2021 Adventure Journal

I’m not in the mood to write this right now, but that’s honestly reflective of my day. After dragging myself out of bed, attempting to plan, and packing up, I set out to drive to Zion National Park. Unfortunately, upon trying to look up directions, I discovered that the main road through the park was

After packing up camp (I’ve gotten good at disassembling my tent!), I drove 45 minutes to a laundromat in Santa Rosa. It always feels great to have a full box of clean clothes again. I then continued another 45 minutes to San Francisco. I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge (saving two hours of driving time!), then stopped to marvel at the bridge and take some pictures.

I didn’t have the best night of sleep, but the rest stop in Tillamook was at least a relatively safe place to spend the night. After an early start to the morning, I drove an hour to Portland. My first stop was Forest Park, a 5,200-acre area with more than 80 miles of trails. I only hiked 4 miles, but that still gave me plenty of opportunities to marvel at the lush forest!

Despite a full night of sleep, I still woke up exhausted. After a slow morning, I walked to Pikes Place Market. I like the idea of Pikes Place, but it turns out that a crowded market that smells like fish isn’t exactly my jam! I walked through the market and around the waterfront before stopping for groceries and heading back to the hotel.

After another cold morning, I planned my route (using paper maps – there’s no cell service in the park!) and headed out for a long day of driving. Yellowstone is huge. The park covers more than 2.2 million acres, an area larger than Rhode Island and Delaware combined!

After staying up late due to a persistent nosebleed (which came back again this morning…), I slept in a bit before packing up and checking out of the hotel. I haven’t mentioned this much, but I spend a lot of time packing and unpacking and reorganizing. I’m constantly moving and living in such a small space means that things get messy quickly!

The journey has begun! I started with a lovely three-and-a-half-hour drive to Abilene. Traffic was light, the sky was a light gray blanket, and it’s early enough in the year that flowers are still blooming and the grass is still green. I stopped at the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden, which was a cute place to recharge, despite the jackhammering from nearby construction.

This summer, I’m embarking upon a solo cross-country road trip. I’ll be journaling along the way to document and share my experience. After more than a year of virtual classes, Zoom hangouts with friends, and far too much time in one room, I’m ready for a change of pace. I’ve spent months dreaming of taking