For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to see a field of flowers at the base of a majestic mountain. A couple of years ago I saw that dream become my reality when I trekked a small portion of Mount Rainer and wrote about it here.

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After years of dreaming, imagining, and wishing, I’d finally experienced my field of flowers. But instead of being satisfied and content I left feeling immense sadness. I truly believe we all belong somewhere on this earth that makes our senses feel alive and sets our souls free. And when you find that place and then leave that place you’re likely to feel as if the oxygen keeping your heart beating, has been stripped from you.

Rather than plummet to the depths of my own despair, I reasoned with my once free spirit that we would return for a visit. But I knew that a visit would never be enough.

Big Daddy and I are dreamers. We take on adventures like others drink coffee. When the proverbial cup of coffee is presented to us, we take it.

On a warm night in June, Big Daddy and I went for a walk. Walks at night can be so cathartic. Especially when you walk hand in hand with your best friend and wild dreamer.  We ended the night on our rocking chairs out back on the porch. We talked about where we’d like to live (which is a very popular past time for us). And I reminded him of our dreams of taking a huge road trip out west. And after several contemplative minutes in our rocking chairs I explained that when I look out (over the trees) I imagine that I’m out west looking at trees twice as high and 10 times as thick around. I imagine the sounds and I imagine how great the cool air must feel. And while I was still mentally out west, Big Daddy started to agree with me. He acknowledged that he made me a promise to take me out west and that too many years had passed without making good on that promise.

I smiled knowing that it was already mid June and this promise would have to wait.

The next day Big Daddy had a serious twinkle in his eye and showed me all the places we could go on our Big Trip Out West or BTOW as it would later be called. I admit I wasn’t fully believing in my dreamer husband but somewhere between the excel spreadsheet itinerary and talk about buying a tent, I was all in.

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We traveled a total of 8,450 miles in 30 days from North Georgia to Seattle, Washington and back. We camped in a tent, roughed it in a bare essentials cabin, relaxed in a condo, recuperated in a hotel, and fell in love with a rustic guest house. It was a trip of a lifetime. I documented a fraction of our trip via Instagram. You can follow me @ccleahy or search #Bigtripoutwest or #wildwildwest for all of our Instagram photos.

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Don’t worry if you don’t have Instagram or don’t have the time to go back to check out the pics. I’ll be giving you more photos of our trip this week. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this Seinfeld reference of Desperado/Witchy Woman. The way this guy responds to the song Desperado is the way I respond to the idea of living out west.

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3 Responses

  1. karen@somewhatquitkydesign

    So glad you experienced this. I’m sure there will be many more…..

    Reply

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