One Stupid Decision

  A Blessing in Disguise Voyageurs National Park   People really do be sleeping on the Midwest. Well, parts of the Midwest. Maybe I’m just a sucker for a good lake, but Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan do have a lot to offer if you know where to look. Voyageurs National Park, situated right on the border of Minnesota and Canada, was no exception.  The vessel

Pushing Through Roadblocks  Hello friends! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s taking everything in me to resist the corporate urge to thank you for your patience right now. I started this trip a little over 3 weeks ago, and boy has a lot happened since. I’m planning to separate everything out into 5 separate posts; you can pick and choose what interests you. Below I’ve linked 2 completed follow up posts, which are somewhat more joyous than this one. And don't worry; there will be plenty more content. I've got lots of ideas that go beyond just "hey, here's what I did!" A Blessing in Disguise: Voyageurs National Park South Dakota! Who Knew? Certainly Not Me A Little Smoke Never Stopped a Good Time (Grand Teton) - coming soon Yellowstone Superlatives - coming soon Hiking with Neuropathy - coming soon Old Band Obsessions: Still Slappage ™ Power Rankings - coming soon The trip somewhat expectedly got off to a rocky start. It threw me curveball after curveball, and I wa...

I'm excited to share with you my plan for this great journey, in form of national park HYPE rankings. From the system of lakes and islands in Voyageurs, to the vast mountain ranges & lush forests of Grand Teton and Olympic, and the semi-arid canyons & cliffs of Zion & Bryce Canyon, this trip will truly have it all. Without any further ado, here are my official rankings for the I'm most hyped to visit.  10. Badlands National Park & Custer State Park, South Dakota Coming in at number 10 is an early stop on the trip: Badlands National Park. Situated near the western border of South Dakota, these landscapes have been formed by the same weather patterns – harsh winds, intense rain, and scorching heat – that give them their namesake. The Lakota Sioux called it "mako sica", which translates to "bad lands". Though small, Badlands is said to have one of the best scenic drives in the United States, along with many stops for overlooks and hikes. Badland...

A Leap of Faith in Myself Or how I quit my job and decided to travel across the country with the savings I had left. We've all thought about it. What if I just quit my job, put all my shit in storage, dipped into my savings, and traveled for a few months. This is what popped into my head in early July, on a river rafting trip in Utah. I was talking to one of our guides, a 24 year old named Lily. She'd been a raft guide for 5 years, living in her van, working river trips, and spending her free time outdoors across the country.  "Maybe I should do that..." I said to my dad as a joke. But behind every joke there's an inkling of truth, and it got me thinking; why can't I do that? What's stopping me? Now, I'm not saying I'm going to abandon my aspirations to be a full-time raft guide. But I started thinking about when I've been at my happiest over the last few years; hell, my whole life. A river rafting trip in Utah, a cabin on the lake in northern ...