My Road Trip Experience

If you’re here for the itinerary and don’t want to here my “deep” philosophical insights, feel free to scroll past ;)

I’m not a huge travel guru. The thought of traveling always sounded so fun growing up. However, I never really had the chance to go on the lavish European getaways my peers had the ability to do. It was something that was taboo to me. As I grew older and could afford to take trips of my own, I really wanted to experience the world in a new way. A way that I never had the chance to do before.

Throughout quarantine, I did not leave the house at all nor did I partake in any sort of travel. My plans to travel international before work, NYE retreats to Wisconsin, and lake house getaways were all cancelled. Once things started to open back up and I became vaccinated, I was ready for an adventure. I knew I wanted my first trip back into ”semi-normal” living to be a road trip with my boyfriend. I didn’t want to go party in Miami or go clubbing in Vegas. I wanted to experience nature. I wanted to experience breathtaking views and thrilling excursions. I can definitely say it was worth it.

I feel like many people my age think they have to go to the classic party cities (Miami, Nashville, Vegas, etc.) to take a trip. Don’t get me wrong, those are all great places to visit and I hope to go myself one day. But, I think the more eye opening trips are experiencing the beauties of nature and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. I’m sure there are some of you who have done a trip very similar to this. Most people I know have done it with their families. But I would 100% recommend doing it or doing it again with your significant other or a group of friends. This trip was not so much a vacation chilling on the beach with a piña colada. It was a journey. A journey where I learned a lot about myself, about the person I love, and about life.

I’ll now stop with the nonsense and get into my “itinerary” so to speak. I’ll give some insights at the places we stayed at, restaurants we ate at, and the activities we did. Then I’ll wrap up with some of my final thoughts :)

Days 1 - 2 : St. Louis

Our trek started on a Wednesday night from Chicago to St. Louis. We decided to rent a car from Avis rather than fly or take a train. The car we got was perfect for all of our luggage and packing needs. The drive from Chicago to St. Louis is about 5 hours which actually was one of our longer drives we had in our queue. My boyfriend's family lives in SL so we stayed there for two nights and enjoyed some yummy food/great vibes. Another reason we were stopping by was to pick up his car that won the lucky job of lugging us across the country.

Day 3: Kansas City

After a hefty day of consulting work, we were on our way! We chose to stop in Kansas City to shorten our drive over to Denver. It was a debate to whether we wanted to drive straight to Denver, but I am so glad we chose to make a stop. Kansas City was an amazing time. We met up with one of my boyfriend's friends at the WW1 museum. It is a beautiful little park area and has an amazing view of the city. For dinner, we went to a mouth watering BBQ restaurant called Jack Stack BBQ. I highly recommend the pulled pork mac n cheese and one of the combo platters for a taste of everything. After dinner, we went back to the memorial park and looked at the city view at night. The lights were so pretty and colorful!

We ended the night by staying in a northern suburb called Briarcliff at the Marriott Towne-Place Suites. It was a cheaper option than staying in the city itself with a clean and cozy atmosphere. Overall, KC was a lively and comforting city with yummy BBQ. Highly recommend it!

Day 5: Denver

After an 8.5 hour drive, we finally saw the glistening Rocky Mountains in the distance. We checked in to the Westin in Westminister (haha that goes together well) about 20 mins north of the city. I really liked the hotel - spacious room, clean bed, good location. Only downside is that wi-fi costed extra per day. Thankfully the cellular data came in handy. Also pro tip if you're looking to stay here - request a mountain view room. We unfortunately waited too long and ended up getting the east side view (which wasn't that bad to be honest). Once settled in, we had some time to spare and decided to grab some food downtown. For dinner, we went to Su Taco - a few blocks from Coors Field. The wait staff was super nice and even upgraded our table to the outdoor rooftop patio. We ordered these amazing chicken tacos, Birria tacos, and elote. The elote was pretty messy to eat, but was too good not to get creamy mayo all over our faces. After stuffing ourselves with tacos, we took a quick walk around and heavily debated going to the Rockies game. Your girl was feeling a bit lazy so we decided to make an audible to Cherry Creek (a small affluent district). It was a bit late when we got there, so most of the shops were closed. However, it was a great area to walk around in. I would recommend checking it out if your looking to shop or have a nice quiet dinner. A storm began to roll into the area so that was our sign to head back and get some rest for the next morning.

