Pinch me moments

Do you have those memories that instantly bring a smile to your face? Those epic moments that are etched in your frontal lobe?

There are an infinite amount of blow your mind places to visit in this lifetime, so what are you waiting for? Even after visiting 58 of 198 countries so far, I continue to be amazed at the sheer vastness and diversity of each continent.

While I tend to lean towards escapades out in nature and exploring the most remote corners of the wilderness rather than city tours, my joy actually comes from starting any new journey.

The anticipation is palpable.

A bunch of my top moments that no one can ever take away from me:

Waking up at midnight to attack the 5.5hr summit push to reach the top of the world…. Kilimanjaro sunrise 🏔️
Car camping on the cliff edge of Capitol Reef NP & opening my van door for the perfect sunrise 🌄
Hiking 10mi into Havasupai canyon AZ & swimming in the majestic Havasu falls 💦
Alaska cruise watching ice chunks fall from the glacier, hiking on Mendenhall Glacier, sailing with a school of zealous dolphins & rappelling down snow covered cliffs 🥶
Visiting Alcatraz prison on my 30th birthday & riding a bike over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran 🌁
Only a 5% chance of winning the Wave AZ lottery, hiking in the freezing cold prior to sunrise & being the only soul at this once in a lifetime spot for 2 hours 🥾
Conquering the treacherous Angel’s Landing hike in Zion NP & enjoying lunch on top for hours + sloshing thru the best hike in the US via the Narrows towering walls 🤯
Seeing Old Faithful geyser & the crazy colors at Grand Prismatic hot springs in our 1st NP Yellowstone 🏞️
Being the first group to visit the pyramids post COVID (only 3 tourist buses vs. typically 1k+) & sailing down the Nile River on an overnight felucca boat 🕌
Sleeping in my hammock at Goosenecks SP overlooking the gorge at sunset, driving down the crazy Moqui Dugway into Valley of the Gods & enjoying every second in the Monument Valley area 🏜️
Getting up at 3am on Maui to get to the top of Haleakala NP for an inspiring sunrise & biking down the volcano full speed 🌋
Tubing leisurely down the Toccoa River with the best of friends & frozen margarita pops, enjoying the Blue Ridge Mountains ⛰️
Getting out of my comfort zone on a singles, predominantly Spanish cruise & loving every second 🚢
Driving thru the tunnel & first sight of Yosemite Valley & El Cap – hiking the incredible Mist trail to Vernal & Nevada falls + a bear scare 🐻
Walking thru the (gold plated everything) Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand & getting a delicious foot massage 🦶
Seeing the beauty of Horseshoe Bend AZ & finding a loophole to enter the majestic Antelope Canyon slots via launching a SUP at Lake Powell 🏄‍♀️
The majesty of Arches NP – hiking the fabulous Devil’s Garden trail (sections have only slivers of rock to traverse), Delicate Arch is an absolute MUST do, mountain biking down the slick rock trails & finishing just outside the park at Fisher Towers 🥾
Helicopter fly over of the impressive Iguazu Falls separating Argentina & Brazil, hiking to the falls & finally experiencing the power of water up close via boat 🇧🇷
Long hike in Canyonlands NP to the crazy amazing Druid Arch 🏜️
Hiking thru the magnificent & longest slot canyon in the world at Wire Pass/Buckskin Gulch 🥾
Day ferry to the Hawaiian island of Lanai & finding a remote beach via scaling volcanic rock & reaching the Sweetheart Rock vista for the perfect day 🌺
Holding out to do my only hot air balloon ride in the iconic Cappadocia Turkey for sunrise 🇹🇷
Driving the entire Road to Hana on Maui & stopping at every bridge & waterfall + hiking the remote Pipiwai trail thru a bamboo forest & finishing the circular route via a sketchy, washed out southern island road 🏝️
In the dead heat of summer, scaling the terrifying Rattlesnake canyon arch & running out of water 😱
Iceland backcountry hiking adventure, geysers, lava tubes & ending at the amazing Blue Lagoon 💙
Solo trip to the remote Big Bend NP – staying in a perfect 100 sq ft tiny home, fantastic hiking, walking Santa Elena Canyon separating the US and Mexico & a top 10 sunset silhouette over the distant mountains 🌄
Flying to the end of the world in Argentina to hike the remote W trek in Patagonia 🇦🇷
Visiting the remote Great Basin NP in NV & exploring the underground Lehman Caves 😱
8 hr layover in Dubai & exploring the city with a mall I walked for 3 hrs and never passed the same store twice 🇦🇪
Car camping in Death Valley NP with a bleeding sunset over the painted hills & subsequent stunner of a sunrise 🌄
