On my US epic road trip, I looked forward to finding my daily hideout to enjoy lunch. Sometimes it was a the peak of a picturesque mountain, many hidden waterfalls gleaming in the sunlight, other times it was a picnic table hidden in the tree groves or possibly a secluded log overlooking the gorge.
The location truly didn’t matter, as I relished the serenity with just my thoughts. A moment to slow down. Off the map. No pictures. No social media posts to share. Just my reflection time to disconnect from everything and anything.
I’m a snacker so my indulgence was typically a wrap with canned tuna, chicken or salmon. Add in my “crack” chik-fil-a sauce (which is now sold in big bottles) with a side of Pringle’s, combos or peanut butter pretzels, I got my protein for the day. I tried to really wean off soda during this trip (which I was fairly successful actually) and my new addiction is Arnold Palmer tea.
In real life, we forget to make this time a priority. My goal weekly since I only lived 2 miles from work was to enjoy 1 day at home for a lunch break. And I rarely achieved this seemingly simple task. Such a shame.
It may not be a big deal to anyone else, but 25 has always been my favorite number so my 25th blog is a milestone for me.
Growing up my jersey number was always 25, which was unusual for the point guard, setter, lead off batter – the short girl usually got stuck with the larger outfits due to the higher number (they were pre-made & passed down for a decade unlike the 2000s). So I had to wear undershirts to cover the gaping tank top armpits. Silly story but a fun, random memory.
Also I collected basketball figurines, as “ball” was my entire life for 20 years. I probably have 125+ collecting dust. I was always fascinated to find so many cool collectibles with my number, especially Santa ones. Not until my upper 20s was I enlightened that it had nothing to do with my interests but one of the most celebrated days of the year….. I chalk that up to a blonde moment.
Lastly, I visited my 25th national park this week as well at Biscayne in south FL. Even though I’m only 3 hrs away and my brother’s family used to live here, I had never been. I booked a snorkeling adventure last minute since 95% of this park is actually underwater. We stopped at 2 spots along the 3rd largest barrier reef in the world – Anniversary Reef & a shipwreck the “Alicia” (a 300’ steam ship that sank in 1901). Fascinating stuff.
So to end, I will share 25 of my fav motivational words that guide many of my adventures:
Grit
Fearless
Courage
Relentless
Dream
Elevate
Legacy
Impact
Resilience
Thrive
Spark
Explore
Adventure-seeker
Goals
Giveback
Inspire
Work-ethic
Spontaneous
Energy
Trailblazer
All-in
No-regrets
Commit
Wanderlust
Risk-taker
Onward to the next 25…..may they be bigger, bolder & uplifting!
It is in that feeling…..the butterflies in your stomach letting you know you’ve found the edge of your limit. The high in letting go & pushing past your former breaking point.
Most people think I’m hanging off the side of ledges and jumping through fire when I go out on my crazy adventures. While it is amusing and maybe more realistic when I was back in my 30s, I just love being out in nature and exploring new destinations. So that could take me to the ledges of Mt Rainer or to the waterways of Lake Powell or the ape caves formed by the Mt St Helens volcano or the picturesque beaches of the PNW.
It doesn’t really matter in the end. It could be an all day hike or a simple one miler. The escape in nature is always worth it.
Try it. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed & just maybe get inspired to tackle even more than you expected.
Happy Friday! I was having a glorious morning driving the Washington west coast. I was singing at the top of my lungs to my iPod playlist 1461 songs in. I did it right years & years ago and only downloaded songs I truly enjoyed. From Jars of Clay, to UB40, Jim Brickman, Lincoln Park, what a great blast from the past and variety.
It’s funny how things can change in an instant. All of a sudden, my odometer showed 19 miles until I’m out of gas. Holy s&@$. There is nothing more nerve-racking than an odometer counting down mile by mile.
With only 8 miles left until empty tank, I had a fork in the road. I took a chance and went right thank goodness there was a small town only 4 miles away. In hindsight if I had gone left, I would be stranded on the road somewhere begging for a local to help this silly little Floridian out of her element in the desolate Olympic Peninsula.
We all have forks in the road ahead. How will you choose? Are you ready for the expected or more importantly…..the unexpected? Do you trust your own instincts?
So all is good in my world. And the adventure continues……
Last stop on my US National Park tour was a big one….. Yosemite.
Driving in through the south entrance at 7:15am and peering through Tunnel View, the first sight is the monstrous El Captain looming straight ahead. It smacks you in the face. Right away you know this valley is special.