Day 6: Rocky Mountain National Park

Today was the day I was very excited and a bit anxious for. Our alarm clocks sounded off at about 7:00 AM, bright and early. We did a good amount of research before entering Rocky Mountain National Park. There are many different trails to head down depending on your hiking experience. I am no experienced hiker - so all of the trails we did were pretty manageable. To enter the park itself, we had to make an online "reservation" due to the COVID regulations. Our timed entry was at 9 AM and the park was about an hour from our hotel. We did not have to worry too much about getting a spot or long entry lines due to the timed entry pass. However, it is good practice to get there as early as you can. Before we started our drive to Estes Park, we decided to grab some breakfast and pre-made sandwiches for lunch. There are no restaurants in the park itself, so make sure to pack some goodies as there are plenty of places to picnic.

For the first part of the day, we decided to start with the Bear Lake Trail (probably the most popular). We then decided to continue on with the lake trails all the way up to Emerald lake. I recommend taking the shuttle up to Bear Lake as the parking lot near the trail usually fills up very early. The Bear Lake Trail was absolutely breathtaking. It is a very quick walk around the lake with stunning views. You will also probably run into some very friendly chipmunks who want to crawl up on you. But make sure not to feed them as it actually is harmful to their health :)

After Bear Lake, we started traveling up and up to see three other lakes (Nymph, Dream, and Emerald). The hike all the way to Emerald Lake and back was about 4.7 miles. It was a bit challenging at times due to the altitude change and thin air. It definitely had me huffing and puffing. Another challenge was the snowy paths. There was still a good amount of snow on the trails and my flat gym shoes were essentially ice skates. Piece of advice: wear hiking shoes that'll help with traction. I probably fell about five times but everyone else was going through the same struggle. Once you get to Emerald Lake, you are at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. It was simply incredible. One of my favorite sites of the whole trip. The way down was much more challenging than the way up with the snow acting like a slip and slide. I must say, it was a lot of fun! Another thing to note: rain storms are very common in the park and usually happen in the afternoons. The rain did not last too long and honestly was a nice cool down after the hike. Also - WEAR SUNBLOCK!!! I was dumb and thought "oh its cloudy and not too hot out" it'll be fine. Unfortunately, I was terribly wrong and still have a terrible sports bra tan from it. Protect your skin - even in overcast weather.

Before wrapping up our hikes for the day, we decided to hit one more hike that was about 0.7 miles roundtrip. The trail leads you to Alberta Falls and is a fairly easy hike overall. This trail tested our nerves for sure in a different way than the altitude. At essentially the start of the trail, we saw in elk in the bushes. Wanting to get a funny snap story, my boyfriend got a little too close for comfort. The elk showed us who was boss and began charging straight at us. Noted - don't mess with the elk. After safely running away as fast as we could, we finished the hike full of adrenaline. The falls itself was another beautiful site and a must see for sure.

Once we made it back to the car it was time for the drive I was dreading - Trail Ridge Road. You could say I was coerced into driving down the country's "highest paved road" by my family. The road leads you up about 12,000 feet to the Alpine visitor center. Slowly but surely, the road takes you up and up the mountain. Words cannot describe how terrifying yet serene the views were. I honestly was speechless and motionless during the drive. And for almost all of it, I could not look out the window. Was I being overdramatic? Maybe, but I also had never been on the side of a mountain before. If your afraid of heights... still do it! It really was worth it. I was having a mini panic attack almost the whole way up, but looking back it was an awesome experience. We visited the gift shop and picked up some goodies before heading back down the other side of the mountain to Granby. The road down was not as scary, and it allowed my blood pressure to rest for a second. For dinner, we stopped at a local burger joint called "Sloopy's" to indulge in some cheeseburgers and poppers. I loved the vibe of this place and it was a perfect meal to end the day.

