My journey down the Pacific Coast. It has been more than I could have ever imagined. It was exactly what I needed and wanted it to be. It mended wounds I knew were there but in ways I didn't know existed. It made me feel whole and strong, and most importantly proud. So unbelievably proud. Proud of myself, proud of how much I've accomplished in the short amount of time I've been alive, proud of who I have become and how I present myself to the world. Proud of taking chances and letting the universe play its part in rewarding me in small yet monumental ways. Cruising down the misty pacific coast, hat backwards, luke warm 99 cent coffee in hand, wearing toasty wool socks and no shoes. Windows down, music booming out my now incredibly muddy rental. This is what happiness looks like. What it feels like for me. The smile affixed across my face could not get any bigger. Heart any fuller. A single soul simply driving down a series of foggy, windy roads, her soul wild and roaring with excitement for what's around the bend. That snapshot of joy would so quickly wrap around me like the warmest wool blanket you have ever felt. The kind of happiness I felt at times on this adventure was a kind that I have never felt before. A kind that shook me. Shook me so hard and had me craving more and more. I drove 1091 miles, hiked multiple trails and walked many miles, visited two insanely amazing cities. I saw beaches and forests, waterfalls and gorges. I gazed at mountain ranges bigger than anything I could have imagined. I had friendly conversations with people from all around the world. I spent five incredible days completely alone learning about myself and shared the other five with a women who has changed my life and never once has let me down. A bright-eyed girl who makes me smile and laugh so hard and would stop at nothing to wipe my tears and make me happy. I am so grateful. For each and every molecule of this trip. This trip. It wasn't a trip. It was my greatest adventure. One of my biggest accomplishments. I am flying home with a heart overflowing with love & a smile so big it makes my little cheeks puff out. I am exhausted, but I have never once felt so awake. (at Cannon Beach, Oregon)
