Self-Discovery: Episode One

Okay so I broke shelter-in-place… Now before you come at me with your fire and pitchforks, I have a reason. Not unlike a lot of you, COVID-19 has severely affected me. Shelter-in-place for Dallas happened on a Tuesday and by Friday I had lost three jobs. I was sitting on a negative balance in my bank account and couldn’t find another source of income. I was already looking for a way out of DFW, so I took my chance, packed up my apartment and started driving.

My parents live in Mountain Home, Idaho so that was the first place I went. I let my mom show me around the Owyhee Mountains, the Snake River, and some hot springs. But after about 4 weeks, I got antsy. I was mostly at home, only going out once a week to go hiking. I didn’t want to stay in that small town so I decided to go to live with my sister, Autumn, in Huntsville, Alabama.

I wasn’t on a time limit, so I drove down to Reno from Boise and spent 10 days there with a friend. I spent a lot of time thinking and planning. What would be good for my mental health and physical health? Where am I going to live? How am I going to make money? I decided that the best thing to do was to go where I felt most energized. And that’s outside. I hiked almost every day I was in Reno. My friend took me out to Elko in the Ruby Mountains for the weekend and that place was like a piece of heaven. It was so beautiful, I couldn’t even bring myself to take pictures. We parked his Subaru in a tiny patch of grass and built a small fire as we watched the sun set under the mountains, the sound of the river that cut through the valley in the background. We watched the snow melt and trickle down the mountain where it met the river where it was relieved to finally have its purpose fulfilled.

I was nearing Albuquerque when I got a text from Kristin. She asked where I was and what my travel plans were. I told her that I was heading to stay with my sister (I was not planning on coming back to Texas yet). She asked if I could “swing by and take her with me.” I said yes, on one condition, we have to go east. When I travel I mostly go west and I wanted some new experiences. She agreed and from Albuquerque I made it to Addison and the next day we were off (after a short detour to Austin).

Following a literally butt numbing 13 hour drive, we have safely arrived in Sweet Home Alabama. The plan is to hang out here for a few days and hit a few local spots. Triana Recreational Area, Little River Canyon National Preserve, and Joe Wheeler State are the ones we’ve planned. But, like I said, I’m trying to be flexible. After here we’re headed to Pensacola Florida to hit up some hopefully quiet and secluded beaches. Then we’ll drive all the way up the east coast to Maine where we’ll get lost in the New England woods. On the way back down, we plan to explore a bit of the Great Smoky Mountains.

I’m going through a spiritual and physical journal. This is a little introduction about where I’m at and what I’m doing. I’ll keep y’all updated every few days as our adventure continues. If you don't want to miss any part of our adventures as we road trip, be sure to follow Kristin and I on Instagram and Facebook by following @adventurersonheels. If you guys know of any low key, low traffic places we can hike or just chill, please let us know! You can leave a comment here or tag us on the Adventurers on Heels Facebook group.