That night we stayed in Breckenridge which was about a 2 hour drive from Granby. It felt like 30 mins though with the views along the way. In Breckenridge, we booked an Airbnb a few minutes away from Main St. It was a nice cozy studio perfect for a couple.

Day 7: Breckenridge

Ah the day of all days. This one was a good one. This was the day we planned an afternoon riding the rapids of the Arkansas River. Before driving to our excursion, we grabbed some breakfast in downtown Breck. We went to a joint called "Breck-fast" which I would recommend for a yummy breakfast burrito. Main St is perfect to walk down with plenty of shops to stop in for some swag. After walking around the town for a bit, we packed up and got ready for our drive to Buena Vista. This was where we would be meeting for the white water rafting tour. It was about a 1 hour drive but again - these drives feel so quick as there is so much to look at. We booked our rafting through a company called AVN. Originally, we were supposed to go on the "Browns Sizzler Canyon" tour, however, there were not enough people signed up for it. So, they moved us to another tour which essentially was the same thing. Rapids are classified in different classes. Starting with a class two (scenic floats) to class six (I can't even describe it, look on YouTube). The excursion we signed up for included class three rapids (which seemed manageable for a paranoid person like me). Sigh.

Before we set off to the river, we had some fajitas that were provided by the people at AVN. In order to get to the river, you take a school bus with the group (brought me back to college formals). We arrived to our destination and met our guide for the day. Who just so happened to be guiding his first official tour! Thankfully, we also had a trainer join our raft who was there "just in case things got hairy". Well they did so great call.

I had only been white water rafting once when I was younger. I saw plenty of younger kids on other rafts going down the river so that calmed my nerves. The first part of the river was not bad at all. I got my strokes down and was having a blast. The scenery was spectacular! There were a few times our raft got stuck on a rock or two, but nothing that didn't seem too frightening. We then got to some more intense rapids that got the blood pumping. However, I still felt totally secure and hopeful to come out of this experience unscarred. Until we got to the last stretch.

We pulled our rafts to the side to take a quick bathroom break. I chatted with our guide who assured me the rest of the trip should be smooth sailing, and the hardest rapid was already conquered. That was until we pulled off to the side AGAIN. But this time, the guides all ran ahead to check on the rapid we were approaching. "OOOOOO SHE"S MUNCHY TODAY" one of the guides shouted. That did not sound good.

Our guide made sure that all of our life vests were strapped on and our helmets were tightened. We were the last boat to go down this "mini waterfall" I'd call it. I saw each boat go down the rapid, seemingly with no troubles. I was confident. "RIGHT SIDE 1" the guide shouted as the raft entered the rapid. "HIGH SIDE, HIGH SIDE,-" and before I knew it our boat flipped completely. We were thrown into a swirling watering hole. I tried to swim up but all I got was water in my mouth. There was a moment of "Oh s***" as I saw my boyfriend drift down the rapid. It was like one of those dreams where you are motionless. There was a time of quietness where I saw my life flash before my eyes. And then someone pressed the fast forward bottom... before I knew it I was swimming towards the shore.

