So, it’s been just a few weeks since we left Bentonville, and wow — a lot can happen.
Like, a lot.
You think you’re just casually moving on to the next stop, and then suddenly you’re driving across multiple states, visiting family, flying to Oregon, surviving a nightmare rental, celebrating a college graduation, catching up with every person you know, repacking the truck, and pretending this is all a perfectly reasonable way to live.
Which, technically, it is.
So let’s get you caught up, dearest reader.
We left Bentonville a couple of days early because we realized we were only a quick nine-hour drive from Spencer, Iowa. And by “quick,” I mean the kind of drive where you start optimistic, eat too many gas station snacks, question your life choices somewhere around hour six, and then rally because family matters.
This was a last-minute decision, but when you have the chance to see your 102-year-old grandfather, you simply make that happen.
So we packed up, pointed the truck north, and made our way to Iowa for a quick one-day stop so Katie could spend time visiting with her grandfather. After some lovely hospitality from her Aunt Nancy and Uncle Steve, we climbed back into the truck and headed for Colorado.
Another ten-hour drive later — because apparently we had not yet spent enough quality time with our seatbelts — we landed at Andy’s for a quick overnight before boarding a plane to Oregon to visit Logan for Parents Weekend at Oregon State University.
And because we are physically incapable of casually visiting anywhere, we packed those couple of days full.
We caught up with Logan, hiked to waterfalls, watched his Fraternity/Sorority Sing performance, explored the Oregon coast, got the full Delta Chi fraternity house tour, and, of course, completed the mandatory parent grocery run. You know, the one where you pretend you’re buying a few helpful things and then somehow leave the store with enough food to support a small frontier settlement.
We also experienced one of the worst Airbnb/VRBO horror stories imaginable.
I’ll spare the details here, but just know it was the kind of rental that makes you stand in the doorway, look at each other silently, and communicate entire paragraphs using only facial expressions.
If you’re curious, just ask. We will absolutely relive the horror for your entertainment. We’re generous like that.
Thankfully, that story had a happy ending. The rental was so bad that we left a day early and ended our Oregon stop with a night in Cannon Beach. And honestly? If the universe is going to hand you a housing disaster, following it up with ocean views and a walk on the beach is not the worst apology gift.
We found a great little condo, walked the beach, soaked in those incredible coastal views, and fully understood why people love that place so much.
Highly recommend a stop there if you ever have the chance. Preferably not as emotional recovery from a rental trauma, but hey, do what you need to do.
After Oregon, we settled back into Colorado for a couple of weeks. The main event was celebrating Kira’s graduation from the University of Northern Colorado, where she earned her degree in elementary education.
We could not be more excited for her as she steps into the world of teaching. From the time she was five years old, she knew she wanted to be a teacher. And while a lot of childhood dreams change over time, this one never really did.
It just grew with her.
It became clearer and stronger with every passing year. And now she’s ready to step into the classroom with poise, confidence, and the kind of heart that kids are lucky to have in their corner.
I truly cannot think of anyone better suited to make a difference in young lives.
The rest of our time in Colorado was spent changing seasons, swapping clothes, doing laundry, repacking bins, and engaging in the ongoing full-contact sport known as “Where did we put that one thing?”
But before we set off for what we’ll call “Leg Two,” we had to catch up with as many of our Colorado people as possible.
That meant nearly every evening was booked. Bike rides. Craft nights. Dinners. Graduation celebrations. Random catch-ups. All of it.
It was busy in the best way.
And honestly, it was such a good reminder of how much people fill your world in beautiful, grounding, and loving ways. That is easily the hardest part of this lifestyle: missing the people who bring so much love into your life.
The freedom is amazing. The new places are amazing. The adventures are amazing.
But people? People are the part you feel.
We capped off our Colorado stop by packing everything back into the truck, which is less of a chore and more of a recurring trust exercise between two adults, several plastic bins, and the laws of physics.
Then we spent a couple of nights in Cedaredge with Katie’s parents and even got out for a round of golf. Katie played too, and dare I say… she might actually be turning into a golfer. We even packed a set of clubs for this leg of the trip, which feels like a pretty serious commitment!
And then, once again, we loaded up and pointed the truck toward the next stop: Park City, Utah.
Park City is our quick two-week layover before we make our way to Bend, Oregon, where we’ll be spending the summer.
So here we go.
Leg Two.
Same truck. Same two humans. Slightly more questionable packing. Still very much figuring it out as we go.
