And just like that our 2024 road trip has come to an end after 7,817mi across 21 states (some 2x) in just a little over 2mo. Mowgli and I are back home and definitely enjoying the warmer temperatures and being out of the car!
Each year, I intentionally plan a different route for viewing new scenery, finding new stops, and making new friends. This adventure we added 6 new states to the list, even if some were just for a minute, or because I missed an interchange. That puts us at a total now of 24 states driven through I have to say tho, the final leg kicked my ass! It was the longest and most exhausting of them all! When I drove from MS to WA back in 2021, it was a lot of miles, but I gained 2hrs which made it not feel as long. This time however, I lost those 2 hours, so in order to make it in 3 days, we averaged around 900mi and 15hrs each day. I feel hungover
This trip was filled with so many amazing moments and memories. We celebrated my niece’s 13th birthday, my dad’s 70th, my granddaughters 1st along, with my birthday and some friends too. We also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Wright Brother’s Band, enjoyed a concert with a friend, and got to see the beautiful and talented miss Haley Mae Suiter perform twice. 
I was blessed to spend quality time with 3 grandmother’s (which is a big deal at 47yo!) and meet the newest family member Daxton born on 8/8. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the night 6 vivacious women shut down the OG El Gitano. First off, I was out with 5 of my favorite humans for a girls night and secondly, it was in a restaurant I’ve been going most of my life. It was like I stepped into a time capsule and memories came flooding back. I even asked one of the waitresses how long she’s worked there because I don’t remember a time when she wasn’t there and her answer was 35 years. Needless to say, this trip was all the feels.
We stopped at state parks, lakes/rivers, dog parks, soccer fields and even a rock garden. Mowgli played in the Yellowstone River, yelled at cows, chased deer, met his favorite new bestie Sam, reconnected with his girlfriend Oakley, and was extremely confused when he met a horse statue at an amish trading post. He was also loved on, cuddled with, and occasionally beaten on by tiny humans
When the weather was nice enough, Finnley and I would take the dogs outside to play. It became such a routine that Finn would yell at me if she thought I would dare to go without her, which of course Grandma would never do lol. We shared lots of lullabies and rock-a-byes, lots of babble and laughter, and even managed to sleep train so mama can get some much needed rest.
Even tho I sadly missed the northern lights, I saw some incredible sunrises and experienced the most spectacular sunset I’ve ever seen. It was so red it looked like the mountain was on fire. Oh, and it looks like I drove over snow covered mountain passes to get home just in time for a tropical storm with the potential of becoming a hurricane. It’s all good tho, cause I spent this afternoon in my pool followed by turning like a rotisserie chicken grounded in the grass soaking up the
On my trip last year, I hosted a workshop for a group women. I saw one of those women again on this trip and she gifted me a sign she found that made her think of me. It contains the definition of inspire, which is so fitting considering this trip kicked off Empowerment on the Move!
In short, it was amazing and now please excuse me while I go unpack, sort thru 2mo of mail, and maybe even take a nap!
Here’s to another week of living your life by design, not by default!