Being the 1st off the Disney Cruise at their private island Castaway Cay & beelining for my fav hammock near the bar overlooking the crystal blue waters 🏖️
Conquering ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) & being above the clouds for an add on 4am hike to Poon Hill 🇳🇵
Four hidden gems are Chiricahua NM (AZ), Goblin Valley SP (UT), El Morro NM (NM) & Colorado NM (CO) – all have stunning hikes & pure joy to get lost in 🏞️
Finally achieving EBC (Everest Base Camp) thru a nasty bout of food poisoning after the 1st attempt being thwarted due to adverse weather conditions & crossing the infamous Hillary suspension bridge 🙌
Trekking into the jungles of Ecuador for a week, sleeping in a hammock overlooking the volcano & hiking a different direction from home base every day 🇪🇨
Witnessing a perfect sunset over Badlands NP with bison grazing nearby after completing the crazy cool Notch trail 🦬
Reaching the overlook to the magnificent Machu Picchu after 4 days trekking & camping en route 💪
Climbing ancient pyramids in Guatemala 🇬🇹 & Mexico 🇲🇽
Purposely arranging a 15 hr layover in Athens Greece to visit the Acropolis post COVID with only 10 other souls 🇬🇷
Visiting Madeira island to take on the challenging Pico do Areeiro to Pico do Ruivo trek 🔥
Drive a high adrenaline ATV route to the top of the Azores highest volcano edge & Sete Cidades 🌋
First trip to Europe via a Disney Cruise to explore the fascinating history of Rome (my fav the Parthenon), Naples, Palermo, Pisa, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, the quaint town of Eze & Marseille 🇪🇸 🇫🇷 🇮🇹
No expectations visiting Jordan & being blown away walking down the Siq at Petra & first look at the infamous Treasury, enjoying every step of the day’s exhausting 45k+, walking in the history of the Jerash ruins & speeding thru the Wadi Rum desert in an open air jeep to see a mind blowing sunset while watching wild camels running past us 🐪
Ahhh everything Bali…… renting a moped on Nusa Penida island & climbing down the terrifying cliffs at Kelingking to a secluded beach with only 25 other brave souls 🏝️
Hawaii island hopping – hiking the colorful & intimidating Napali coast cliffsides on Kauai and splurging for a helicopter the next day to see it from a different angle 😱
Car camping & grilling dinner in Deadhorse SP Utah with the most amazing views 🤯
Bucket list hike on Oahu the hard & legal 10mi trek along extremely narrow ridges to the Stairway to Heaven 🪜
Getting lost in the maze of the stunning Angor Wat temple in Cambodia 🇰🇭
My birthday gift to myself Oct 2021 hiking the ridiculous Grand Canyon 16mi rim to rim challenge in one day 🥾
Snagging a last minute spot on the inaugural Disney Cruise thru the Panama Canal & enjoying all day on the top dock while maneuvering the locks 🚢
En route to 3 weeks in New Zealand, scheduling a 32hr layover in Tahiti & renting a moped to explore the island of Moorea 🇵🇫
Night diving with manta rays on the Big Island of Hawaii 🤿
Ice climbing on a glacier in Norway & the thrill of jumping over ice crevices 🧊
Visiting & diving into the history of Mt Rushmore & Devils Tower with my dad to start my nomad adventure year off 🇺🇸
Everything Sedona is my happy place….. sunset over Cathedral & Bell Rocks, Fay Canyon & Hangover trails are my own personal favs, Boynton Canyon scrambling after the end of the trail & soooo many more 🏜️
Our bucket list Tongariro NP hike in New Zealand being cancelled due to weather & then miraculous clearing for only 1 day for us to conquer it 🇳🇿
My long-standing dream of visiting a dude ranch – skeet shooting, rodeo, swamp buggy, mechanic bull & learning to line dance 🤠
Colorado Springs is magical – Pikes Peak & Garden of the Gods are must sees in this lifetime! ⛰️
Taking the overnight train from MN to Boston then driving all night to hit Acadia NP for sunrise at the iconic Cadillac Mountain & hiking the iron rungs of the Precipice & Beehive trails 🌅
Annual best friends trip to the Fl Keys to camp, kayak, bike, jetski & chill 😊
Hut to hut trekking in the gorgeous Swiss Alps & crossing over into 3 countries 🇨🇭
Powering thru the Trolltunga multi day trek up a treacherous cliff hanging via ferrata, reaching the famous overlook 5 mins before sunset & glamping under a sea of stars 🇳🇴
Riding a snowmobile after dark up Vail mountain at full speed to stop at the top for stargazing 🔭
Multiple visits to Valley of Fire SP – Fire Wave & White Domes trails are must dos 🔥
Struggling car camping in Bryce NP overnight in below freezing temperatures to wake up to the most stunning fireball in the sky at Sunrise Point & thoroughly enjoying the Devil’s Garden loop trail 🌄
And on and on……