Escaping the Everyday

Can you believe it’s already been a year since I launched my blog?!

Over the past year, I’ve hit so many exciting milestones with blogging—views, likes, comments, and even monetization! But the milestones haven’t just been digital. Our real-life adventures have been just as incredible, and I thought now would be the perfect time for a little year-in-review to celebrate everything we’ve experienced.

It’s wild to think about where this all started. Jake and I made the bold decision to get married, quit our jobs, sell most of our belongings, and head out west with nothing but a fully packed Rogue and our beloved animals. Our original plan was to hop from state to state, but as life would have it, we faced more roadblocks than we expected. Little did we know—we’d fall in love with our very first destination. That unexpected twist ended up being the best thing for our careers, our relationship, and the future we’re building together.

I’m so excited to take a look back at some of our favorite adventures (and maybe a few not-so-favorite moments too). For those of you who are new around here, this is a chance to catch up on everything that’s happened before you joined us on this journey.

We traveled 2,968 miles to reach our new home in Bozeman, Montana. Along the way, we made a few pit stops in Nashville and St. Louis to visit family—and got to meet our niece for the very first time!

Arriving in Bozeman

April 12, 2024 — we finally made it to Montana! At exactly 5 PM, we rolled into Bozeman, our new home base. The drive in was absolutely stunning—miles of mountain views and rolling hills that made us even more excited the closer we got to our rental.

And then… we got there.

Do you remember that moment? We walked into the place, looked around, and it was disgusting. There were stains and dirt all over the floors and countertops. And—get this—hens were actually living inside the house. HENS. It was so bad that Cassie started eating random things off the floor. Definitely not the “cozy mountain landing pad” we had envisioned.

Thankfully, we didn’t stay long. We ended up finding a cabin tucked away in the woods that felt like home the second we stepped inside. It was everything we needed—quiet, warm, and exactly the reset we were hoping for.

One of the first hikes we did after settling in was the Drinking Horse Mountain Trail in Bozeman, MT. It’s a fairly easy trail, but the views are absolutely beautiful. Plus, it’s dog-friendly, a huge win for us and the pup.

The stats for the trail:

• Distance: 2.54 miles
• Elevation gain: 735 ft
• Duration: 1 hour and 2 minutes
• Average pace: 24 minutes/mile

If you’re ever in Bozeman and looking for a chill, scenic trail with great views, this is the one.

Deciding to LIVE in Bozeman

We had both been feeling the effects of living without a solid routine or schedule. Jake especially missed the sober community he had built in Portland, ME—it had been such an important part of his daily life and support system.

With our original plan, adjusting to each new place took time, and just as we started to settle in, it was already time to pack up and move again. That constant change turned out to be more stressful than we expected. Instead of fully enjoying Montana, we found ourselves focused on planning the next move and searching for a new place to live—which really cut into the time we could’ve spent exploring.

So, we made a big decision:

We stayed in Bozeman for a full year!

We found an apartment, signed a lease, and honestly, it felt so good. This decision made sense for us both mentally and financially. It gave us the space to truly explore Bozeman without the pressure of planning our next destination right away.

Plus, a lot of the other places we wanted to visit are just five to ten hours away, so we can still take weekend trips or week-long getaways without uprooting our entire lives again.

Having a home base brought us peace of mind and that alone felt like a huge step forward.

New Hobbies

Trail Running

Trail running is huge in Bozeman. But here, “trail running” isn’t just a jog through the woods—it basically means running up mountains. So naturally, Jake and I thought, “What the heck, let’s give it a shot!”

We picked a shorter, less intense trail to ease into it: the College “M” Trail right here in Bozeman. It’s about 2.5 miles round trip with roughly 800 feet of elevation gain—a good intro, or so we thought.

It felt amazing once we finished, but dang, it was tough. We started with a slow jog up the mountain, which quickly turned into a power walk and then back into a slow jog.

Still, the views were totally worth it, and we felt pretty proud once we made it to the top.

History Rock Trail

The History Rock Trail was one of the most beautiful trails we’ve tackled. Nestled in the backcountry just outside of Bozeman along Hyalite Canyon, it felt like we were running through an untouched slice of Montana. The scenery was stunning, but the trail was a bit more eerie. There weren’t many people on the path, so it felt pretty quiet and isolated.

