, Arches, the stunning North rim of the Grand Canyon before it was forever changed by fire, White Pocket (which you may not have heard of but was a total dream of mine that 100% lived up to my high expectations), Telluride, the Million Dollar Highway, and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Mesa Verde, Carlsbad Caverns, and The Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, and so many other beautiful places that will live in my imagination forever. (Blog posts coming soon, so stay tuned!) Big life events continue on. We celebrated Kiya and Ryan at their wedding this summer, where Ben and I were both official members of the wedding party. I also got to fulfill one of my many life goals by being their wedding florist!! I got to play with hundreds of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. 10 out of 10, would do it all over again!

We're cheering for my brother's amazing girlfriend as she fights cancer with bravery, sass, and the most positive outlook I have ever encountered. GO JESSICA! We marked a milestone anniversary ... 15 years of wedded bliss!

I was devastated by the loss of my oldest and dearest friend, who passed away unexpectedly in April. While no part of my life will ever be the same, she is always in my heart, everywhere we go. Small observations keep popping up. This has been a windy year! We never considered what a character the wind would become in our lives, but it has been a major factor in our plans. Instant coffee has come a long way. And convenience matters when you are on the go. Caves! They are cool. There is a fascinating amount of stuff going on under the ground we walk on. If you think they are all the same and you have seen one, you've seen them all, you would be wrong. Each one is strikingly different and worth seeing, at least so far.

Any drive under four hours is a breeze. Like no big deal at all and over before you know it. It used to sound long to us, but not anymore. Podcasts are a big part of our lives right now and make the drives go by even faster. I will be posting a list of all our favorite episiodes in case you're looking for a good listen. Books too. We read a ton. After a while, the desert starts to make Ben uneasy. It is an incredible place to visit, but we love our big trees and green places. You truly can camp just about anywhere for free. And there is so much wide-open space to do just that. Now that we have been to Utah, I could plan a months-long trip without ever paying to stay in a campground. But when you have never been there before, having a planned destination and camping reservations is quite comforting. Home holds a special place in our hearts. We had a lovely summer in the Pacific Northwest, visiting home, reconnecting with friends & family, and exploring some places we don't always get the chance to see, even though they are right here in our area. Eastern Oregon and Northern Washington are filled with unexplored beauty and wonder. We got a chance to get off the beaten path and loved having the time to do it. Our highlights: Steens Mountain, Mt Baker, Hells Canyon, and the gorgeous, creature-filled beaches of the Olympic Peninsula, particularly Second and Rialto.

Time away has made us appreciate just how lucky we are to have such incredible relationships and love in our lives. We have the best friends and family in the world! You are all amazing.

Looking ahead to the second half of our trip ...

I find myself with renewed purpose and energy, ready to create and share stories again. This second half feels like even more of a mystery, since we are adventuring farther and wider than before. And this time we won't be back home for six months straight! (Assuming all things go according to plan.) We are going east to Michigan, then a bit further east and much further south to the Florida Keys, seeing as many places as possible in between! We have already started making a list of places we would love to visit but just aren't going to get to this time. A year seems long, but goes by so fast! And our pace has deliberately slowed to allow us to relax, enjoy our time, and truly feel like we have experienced each place we visit. We're particularly looking forward to spending time near the Great Lakes, visiting our friends Erin and Billy at their farm in Michigan, seeing the Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, the Carolinas, and spending Christmas in Florida. We are trying to stop and see as many friends on the other side of the country as we can, since we are not normally nearby. Waylon, Sara Angela, Gina, we're headed your way! We are beginning to consider how we can carry the lessons we have learned on the road into the rest of our lives. We are definitely healthier. We sleep more, drink less, eat more simply, hike almost every day, and spend much more time outside. We are also less stressed and more present. Visiting home this summer was a lesson in how quickly we can slip back into old patterns. We want to be thoughtful about keeping some of our best habits alive, even after going back to regular life for good.

Frequently asked questions

What is your favorite place so far? This remains one of the hardest questions! Each place we visit is amazingly different and uniquely beautiful. The sheer variety of land in this country has been one of our favorite revelations from this trip. BUT, Sequoia and Great Basin stand out for me, and the entirety of Colorado is a favorite of Ben's. Maybe that's cheating, since both of us still answer with more than one place. And the answers keep changing. But it's the best we can do! Are you still enjoying life on the road? The short answer is yes! I feel like we could keep going forever. At least for 6 months at a time with short home breaks in between. We don't really get homesick on the road because we fill our days with exploration and love learning about new places. We do miss our friends and family, though. Do you have any crazy stories to share? Not really! I don't want to jinx us, but ... things have gone very smoothly so far! There was that one time we pulled into New Mexico in a snowstorm without a good plan for where to camp ... and that other time where we had to paddle for our lives to get out of the wind, rain, and waves on Elephant Butte Lake, all while preventing our anxious dogs from jumping out of the kayak. And the time we got stuck in Alamosa, Colorado, because all the mountain passes were too snowy to trust. But we generally don't take risks that don't make sense and so far it has paid off! How are you and Ben staying married after all this time together? As many of you have heard me say, it's not just that we are together every day; we are within reaching distance of each other the vast majority of the time. Believe it or not, this is working out great. In fact, it's what we prefer! Taking this time together means the world to us. What will you do with the rest of your lives? This is the big question we are starting to grapple with. If you have ideas, let us know! :) And if we figure it out, we will let you know, promise.