So I have to get used to this whole time change now. I’m officially three hours behind from usual so I have to remind myself to post earlier now. So it’s officially MONDAY.

Since April 25, I have been road tripping across the states. 9 states. 5 days. And it has been insane.

I have never been more amazed by my surroundings than I have in these past days. Mountains on mountains on mountains. Plus, it was a cutie little mother daughter bonding trip.

And I am here to tell you all about it.

I guess you could say this is kind of a guide but I don’t feel like an expert, just wanting to share my whole adventure with you all!

 

I’m gonna be honest, it kinda started with a whirlwind… I had to take my car into shop. Winter tires are not for summer driving and I’ll tell you that for free.

So we set off for sail in the late afternoon. Got a coffee and headed to the Michigan border.

We drove for a while, chatted and got over the border to find ourselves in Jackson, Michigan. We stopped for the night and then woke up extremely early to get on the road again.

Coffee first and then we hit our first target. My personal shopping hack (from one shopping addict to another), target bathing suits do not disappoint. They are cheap and cute and just a necessity.

Okay so aside from those detours, we actually hit the road. Drove through the one and only Chicago for the first time ever (at least for me) and kept going on our journey. We drove and drove and drove and saw the cutest sunset. And then my mom, being the biggest Golden State Warriors fan I know, needed to watch their playoff game, so we landed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the night.

Sioux Falls is where I tried the absolute most amazing coffee ever. CARIBOU COFFEE (if you ever see one, please stop and get it, you will not regret it whatsoever). My coffee connoisseur senses kicked in and I cannot stop thinking about it.

BUT ANYWHO, we drove and drove and drove again but stopped at the most beautiful boot collection store I have probably ever laid my eyes on. We were in what seemed like the wild west. Absolute insanity in this town and if I could, I would have walked out with every pair of cowboy boot I could hold. But my rational self kicked in and I turned down buying them. Honestly a proud moment that I held myself back from shopping more but who knows how long that will last.

After that pitstop we started driving through the rolling hills. I felt like I was in the old fashioned wild west because tumbleweed started flying everywhere. All we needed was the music cues and that would have been taken straight from the movies.

We stopped again a while later and I found my first ever crumbl cookie and had to document the moment. Never would have thought I would see one in person although that trend just took over my tik tok completely. Definitely an overhyped place but I give it credit for being good.

So we kept going now on a sugar high and hit the POURING RAIN.

I feel like driving in the rain is one of the humblest experiences I have gotten. I don’t even know if humble is the right word. But it’s one that just puts me in my place. Plus with all the construction that was going on too, I was extra alert but it was one of the most tiring driving moments too. The rain was horrid. But it builds character I guess right?

I finally switched driving with mom and next thing you knew after a quick passenger princess nap, we were in Billings, Montana. We stayed at this place “Boothill Inn”… just adorable. I didn’t realize how much energy a road trip takes until I was the one sitting behind the wheel. All those years of sitting, relaxing and binge watching the Harry Potter movies while my parents drove to Florida gave me no knowledge on what it was actually like to road trip. But anyway, I passed out the moment my face hit the pillow.

April 28, waking up to write my last exam of second year was one for the books. And writing it in Montana was an experience for sure. I put on my beats, and there I was, writing a two hour exam. To make it even better, I was writing it earlier than I would have because we were behind two hours from home and school. Craziness.

The moment I clicked that submit button, we got back on the road. Through the mountains again, on our way to the BEAUTIFUL YELLOWSTONE.

and. it. was. ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING.

I can’t even begin to explain how that was such a core memory for me.

We took three hours just to drive through a part of the park. But it was just amazing. The mountains were from a painting, I swear. They didn’t even feel real.

Yellowstone was just a dream. I honestly am at a loss for words. I think everyone needs to go at least once in their life. It’s just amazing.

And here’s why:

To think that anything could top the national park, the place we stayed at after was so cute.

I don’t know how to explain it properly but it was just west of the park and each room was like it’s own shipping container, but in the nicest way possible. It was so cute and quaint inside and was surrounded by the mountains.

We stayed there and then got up the next morning to take the whole day driving through mountains on end.

Of course, we stopped to watch the Leafs win the first series for the first time since 2004 and to top it off the only place we could watch it was in the casino bar, but that story is for another time.

We stopped in our last hotel in Ellensburg, Washington.

AND FINALLY, we made it to Seattle.

And I am already in love. The place, the people, everything  It is beautiful. I think I’m gonna love it here.

This is an adventure that I kept mentally delaying because there had been so much on my mind with school and other life events. But now, I am here, and I am feeling the change and energy. But good change and good energy.

I love adventuring. Being somewhere new. Learning. Loving. Living.

And I think this is going to be a trip for the books.

And I can’t wait to share it all with you.

STAY KIND 🙂

with love

grace <3