Even though that was one of the most traumatizing experiences of my life, I do recommend going white water rafting. I think the biggest thing to know is there is a good chance you will be swimming. Which I did not think was common. However, our guides told us that two other boats also capsized on another rapid earlier that day. The biggest thing is just to remain calm and know you will get out of it. AVN has an amazing team and our guides really made the experience a great time. They were super comforting after I fell in. You also can grab some great photos once you return to home base as well. My recommendations if you plan a rafting trip: go in the morning there is less wind/weather, get a pair of water shoes, be prepared to fall in, buy the expensive pictures to look back on, and have fun :)

We ended the day by taking a much needed shower and got dinner at a ski pub called Downstairs at Eric's. This was probably my favorite dinner place we went to. They have great pub food with an awesome atmosphere. I highly recommend the fried pickles, they were delicious! On top of this, we ordered a much needed beer but be warned. One beer will get you a bit tipsy due to the altitude (but hey I'm not complaining). The pub also has an arcade room which we took advantage of. Proud to say I won the first game of hoops :)

Day 8: Moab and Arches National Park

Before setting off to our third grand state of Utah, we made sure to do some research on Arches National Park. I think it is always a good idea to watch a few YouTube videos to familiarize yourself with the park before going. Not sure if my blog will be enough ;)

The number one thing we learned about this park is that it fills up fast. We decided to wake up at 5 AM to get a head start to the day and hopefully beat the rush. The drive from Breckenridge to Moab is about 5 total hours. We got there around 9:30 AM with high hopes. To our luck, there was a major flashing sign that read "PARK IS FULL - PLEASE TURN AROUND". We knew that the park filled up fast but THIS fast on a Tuesday?! Yes - during the summer months the park fills up very fast. Usually by the very early hours. However, after doing some stalking on their Twitter page, there seemed to be a pattern. Usually after the park gets to capacity, it opens back up within a few hours. On average, it will be open again around 11 AM - noon. A lot of people decide to go in the earlier hours to avoid very hot temperatures and potentially high winds. We went in the afternoon and it wasn't too unbearable. The temperature was only 90 degrees. Thankfully, they had water stations to fill up your water at some hiking points as well. The only thing that was a bit annoying was the wind. Especially with the sand, it can be a lot to handle. Once the day progressed, it did slowly calm down. So if you do not mind some wind and warmer temperatures, the afternoon is the time for you!

Overall, we did a lot of the easier hikes. We first started off my going to the viewpoint of Delicate Arch (the most notable feature of the park). To actually get up close to it requires a long and intensive hike. We decided to grab our binoculars and view it from a distance instead. Then we made our way to Devil's Garden to see Landscape Arch. I really enjoyed the walk, but it was definitely the most intense. To give our selves a break, we stopped at various viewpoints and did some of the shorter hikes along the drive. The really nice thing about this park is that you essentially drive through the whole thing. Then, you can stop at various points to see the arches and landscapes. The drive itself is just breathtaking. To end the adventure, we went to Balanced Rock and Double Arch. Double Arch is a MUST! It is a great photo opportunity and allows you to test your climbing skills. It was hands down the most beautiful thing I saw on the trip. Truly something you would see on Mars.

After a long day, we left the park and headed back to the hotel. After some convincing, my hubby convinced me to come back for the sunset. I was a bit scared to return to the park at night, however, it worked out well. We chose a nice spot near Balanced Rock with our Cliq Chairs (they are so convenient - def check them out). There were a lot of people also watching the sunset so I felt a bit more comfortable. We left at around 9 PM to pick up some delicious pasta from Pasta Jay's. It was so yummy and perfect to eat in our king bed. We chose to stay at the Hoodoo Moab, which was just recently opened. It is definitely more on the pricey side, but it was marvelous with an amazing pool. I thought it was worth the price bump!

Day 9: Bryce Canyon

This was a last minute decision on our end. However, it was one of the best choices we made. Bryce was about a 4 hour drive from our hotel. We grabbed some McDonald's breakie and headed on our way. Tip - make sure you double check the route you are taking. We ended up taking a route that probably only saved us 20 ish minutes? However, it was truly in the middle of NO WHERE. I was a bit unsettled as I like to be on more populous roads (especially for this long ride). Just in case we needed to stop for food, gas, or a bathroom. There was absolutely nothing accept for one really small town. The road was also very narrow with lots of twist and turns. I would recommend taking the route with the more established highway.

