In late 2020, in the midst of the Covid pandemic, I embarked on a road trip that lasted 194 days and took me and Sophie through 17 states. I reconnected with old friends and met many new ones, hiked A LOT, skied some new to me mountains, explored numerous national parks, drove down some pretty epic two-lane roads, soaked up vortex energy in Sedona, wallowed in hot springs, found fossilized marine life, camped in the desert, played on a tree swing in a forest high above lake Tahoe, walked through ice filled railroad tunnels, sat mesmerized watching sunsets along the Oregon coast, all the while transitioning into a sober lifestyle. It was a trip of transitions. Of people coming into my life, and others permanently leaving. Of facing hard truths about myself, both good and not so good. I found strength and resilience when I thought I was tapped out, persevered through fear of the unknown time and time again, never once pooped my pants in public (a totally real fear of mine), and most importantly got to experience all of this with the best adventure pup a girl could ask for. I don’t know when my next road trip will be, but with each year that goes by, the call of the road grows louder.