TTFN, Utah
I’m writing this as we pack up the house in preparation for moving into the RV; by the time this blog is posted we will be on the road. I’ve fallen hard for Utah and I can’t deny that a part of me will always want to be here. Sure I was smitten the first time I passed through here but after spending many months here over the past 2+ years, I’ve come to appreciate and deeply love the landscape. There are so many incredible places in this little corner of the world – many fantastic hikes and adventures for sure – but an abundance of so-called ordinary places too. These “ordinary places” have been the setting for some special and meditative daily dogwalks, some brilliant sunrises and sunsets, and some pretty random adventures: a few of the everyday things that have contributed to my sense of contentment. I have never taken them for granted.
I’ve been living a good life these past few years and spending time in Utah has made me very happy. Living in an actual house for a few months every year has been wonderful too – an opportunity for Tom and I to spend leisurely days hiking, reading, and enjoying the good life. In particular, I have relished having a full-sized kitchen to putter around in, perfecting recipes and trying out new ideas. But as we embark on a life on the road I find myself reflective rather than sad, grateful for the time we’ve spent here but looking forward to what’s next. I can’t speak for Tom but to me this move back to full-time traveling feels more like another seamless transition rather than a new chapter. And a natural one at that.
We have some exciting plans in the future that we are hoping will come to fruition, but for the immediate future we’ll be indulging ourselves in some hiking on our way to northern Montana for the first of our summer Habitat builds. In a few months we plan on stopping back here but until then, onward to other parts of Utah and to Montana and Idaho!
A few of my baking creations that I’ve enjoyed working on:
Chewy Molasses Ginger Spelt Cookies
Lemon blueberry muffins
Brown sugar cardamom snickerdoodles
Lemon cookie recipe tasting
Pie making in progress
The product: Dutch Apple Pie
Wishing my pumpkin coffee cake to stop collapsing in the center! Still good though.
Finally, packing and organizing isn’t something I find difficult or stressful but choosing books did admittedly require a full inventory followed by a lengthly decision-making process. E-readers would obviously be ideal for the traveling I do (especially when I was driving around with 50-75 books in my old Honda Civic) but I have a strong distaste for reading on screens. Not to mention I make lots of notes in the margins. So yeah, I carry an extra 30 pounds of books.
Packing… and trying to decide which books are going with me
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OK, now I see what’s happening. How exciting for you guys to be embarking on your next adventure, but I can well imagine how much you love (and may miss) the Utah landscapes…ordinary and extraordinary ones. Your photo reflections are beautiful, and yummy! I share your preference for reading on paper. I have tried multiple times with a Kindle and it just doesn’t work for me. I like to easily flip back and worth and I need to see the cover (I never remember names of books when I read them electronically). All the best to you, and I look forward to reading about your hikes as you journey to Montana.
Yes, I’m sure I’ll miss Utah and the wonderful times we’ve had there but I wasn’t sad to leave. It’s time for the next thing! As for reading: Yes- I definitely flip back and forth when reading and reference other books…. And I never even thought about not being able to see covers when reading on an e-reader; that would absolutely be a problem for me too. Thank you for the well-wishes! I’ll be sure to keep blogging!
Oh yay, you’re going to Montana! Looking forward to reading about your adventures 🙂
Thanks, Diana! I have completely forgotten which part of Montana you lived in but our plans have us going north on 93 from Idaho to Missoula and then 200 NW to 56 to get to our Habitat build in Libby. Hopefully we’ll find some hikes along the way that aren’t snowed in!
I’m from Bozeman, so south of where you’ll be. I haven’t spent much time up north other than Glacier, Montana is just too darn huge for me to have a chance to explore it all! But now I’ll get to take a mini tour from your photos 🙂
Beautiful photos!…
I do miss having a full size kitchen. Perhaps your coffee cake settled due to elevation. Elevation can cause baking havoc with some recipes, as I’m sure you’re well aware of. I look forward to your posts on your travels this summer. We’ll be sitting still for a few months and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet.
Thanks, Ingrid! I felt like I’ve tried everything with that cake – baked it at sea level, 4,200ft, 6,000 ft… Decreased liquids, added more leavening, subbed fats in and out, etc. I am thinking I might have to just go with a bigger pan. I hope you enjoy the summer, even if you are just sitting still. Are you campground hosting again?
Nope – did the work camp thing once and not sure we’d do it again. It’s time we focus on consolidating our storage units which will not be a simple or pleasant task. Thus, more work and less play this summer 🙁
Where was the image right before the one of your dog in the snow taken? Also, it likes like you might not have enough books. That being the case, you should check out several by Dan Flores. A few of his have really informed on areas I have hiked though and I have valued his insights quite a bit. My favorite is Caprock Canyonlands, but he spent several years as a professor at University of Montana, and has written on the northern Rockies a lot too!
https://www.amazon.com/Dan-Flores/e/B001H6IY4K/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1494432410&sr=8-1
That photo was taken at Virgin River Falls Park. It’s off Rt 9, west of Zion. We happened to be out that way for an errand so it’s a pretty place to walk a dog. As for the books, I’m so glad someone *finally gets it – I definitely need more. 😉 Flores’ books look quite interesting and I like that he explores both landscape, history, and wildlife. Thanks for the tip!
I like your book collection…. And the part “… feels like another seamless transition rather than a new chapter.” What a great place to be!
Thanks, Nick! I think I/we were just ready for what’s next and moving into the RV for good didn’t feel *that* different from packing up for the usual 3 or 4 months. It’s a difficult feeling to describe- I’ll miss something but I’m not sad; I guess as much as I love Utah, I’m just as happy to move on.