Once we finally arrived, we parked at the first main parking lot. This is a great place to have a picnic and use the restrooms (they actually flush unlike most). The views of the canyon are absolutely incredible. Bryce is known for its "Hoodoo" structures. As we were unable to make it to the Grand Canyon, this was a great substitute. We chose to do the Navajo Loop Trail and started on the side with "Wall Street". It is a pretty steep decline into the canyon, but the path was pretty easy to manage. Going up though can be a doozy - I would recommend going down this side rather than up. The trail itself was wonderful with amazing vegetation and views. At one point it got super windy. So windy I had to hold onto a tree. But hey, it was worth it. The end of the hike can be a bit challenging with the incline so make sure you bring lots of water and sunblock. We got chased by a giant bug so it was some good motivation to get up the path fairly quickly.

The trail took up most of the day, but we decided to end with driving all the way to Rainbow Point. There were many different observation points to stop at on the way (I highly recommend hitting a few). The drive to Rainbow Point is also so beautiful. If your looking for a snack, there was a hotdog food truck in the lot at Rainbow Point. We chose to hold off for dinner though.

After our day came to an end, we headed to our next stop: Orderville. There are a few places you can stay around Zion National Park. The park itself is located within the town of Springdale. Orderville is about an hour drive to Zion. I had heard of this amazing resort through social media that looked like the perfect place called the East Zion Resort. The resort has many different lodging options including Glamping Tents, Yurts, Mini Houses, and Tree Top Houses (which we stayed in). Again, it is fairly pricey to stay here but it is SO worth it. Only disclaimer, you are in the middle of nowhere. The town is very tiny with little to no restaurants. There essentially is one small gas station and one small grocery store. It was a bit challenging to find a dining spot as most places were closed on a Wednesday. For dinner, we decided to head to Kanab which was about a 25 min drive away. There were a lot of dining options and few places for grocery as well. Kanab is another great option if your looking to stay near the park. A lot of the food places were packed, so we decided to make a nice home cooked meal at our resort: brats, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and macaroni salad. I may or may not have dropped a whole mashed potatoes container on the ground beforehand...

Our lodging came with a grill and a microwave. All we needed to chef up an amazing dinner. There was a nice little balcony with a table and two seats allowing us to dine while watching the beautiful sunset. Our tree top house itself was amazing. It was the most comfortable bed I had slept in during the trip. Not to mention it had a stargazing window right above the bed! Honestly.... goals. The whole place was nicely kept and felt super cozy. Once the sun set, the real show came out. The stars were incredible. We sat there in awe. It truly was one of the most amazing things - it was just wow. I am a huge astrology guru, so I loved getting to look and try to find all the constellations. Not to mention being able to look at them while laying in bed. Definitely crossed that off my bucket list.

Day 10: Zion National Park and UTV in Page

The day had finally come to visit the much talked about park of Zion. This was another place we heard that had massive lines. It was also a bit different from the other parks as you have to take a shuttle to get to the main hiking points. I believe ~ we entered the park from the back and slowly drove to the main entrance. The drive is again, a great sight seeing experience with some tunnels on the way. Once we got to the main entrance around 8 AM, we found that the main lot was full (of course). We parked in another lot which required you to pay. It was about $30, but definitely convenient. Out lot filled up relatively quick, so I recommend getting to the park no later than 8 AM. Right near our spot was a little breakfast place called Cafe Soleil. Get the breakfast burrito! It's a good idea to grab some hot breakfast before entering the park. The line for the shuttles was already swamped. Thankfully, they just keep coming and we did not have to wait more than 25 mins to hop on one.