It’s hard to choose which trails to conquer but they all lead up towards the towering peaks. My combo of choice was the popular Mist & John Muir trails leading to 2 iconic waterfalls – Vernal & Nevada. I thoroughly enjoyed my 10 miles here and looking up at Half Dome I know I have to return. It is another 6 miles to the peak but closed during winter months, as the cables that make the trek possible for the last .5 mile push are already gone. Someday……
Upon my return to the valley, I tally up 6 more miles by seeing Lower Yosemite Falls (which is dry currently but still picturesque), Cook’s Meadow Loop & the base of El Cap.
Besides a couple granola bars on the trail, I hadn’t eaten much else of substance all day because I wanted to squeeze in as many hikes as possible prior to the early sunsets now with daylight savings. So I packed up my “go to” meal of tuna on tortilla wraps plus Pringle’s and figured I would have time to eat while watching a few late day climbers attacking El Cap.
The short .4 mile trip seemed easy enough and I still had twilight to get back to the car. Standing at the base of this giant just made you think. I laid down just so I could look up without craning my neck. Just wow.
Needless to say, daylight was fading quickly so I decided it would be best to start heading back even though my tummy was still growling. (It still amazes me that I don’t weigh like 100 lbs). I’m making good time then I stop dead in my tracks and see 3 sets of beady eyes staring at me from about 25 yards. Ummm….. the bear spray I bought is sitting in my niece’s room near San Diego because I can’t take it on the plane home. I am fortunate they were all babies and just playing, as they kept on moving on their original path.
Crisis #1 averted.
So I continue back to my car with a little extra pep in my step. Then…… I see big brother bear staring at me in the middle of the path. He is walking slowly towards me at the trail crossroads, so I continue walking toward my car route. My heart almost lept out of my body. What do I have that I can use to defend myself? A big rock maybe? I didn’t have any granola bars left to throw at him.
But I tried to play it cool and started walking a little faster and turning my head every 5 secs to see where my new friend was. Luckily, he was moving slower than my pace and as soon as I hit a bend in the trail and he was out of my sight……I ran like hell back to the car!!!
Crisis #2 also averted.
My last thought……. what if I had opened that tuna package??!!??
There is just something special about Zion National Park. It’s a feeling. A zone. It’s Utah’s most visited NP for a reason. Most places in this world I would be happy to see just once, but my much awaited return to Zion consumed me for years.
Early October I knew would be the perfect mix of chilly mornings & scorching day hiking. Just the way I like it. The key was to figure out the new post COVID shuttle ticket game and get early starts. I had 2 days allotted in my packed itinerary and I was going to capitalize. And I purposely waited for weekdays to explore & have some reprieve from the swarms of tourists. The timing did help but this year many people had the same idea that I did for an extended roadtrip to return to some type of normalcy.
I arrived in the town of Springdale to scope out my plan on a Sunday night. Since lodging close by was way out of my price range, I found a cozy spot to car camp for my 2 nights & go unnoticed, while still feeling safe with phone reception, street lighting & next door to some amazing local treats. (If you want to know my hideout, pm me)
I was at the Zion visitor center by 7am each day since it fills up ridiculously early & you don’t want to extend your long hiking days by hoofing it from town too. The shuttle was seamless & I was beaming ear to ear once I stepped onto the trail for 2.5 miles gaining 1488’ in elevation. And I had almost forgotten that only a mere .3 mile on the sandy, flat trail leading to the behemoth climb ahead, I fell flat on my face. Yep. For no reason. My left shin is bleeding and not even a rock in my path. WTF? Only me. Nevertheless, I resumed.
The switchbacks were tough but easily doable with a slow & steady pace. Half the hikers had masks on during the tight corners & most were friendly and encouraging. The path to Scouts Lookout flew by & I was so happy just trudging along in this picturesque playground. Most people took a pit stop to enjoy the views but I had a higher goal in mind. The chain ropes leading to Angels Landing had just opened the week prior & I was very fortunate to have this opportunity to fulfill a dream.
I left my hiking poles in the bushes & reached for the precarious chains to take me to the “top of the world” while there was a break in the crowds. Two way traffic doesn’t work so well on the cliff of a mountain. For once, I focused on one foot in front of the other with precision and care. No mess ups on this route. Sweat on my brow beaded up quickly from both the temperature & sheer fear. Exhilarating to say the least. Encouragements were given & received freely, while we slowly scoured over rocks & conquered our fears head on.
