Travelling down memory lane

November 20, 2020

Reflection: What experiences have I had that I am grateful for?

Today I am grateful for... memories.

Challenge: Find joy in taking a trip down memory lane. 

Today, I found myself taking a trip down memory lane. Reminiscing through old photos from trips we've taken, and travels that brought us some incredible experiences. Some scrolling led to more scrolling, and next thing I know, I’m fully down the rabbit hole in a whole other decade. As I made my way through my photos, I felt an immense sense of gratitude.

My husband and I have been together for almost 14 years. When we wed in 2015, we knew we wanted to take a few years to ourselves to just BE, and BE together. From our fixer-upper to our travels, and all the fun in between, I am so, so, SO glad we did this before having children!

Our adventures started somewhat simple and cliché...Vegas, Mexico, Florida. But after honeymooning in Maui, it was clear we’d been bit by the travel bug and we quickly became the couple who had their next adventure booked before they returned from their current one. And we loved it!

Here’s some of my favorites, and what I loved about them:

Banff, CA: From having tea in the mountains near Lake Louise to hiking the emerald triangle, this trip by-far rises to the top when it comes to outdoor adventure. This is where we truly fell in love with hiking, and the sites here are unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

Kauai: From hiking sea cliffs, to ascending forest-filled mountains, to relaxing on the beach, Kauai is truly a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too location. We spent 8-days exploring all the beauty this island has to offer and it was one of my favorite trips we’ve ever taken. I believe this is also where we fell in love with the idea of becoming mom and dad, as we had just found out we were pregnant. We went on to lose that baby, but this place will always hold a special place in my heart because of that.

Colorado: Colorado is one of my favorite locations because, living in the midwest, it’s one of our easiest accesses to the deep mountain air I so-often crave. A quick 1-hour flight and you're in the foothills in no time! We’ve been there a handful of times, but one of my favorites was when we hiked Rocky Mountain National Park in the middle of December. It was a fresh perspective on the hiking we’d typically done there, and there’s just something awe-inspiring about a big frozen lake at the base of a mountain.

Fast-forward to 2020, and things look quite a bit different now. We don’t travel as much physically , but our 1-year old son, Calvin, has shown us a whole new world and takes us on an adventure every day! (A very different type of adventure, but it certainly feels like I’ve hiked a mountain at the end of some days Haha.) Paired with a global pandemic, travel hasn’t played as significant of a role in our lives as it has in the past. But this fun trip down memory lane posed an opportunity for gratitude, and a nice mental vacation for the joys of those memories.

XO

SS