The first stop we made was at the Emerald Pools. We only went to the lower one to save ourselves for other hikes. It is a quick and easy trail with a really cool water fall to see. After that, we hopped back on the shuttle to head to the Temple of Sinawava. Looking at the hikes Zion had to offer, we were unsure what to do. Angel's Landing is one of the most popular hikes at the park. However major disclaimer, you are quite literally on the side of a cliff with straight drop offs holding a chain as support. Again, if you are a thrill seeker go for it. For someone like me, I gladly passed and chose to view the structure from the bottom. There is also the renowned Narrows. The map guide said that the Narrows hike could last up to 8 hours. Therefore, we initially settled on doing the River Walk which leads to the Narrows.

When we got to the end of the River Walk trail, we saw the brave folks starting their trek down the river. Right as we were about to head back, someone came up to us and said "You have to do it". Before you knew it, we were trekking down the Narrows along a flowing river. Essentially, you can follow the Narrows up to 3 miles. At some points, the water is so high it reaches your waist. We decided to only go down a bit then turned back once it started getting a bit more deep. Most people rent special shoes and a walking stick to help navigate the rocks of the river. If you plan to do the Narrows all out, I think getting these items would be wise. If you just want to get a quick sneak peak and don't mind soaking your tennis shoes, you should be fine. Overall, I definitely would say the Narrows are a must see. Truly an astonishing scene of nature.

We left our last national park and drove to our last state; Arizona. We were going to be staying two nights in Page, which was about an 1.5 hour drive from Zion. Our last stay was an Airbnb right near downtown Page. It was a newly remolded apartment with an awesome bathroom and clean atmosphere. The place also had a mini notebook for guests to write about their travels. Go and check it out to try and find our note! Soon after arriving, we got ready for our Sunset UTV tour. We booked our tour through Epic Adventure Rides and specifically did the Vermilion Cliffs excursion (1.5 hours). The touring company was great. Our guides were the nicest and kept us laughing throughout. They helped take pictures and offered an awesome history lesson throughout the tour. It was my first time on a UTV, so I decided to stay in the passenger seat the whole time. It is quite bumpy so girls... I'd recommend wearing a sports bra. Our time ended with a sunset over the desert. The colors were so vibrant with the different oranges and reds reflecting off the rock. We even got to see some lizards and owls along our ride as well. This experience is a must!

After whipping around the desert, it was time to fill our tummies. We got dinner at a fried-chicken spot called BirdHouse. O M G it was delicious! Quite possibly my favorite establishment we ate at. Y'all thought Cane's was good?! We got tenders, legs, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese. Everything was 10/10. Make sure to order each one of the sauces, they are so good!!

Day 11: Lake Powell

Last but not least was our day at Lake Powell. Highly anticipated for sure. We decided to rent some jet skies and explore what the intergalactic-esque lake had to offer. Originally, we wanted to rent our jet skies from Wahweap marina (the main marina on the lake). However, everything was booked. Therefore, we made an audible to rent from another place called h20 zone. This rental facility is about 10 mins from the lake and requires you to launch the watercraft on your own. At first, it seemed a bit daunting. But if you're up for the challenge definitely do it! They provide you everything you need, including a tow vehicle. We chose to get their nicest and fastest models (which helped in our favor). The people there are super nice and helpful. They give you everything you need and walk you through where to go and what places you should visit. I got to give all the credit to the beau as he was the MVP at getting everything in the water. The launch ramp is a bit chaotic with boats coming in and out. The key is to just take your time and not panic (maybe I'll have him write an article on how to launch a jet ski, stay tuned). Once we got settled in the water, it was go time. This was my first time jet skiing. It was always something I really wanted to do. Let me say, it is pretty scary yet tons of fun. The key is you need to go fast in order to avoid possibly flipping. The lake was very busy with boats all over. If it is your first time jet skiing I honestly would recommend a calmer lake. I truly thought the lake was a lot more remote with less traffic and no waves. However, it is quite the opposite. It truly is beautiful do not get me wrong. It was just a bit terrifying for a virgin PWC rider like me. Here's why:

• As I mentioned there are a lot of boats including massive house boats on the water. There are a lot of wakes created and you need to be very cautious of your surroundings.

