Meng & Munchkins

     The first time I saw the ocean I was 19 years old. My best friend and I were on a road trip to her home state of California. There I was on the beaches of Huntington Beach, just in awe. It was perfect, it was pure and the ultimate freedom. I didn't even think it was real at first. My only representation of the ocean and sunny beaches were in movies and TV shows.

    But here I was reaching out to landscape I didn't have the capacity to imagine. It was real, a wondering scene of life. 

    In Idaho, you are surrounded at every angle of a snowcapped mountain. Block your view, North, East, South, West. It was countless trips to West Yellowstone, a national treasure. Or maybe trips to the biggest cities were four hours away. But I grew to resent those mountains, I envisioned them as a prison. Big beautiful bars, I couldn't go past. That is what living in a small town, and a past tense state gives you when you live in it for twenty-plus years. 

    It put a barrier on my mind. Something I felt I couldn't surpass. 

    I am beyond grateful for the experience that this friend gave me. She opened my eyes to a new world, a different place. It didn't matter if I fit in or not, because no one was looking. No one was judging my steps, hesitant to the sandy shore. I held myself back and wondered if the glorious scene before me, was meant for me. A simple gift, an offering of confidence and experience. 

 I remember it was my mom that took my sister and me on long car rides to search out adventures. We were weekend voyagers hoping to discover momentums. There are a few that come to mind, Virginia City, Montana, sleeping in a haunted hotel after the haunted ghost walk through town. 

My mother was devious and comedic in her attempt to make memories so frightening for little girls we would never forget them. There was also another drive to Silver City, Idaho. A place is so desolate that the warning signs were biblical. First, the locust lined the road, painting it with their large bodies for a few miles. Then the hovering vultures, rotating in formation above our heads as we entered the small city. Once stepping foot into the only hotel, not a soul would greet us. Though the bar was full, we believe they were all ghosts and reminded us we really shouldn't be there. 

It is places and scenes like these that make us remember the sense of discovery is a tiny seed. Planted and grows with each step in the unknown. 

Photo by Nadia Jamnik on Unsplash

 I have felt guilty for a lot of things in my life as a mother. 

Working too much, not spending enough quality time with my kids. Placing them in daycare when I used to be a Stay-at-home-mom. But I wonder where this new dream came from. 

I was sitting at work, in December wanting out of my current job, out of my current situation. I've been writing books since I graduated high school in 2010. But I probably have been writing stories since I was able to formulate sentences with a pencil on paper. There was an ache that wasn't going to leave my conscious wonder state quietly. It didn't even nag, it was an open door showing me the sunshine outside. 

Travel was never on my list of things to accomplish in my life. It wasn't the main focal point on my horizon. I wanted to see places but I figured if it happens, it does. I wasn't going to make it a priority until now. 

I have had various dreams, and sometimes I see them blessed to other people. This journey I am taking with my kids is a dream I barely conceived. But there is was a beautiful possibility, of could I and would I? 

So I checked out the maps, I scoured for tips, on campers, camping, hotels, all the accommodations. And soon the ideas came and the peace kept flowing. 

 When I was little my father would take my sisters and brothers and I, camping near a place called Deer Creek by Henry's Lake. There is this mountain, you pass on the road. My dad would tell us this story about an Indian who laid down to sleep. In the picture below you can see his face. I loved the folklore, the story behind the environment. Everywhere has footprints of the story. 

 If you are a local you know where the best pizza is up in the hills near Kelly's Canyon. 

But if you turn left, before you go right. There is a nature walk up the side of the mountain to overlook the Snake River. Cress Creek has made some beautiful updates and made it accessible to all. 

The kids played in the small waterfall stream, and the sun came out to join us!

 My kiddos and I love some good swimming holes. Idaho and Wyoming are still in their back and forth phase of switching from winter into spring. So out on a warm sunny Sunday, we found these free hot springs next to the Snake River. The drive from Idaho Falls through the mountains is beautiful. The snowcapped hills is a sight to see against the sunshine. 

Harriman State Park, a good couple of minutes from Island Park. Here during the winter, snowshoes are free to use while going through the trails. The day was beautiful, and the 3-hour walk didn't force a whine or complain. 

We were enchanted with this activity. It was a wonderful easy escape. 

 The kids and I spent our Spring Break in the lovely state of Utah. (I don't usually enjoy Utah. But this time there were sites and experiences worth mentioning.)

Thanksgiving Point (Dinosaur exhibit and Curiosity Center)

Salt Lake (Children's Discovery Musem, Hogle Zoo, Dreamscapes(My favorite destination))

Traffic is always a splendid experience when visiting the titan cities. The population keeps growing every day without fail.