We decided to do this one together, mostly because the idea of running through the woods with hardly anyone around gave us that spooky but cool vibe. There’s something about being out there in the wild that gives you a mix of excitement and caution. But once we got into the rhythm, it was pure magic.

Swimming

When we adopted Cassie, who would’ve thought she’d be learning to swim in Montana? We’ve been taking her to different dog parks to see what she likes, and we ended up finding her favorite one—just five minutes from home.

It’s called Gallatin Regional Dog Park, and it’s amazing. There’s a huge fenced-in area, and right in the middle is a pond with a dog beach and a dock. We know Cassie loves it because the second we open the gate, she gets the biggest case of the zoomies with the biggest smile on her face. It melts our hearts every time.

Anyway, we quickly realized that Cassie had no clue how to swim. She went completely vertical in the water, splashing like crazy with her front paws. Let’s just say… she didn’t get very far.

So, we got her a life jacket.

National Parks

Yellowstone National Park

Wow, this place was absolutely breathtaking. We knew Yellowstone was famous for its wildlife, but I honestly wasn’t expecting much. Turns out, it’s unlike any other national park I’ve ever been to.

As soon as we entered the park, we turned a corner near the main area with the gift shops, hotel, and welcome center, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Right there, in the middle of all the hustle and bustle, was an elk just casually munching on grass. At first, I thought it had to be a statue. But then its head moved.

It was wild, in the best way.

I felt like a little kid seeing wildlife for the first time, completely amazed by everything around me.

Then we spotted a herd of bison, which was so cool. Some of them were massive, and there were also little babies, called red dogs, running around. They were absolutely adorable.

Being in Yellowstone in person, you realize that pictures just don’t do it justice.

Slough Creek Trail

Slough Creek is a 20-mile out-and-back trail, but we only did about 7 miles. We had planned to go farther, but the bugs were pretty intense. That said, with all the bugs, it was still totally worth it.

On our way back to the car, Jake suddenly stopped and said, “Look!!” And sure enough, there was another bear right off the path! We think it was a smaller grizzly, but we weren’t about to get close enough to confirm.

The bear was right around the bend if you were coming the other way. Jake noticed there was a group of people coming towards the bear and thankfully he started waving his hands to get their attention. There would be no way they’d see the bear until it was right in front of them.

We ended up bushwhacking a little off the trail to get around, always keeping our eyes on him. We met the people as they were crossing too, and they were so thankful Jake said something! The older guy let us use his binoculars to look at the bear and it was seriously the coolest experience! Talk about an adrenaline rush.

We kept our eyes on that bear the whole time until it was well out of sight. Always carrying our bear spray as well. The bear was just hanging out munching on some grass, so we continued on and made it safely back to the car.

Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces

On our way back home, we stopped at the Mammoth Hot Springs. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like it.

We walked along a wooden bridge, and if you looked around, there were signs everywhere warning of hazardous ground. We’re still not entirely sure why there were so many warnings, but we assumed it had something to do with the geothermal pools surrounding us.

Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park, located in southwestern South Dakota, has a rich history that spans millions of years. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Lakota, who called it mako sica, meaning “bad lands,” because of its rugged terrain and extreme weather conditions. The park’s stunning geological formations were shaped over millions of years through the deposition and erosion of sedimentary rock layers.

When Jake and I were driving back from Boston through South Dakota, we quickly realized there weren’t many gas stations along the way. So, it’s best to refuel whenever you get the chance, no matter how full your tank is.

I spotted a sign for a gas station and pulled off, noticing another sign for Badlands National Park. Jake was napping, but when I stopped the car, he woke up. I jokingly said, “We’re going to Badlands National Park!” and immediately followed it up with, “Just kidding.”

While I was refueling, Jake mentioned, “You know, the park is only 10 minutes away.” Despite my strong desire to head home after driving for over 24 hours, we both realized this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the national park. After all, there’s no way we’d choose to visit South Dakota during our free time. There’s not much to see, and the weather gets pretty chilly in the winter.

Certain trails prohibited dogs to the high presence of rattlesnakes. Based on our research in Bozeman, we understood that rattlesnakes are generally not active when temperatures are below freezing. Consequently, we felt comfortable taking Cassie for a brief walk. We were the only ones walking around, likely because it was so early in the morning.

Part Two – Coming Soon!

I’ve realized that Jake and I have packed so much into the past year that I’ll have to recap our journey in at least three parts. I hope you enjoy revisiting the past year with us!