PNW road trips changed me
Before moving to the Pacific Northwest (aka the PNW as the cool kids call it), I never really took any road trips. There, I said it. Traveling always meant taking a flight or train, never driving by myself, especially into wilderness or unknown destinations. I had been an introvert, thriving on conformity, a crazy cat lady who likes to stay home in yoga pants (the introvert and the cat lady part still remains true till today). Seattle changed everything—it made me fall in love with spontaneous road trips, become more active and adventurous, embrace changes, get out of my comfort zone, and appreciate mother nature—and for that I will forever be grateful.
The first road trip we took was 5 months after we moved to Seattle—we went to Olympic National Park (saved stories and pictures on Instagram for those of you who only started following me recently). I did most of the driving that trip—I remember driving through the misty fog when we first approached the Olympic Peninsula; I remember driving up the winding road to Hurricane Ridge with a bald eagle flying above us, I remember finding awe in the grand nature for the first time like it was yesterday. Ever since then, we have pretty much averaged 1 road trip per month. There is just so much to see here in the PNW, and all within driving distance from Seattle.
It’s not just about the destination but also the journey, being on the road is nothing short of a thrilling adventure all by itself—surrounded by sea, lakes, rivers, Douglas firs, and majestic mountains, sometimes driving onto a ferry and sailing across the sound—it’s not only easy on the eyes it’s also good for the souls.
I do plan on writing a blog post on every road trip we have taken and will take in the future, from every Washingtonian’s pilgrimage Mount Rainier, to the exotic Bavarian-style village Leavenworth, to the often-ranked “the best city to live in the world” Vancouver Canada, to Cannon Beach on Oregon coast where a group of elks often stop by and admire the haystack rocks. I want to write about them all so I can revisit the memories that make life worth living.
Like Timothy Egan wrote in The Good Rain (a gorgeous book about life in the Pacific Northwest), “In the Northwest, where the mountains meet the Pacific, Winthrop prophesied that a special breed would predominate, one infused with the spirit of the land.” I myself have been infused with the spirit of this land, and I wish anyone who has enjoyed my blog one day gets to experience this magic.