• Once you start to get into the canyon areas, the waves get massive. You enter what is known as the "bathtub" where you will get thrown around all over. We had the biggest jet skies and I was still peeing my bikini. It was so bad, I had to turn back. The waves reached about five feet.

What I would recommend is if your a new rider: reconsider it and just know it will be a wavy ride. If you like the thrill definitely do it! If you're a more chill person like me, consider renting a kayak to go see Antelope Canyon. Additionally, you could rent a jet ski and just focus on staying in the bay areas. There are no waves there and it is a lot more smoother. There are also multiple beaches you can lounge at as well.

After successfully returning our water space ships, we went back to the Airbnb to freshen up before dinner. To watch the sunset, we made a quick drive over to Horseshoe Bend. It is a $10 entry fee but do not let that turn you away. After a short walk, you will see a magnificent view of the Colorado River. It is a great place to watch the sunset! Afterwards, we grabbed some grub at a BBQ joint called Big John's Texas BBQ. I LOVED it. I got a pulled chicken sandwich with potato salad and baked beans. It was a very simple place where you sit on benches and eat off paper plates. It was a great vibe and even better way to end our stay in Page.

Day 12: Homeward Bound

I won't bore you with the long drive back towards home. Essentially, from Page we left for Denver. It was about a 10 hour drive total. We stayed at the same hotel we did before and successfully snatched ourselves a mountain view. For dinner, we decided to splurge and get some Sushi in the Lodo area at a place called Blue Sushi Sake Grill. It was so yummy and had great saki!

The next day we drove back to my boyfriend's house in St. Louis. This was a pretty hefty drive coming in at 12.5 hours. It honestly, went by pretty quickly. We stopped in Kansas City to pick up the lost pillow we left at the hotel. Then decided to get some Shake Shack for dinner. Once we arrived back home, we ate some yummy home cooked dumplings and got a much needed night of rest. We gave ourselves another day in St. Louis to decompress after heading back to Chicago. Never rush the driving, it always is a good idea to give yourself an extra day.

Final Takeaways

Words cannot describe how much I would recommend taking this trip. The way we chose to do it was, I'll admit, a bit pricey. We decided to splurge and stay at nicer places as we hadn't travelled for a year due to quarantine. There are many ways you can save and not spend as much as we did in the end. Some major ways to take this trip in a more budget-friendly fashion would be to avoid eating out, stay at lower priced hotels, and potentially camp at some of these sites.

Something that surprised me the most was the driving aspect. I honestly never felt burnt out when it came to driving. Kudos to my boyfriend for doing the majority of it, but I think we both could say it was 100% manageable. The drives honestly were one of the best parts. We got to see breathtaking scenery and have amazing conversations. It was a time for us to learn new things about each other and open up. I honestly think that is something lacking these days. Good old fashioned conversation.

As I mentioned throughout, there were a few "unsettling" times that pushed my anxiety levels. I am someone who gets easily paranoid about things. I overall like a thrill, but sometimes it can be a bit much. It takes a lot to step out of my comfort zone, and this trip was definitely exhilarating. However, it taught me it is okay to get scared at certain times. For example, the jet ski incident. It got to a point where I pushed myself too far and I needed to turn back. At first I felt ashamed, but in the end I was proud of myself for getting on that thing. Push yourself to try new things. Even though they may seem scary, you will look back and be happy you did them. Along with this, know your boundaries. It is ok to give something a try and end up not liking it. It is better to try something, than to never try it at all. Live in the present. Enjoy the moment as it comes. Put your phone down. Take in nature and its beauties. There is truly so much more to life than what we have engraved ourselves in. Get outside and get some fresh air.

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments. I would love to hear if any of y'all decide to pursue this trip!