When I enter the lottery for backcountry chalets in Glacier National Park, I don't give a date; I just write, "I will make any date work." That simple leap of faith landed me a room at Granite Park Chalet for the week of my birthday, setting off an unforgettable trek along vertigo-inducing ridgelines, past touchable glaciers, and straight into a face-to-face encounter with a ten-foot-away grizzly bear. It turns out that singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" around a switchback is a great way to meet the wildlife—and even better proof that you should never let fear stop you from doing what you love.

Pausing to remember my why.

Part 2 of my Lake Superior loop took me into the vast remoteness of Ontario, where gas signs come in triple digits and cell service vanishes. From nearly sliding into Lake Superior on a sketchy petroglyph trail to battling swarms of mosquitoes in Pukaskwa and biking through Sleeping Giant, the wilderness did not disappoint.

From dodging contaminated mining lakes on the Keweenaw Peninsula to scoring fresh sourdough in Wisconsin, my journey around Lake Superior proved to be full of unexpected twists. Between battling an oppressive heatwave in a van with a 15-year-old dog, kayaking alongside the cliffside sea caves of Grand Island, and grappling with the mental toll of forced downtime, this leg of the trip was equal parts breathtaking scenery and real-talk road lessons. Under a smoke-tinged sky from northern wildfires, the first half of this loop set a whole new standard for what life on the road looks like when plans go completely off-script.

An unplanned text from old friends turned into a last-minute voyage to Voyageurs National Park, right as the stars aligned on my open travel schedule. We spent our days navigating the park's beautiful, water-locked islands by boat and our nights catching up at a legendary, tilting historic dive bar. It was the perfect, chaotic detour that reminded me why the best adventures on the road are the ones you never planned.

A magical time in Isle Royale National Park.

Touring the east coast of Canada has been an amazing experience.

Seeing the parallels in getting my van stuck (again) and not learning life lessons.

I’ve been very fortunate to spend the last couple of weeks in Maine, living like a tourist.

Life throws you curve balls, even when you are on the road. Baxter and I spent this morning at Acadia Animal Hospital. While he should be OK, he’s not out of the woods yet.

Becoming untethered to a permanent location and dealing with the emotional fall out.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… right?

The relative ease of the hike put me into a meditative flow. I’m not sure exactly when it started, but at some point, the gratitude for this journey was eclipsed by a nagging worry about ‘what’s next’—jobs, income, the future. The truth is, I’m okay. My severance is doing its job. But the part of me used to a corporate safety net took over, proving that healing isn't a straight line. Sometimes you have to hike eight miles into the woods just to remind yourself that you’re allowed to be right where you are.

I’m taking a different approach for a bit: posting in real-time, focusing on the moment, and embracing that the experience is what matters most.

Finding Pandora in Arizona and realizing you’ve stumbled onto the best version of your life.

Two days in Saguaro National Park helped change my mindset from vacation mode to this is my life mode.

A visit to Gila Cave Dwellings National Monument and a soak in Gila Hot Springs.

Van Life 2.0 starts here, how did it go?

Did Baxter and I ever get out of that ditch in New Mexico or do we live there now?