FD Go West (Dahnya)

After driving 5,886 miles in 20 days, we are back home in Houston. I would add an exclamation mark at the end but, why lie? I am grateful to be back safe and sound however, I was ready to keep exploring!

For the past year, Fran and I had been squirreling money away for a trip. We weren't sure where we were going to go but, we knew we wanted it to be big. Then in February, his brother came into town sharing about his experiences in Washington and how cool it would be to explore the area together. There was talk of Mt. Rainier, waterfalls, natural hot springs, Vancouver...to say we were excited is barely skimming the surface. 

From there we soon realized that flying in wasn't going to be an easy way to transport all the supplies we would need if we wanted to camp. Fran and Dominic had driven to Tacoma from Houston in three days the year before and Fran was convinced driving would be infinitely cooler than flying. It did not take long to have me jump onboard, immediately visions of the Grand Canyon and driving up the California coast came to mind. 

Little by little we began expanding our research. I cast out a net on social media to see where people had been. The places that were suggested were unbelievable! Never would I have found some of these on my own. And the sheer quantity of stops had me starting to panic knowing there was no way we would be able to see everything. Because, believe me, the original list was massive. Somehow, we were able to whittle the list down and began to set dates. Here was our first draft: 

Without realizing it, the trip took on a national park theme. In all likelihood, due to the intense camping we were heading into but if you know me- you know that camping is not my forte. Before this trip, I had probably been camping twice in my life. It was not something that really appealed to me. While we were planning, Fran and I would constantly butt heads because I wanted to spend multiple days in the cities, on the beach, in Disneyland, etc. He would stubbornly refuse even as I tried to barter locations for Mickey Mouse photo ops. I hate to admit it but, he was right. Never would have thought that being outdoors would be everything we would need and all else would just be filler. 

In fact, as the trip unfolded, plans we had made to spend time in cities slowly evaporated. By mutual agreement. We found that there just wasn't the same fulfillment found within the city explorations as there was within the parks. 

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than one seeks." -John Muir, conservationist 

If there was one quote that could encompass the entire experience it's the one from above. I do not recall at which park I happened to read it but, it clicked. There is something about stepping into our national parks that strikes a chord within you. The majestic beauty is completely unparallel from one place to another. Not one single place we visited was in any way "better" than the other because each one demanded equal amounts of awe and reverence due to its striking beauty. 

Coming home I'm already formulating future trips because 20 days just wasn't enough! I will be chronicling our experiences through the most imperfectly perfect journey we took and hope that it sparks a curiosity for you to venture out to explore them as well.


Side note: unfortunately, Dom wasn't able to be in town when we actually did arrive in the WA area due to training. But, this only means that we can plan for another visit in the near future!