A couple friends and I kicked off 2015 with a sporadic birthday trip to The Rockies with the press of a button on a cheap flight to Denver. A $250 round-trip ticket seemed too good to pass up and any plans beyond that were nonexistent. A friend decided to drive out from Cali and rent a car to pick us up at the airport and we took each day as it came, one new experience at a time with where we were sleeping each night being the least of our concerns. We boarded Vail, thrift-shopped Aspen, Beered Vail & Aspen, Snowshoed The Rockies, had special brownies, saw old friends, met new friends, crashed on couches, slept on floors, checked out Red Rocks Amp after hours, sat on pretty rocks with John Denver quotes, drank from a bar that was said to once hold the presence of John Wayne, and took each day as it came. This was an unforgettable trip that sparked a flame to continue following a passion for the unknown and not yet experienced. Later that year, in the summer of 2015, I had an itch I could not ignore. A large bonfire and 1 packed bag later, my dogs and I abandoned our rental home and took off to explore the Western United States. We took each day as it came, unsure of where we would end up the next. We started in Tennessee, swung south to take a dip in The Atlantic Ocean, put our feet and paws in the Rio Grande bordering Mexico and Texas, took a dip in The Pacific Ocean, stayed in and crossed through 23 states, and visited 3 provinces of Canada in 3 months time. I felt more productive and my soul, completely satisfied, in 3 months than I had in the last 3 years. Inspiration was abundant in more ways than I could fulfill. I was drawing, singing, writing songs with each mile of asphalt, innovating business plans for the future, and even decided to execute an idea that had risen in San Francisco to get a shed and convert it into a small home nearing the end of 2015. 2016 started with inspiration to continue pursuing my education, and I was once awestruck with a feeling to go back west. The Tetons, a place I had dreamt about living in since I was in middle school after an unforgettable visit to ole' Jackson Hole and Yellerstone. As much as I have a passion for learning and thoroughly enjoyed my spring semester, I could not fight the urge to get back to the presence of those mountains and the inspiration that filled them so effortlessly! The summer of 2016 arrived, and I was back on the road to follow my heart and soul to the place I love. I met up with someone very special that I had met the previous summer who shared the same love for that magical place, and we hit it off... really well actually. We spent 3 (Seems like the magic number) months taking mini-adventures together in this vast land of limitless exploration to be had! Drawn back east by family health trouble, I discovered that I was pregnant! PREGNANT! So wow, in reflection, what a turn of events that have led me to this upcoming new year where I will become a MOTHER for the first time (of something human)... It really is surreal and a wild, amazing feeling to behold.
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We took a familiar post-Christmas hike, one of the many traditions to come. Laurel Falls, TN. Our baby in my belly was kicking up a storm during the presence of this waterfall that I used to hike when I was a little girl. My father used to hike this same trail with me in his backpack when I was less than a year old, and I was able to share this day with him, Collin, and the dogs. We hiked around 5.5 miles roundtrip to the familiar falls, new to Collin. Staying active with a growing belly really seems to suppress many pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or leg cramps. I look forward to the day I am able to take my daughter down these worn trails and share with her this magical spot.
We celebrated our first Christmas together as a couple and our last together before having an extra human to fill the stocking for. It was a beautiful day spent around family and anticipation of a growing belly. She has started moving quite a bit these days and especially kicks after I consume any type of chocolate. Nearly 4 months until we get to meet her!
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