That last step upon reaching the summit was surreal. Truly a feat for the highlight reel. Baby steps along the ledge led to a flat rock where I could simply sit for an hour to enjoy the serenity, feel the fresh breeze, basque in the magnificent views & dig into my lunch of hummus & crackers.
The trek back down I felt like I was walking on the clouds. Light as a feather. Refreshed in every sense of the word…..and I almost turned around to conquer it again!
Do you ever wish you could unpack all your stuff that has added up over the years? SO MUCH STUFF…..
The freedom I feel on the road is so refreshing. Many of my friends know I can rock 1 bookbag for a week trip & not even think twice about it. Simplicity is more important to me than ever before. All the extra weight is drowning at times, so I consciously choose to lighten my load.
In Dec 2019, I learned the hard way to just go with the flow. We’ve all been screwed with lost luggage on a trip or two & mine was after trekking to Mt Everest base camp. I meticulously packed my winter, dirty clothes in vacuum seal bags because I was treating myself to a week of recovery on the beautiful beaches of Bali (since I was already on that side of the world). After delays & being slightly delirious from a severe bout of food poisoning, my Bali 3am arrival was scarred with me standing alone in the airport terminal without any of my possessions. After a 5 min panic attack, a wave of calmness swept over me and it was a major turning point in my perspective. If we only have this 1 imperfect life, then why am I crying? I’m in paradise with a week to recover by exploring pristine waterfalls, snacking at beachfront bats, laying on the beach at night & listening to the waves, enjoying massages from my bungalow, riding ferries over crystal blue waters, renting a moped to traverse the island, and on and on. Plus I told the airline you can keep my raunchy hiking clothes bag for a week until I come back for my return flight. Winning, right??
So I set off with 1 day bag (seriously just 5 lbs) & had the most memorable week. It was scorching hot & ridiculous humidity (and I’m from Florida so I have a true comparison) in Dec on the other half of the equator, so I was thankful to wear as little clothes as possible. I was light & nimble on my moped slashing through the jungle curves on Nusa Penida Island and hopping between a few different treehouses was seamless. My possessions included:
Phone
Headphones
Wallet
Kindle
Cameras
Mini tripod
Hat
Travel pillow
Hiking boots
Flip flops
2 pairs of shorts
2 tank tops
2 long sleeve shirts
1 hoodie
2 pairs of undergarments
A few toiletries
A few snacks
So needless to say, my return to my Florida life was culture shock. Instead of getting sucked into the grind, I started to simplify all parts of my life, as possessions just had less meaning & importance to me. I typically go into a mini depression when returning from any epic trip. It’s fairly common & I still to this day haven’t figured out a way to avoid it. But enjoying the simple things is usually a good start.
Minimalism is living with what you need & that looks different to everyone. What does it mean to you?
I get asked quite often how I find out about all these crazy places and unique experiences to dive into. Then actually find the energy & courage to complete them?
Just like my sister in law who genuinely loves to cook & create delicious masterpieces in the kitchen, my passion is researching worldwide locations that spark adventure & then formulating a master itinerary to turn those dreams into reality. It is a huge game to me and for hours on end I can follow leads. I have no intention of just seeing them on paper or “liking” a picture….. in my mind, I’m visualizing the end goal on how to get there. No excuses. Over the past few years, I have really become more of a recluse because I love daydreaming of exotic places and piecing together itineraries. Choose to come with me or don’t, my path is clearly defined & in motion.
When you have stepped foot on the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro & powered thru 9 days of food poisoning to conquer Mt Everest Base Camp, there isn’t much that can stop this Elliott train. Can you imagine what is next??!!
Every decision , mistake, movement, outfit, word, smile, social media post, friendship…..pieces of art, that when things work together, evolve into your own artwork & make up your own story.
Isn’t living our life the greatest artwork we could ever make?
We shouldn’t compare ourselves to each other. Each life is individual and different…..making us each so wonderfully unique.
Think about that….. you have 1 chance to make things right. One opportunity to make a first impression. Will you do the right thing when no one is looking? Do you trust your gut in making an important decision? How adverse to risk are you? How much are you willing to gamble? Will you go for it when faced with a life changing fork in the road?
We do not have an endless supply, so use your time wisely, with thought, care, confidence & intention. Are you in true alignment with who you are and what you deeply desire in life?
Don’t wait for everything in the outer world to be perfect before you act, choose to act now and trust yourself completely. Embrace the truth of impermanence. Are you ready?
FearlessAdventures 