mossyfawnron

Surprise, I moved! My boyfriend Don and I packed our cars with as much as we could fit, plunked our cats in the passenger seats, and drove from Denver to Seattle. Here’s a post about that roadtrip and how we’re settling in.

Why did we move? The short answer is Donovan’s new job, but the long answer is that my heart has been yearning for a change for a while now. I was born in Denver, and never left Colorado for more than 10 days at a time, for various trips. I needed a change of scenery, a change of pace, a new opportunity. Washington just happens to be my dream place to live as well as a good Mecca of jobs for Don’s career path. I love rain, lush greenness, and I dislike snow. I know, a Coloradan that hates snow?? It’s wild but it’s me.

The trip was 20 hours and almost 1400 miles. We spaced it out over 3 days, and we drove about 7-8 hours each day.

Day 1 – September 30th

We woke up at 5am ish, and packed our cars with what was left of our apartment. We left a note saying sorry for the mess, we didn’t have time to clean much. By 6am it was empty, our cars were full, to the point where I couldn’t use my rear view mirror at all (a bean bag was blocking my back window). I relied on my side mirrors the entire trip, which I think is a feat haha.

We stopped for breakfast at Qdoba (horrible- I heavily prefer Chipotle) in Glenwood Springs, CO. Then we went to Palisade, CO and walked around downtown a bit. Palisade is home of the best peaches I’ve ever tasted. We drove through a storm after we crossed the border to Utah, and stopped for the night just outside Salt Lake City in a hotel.

Day 2 – October 1st

We started the day bright and early and got some coffee before driving to the border of Idaho. We would drive in spurts of about 2-3 hours and then stop to let the cats out, stretch our legs, eat, and/or use the bathroom.

One of my favorite stops was a rest stop in Idaho that was absolutely surrounded by juniper bushes and smelled AMAZING. It was the most beautiful fresh scent, and as we got to Boise I found more good smells. We went to an apothecary attached to a grocery store, and I got a souvenir: a rollerball perfume. We got back on the road and got riiight across the Oregon border, when we rested for the night. I brought my plants inside because they looked a bit parched from the drive!

Day 3 – October 2nd

The day started and we drove to get breakfast in Oregon, at a place along the historic Oregon trail, the weather was starting to be wonderfully misty. Afterward, we passed the border to Washington and found a roadside market called Fruit Antiques in Thorp, WA. I simply had to stop there, so I radio’d Donovan and we turned around to go inside.

I forgot to mention- we had walkie talkies to communicate the whole time. My idea. It was brushed off in September leading up to this trip, but Don relented right before we left and got two radios. He since admitted it was the “best idea” because it was very easy to talk and we felt less alone in separate cars!

Eventually, we made it to Seattle… the cats got to explore their new home, and we took a big sigh of relief that we made it.

Since then, we have been unpacking. It’s been a month we’ve been here now, and it’s been interesting. I love the weather, I love all the sights and attractions this city has to offer. It’s a gold mine of new experiences, exactly what I needed!!

I start school on December 1st. I finally decided to get training to become a nail tech… a hobby I’ve loved for years, a career that was right in front of me but I never chased until now. I’ll be going to a beauty college, it’s expensive, but Don is pulling some strings to make it so I can go. I’m endlessly grateful for him. I have gotten nothing but support from family and friends to take this step and I’m beyond excited!