Not Your Momma's World

About a year ago, after relocating to Eastern Idaho (where I grew up), I took my family to Yellowstone National Park. My parents joined us on the trip, and while we were there, we talked about how easy it was to take Yellowstone for granted, having grown up relatively close to the park. The discussion evolved into swapping stories of regrets and missed opportunities due to taking the proximity of a popular destination for granted.

Some of the stories included my own experiences, such as living in Western Montana for six years and never having visited Glacier National Park, despite living only two and a half hours away. I always had excuses to justify pushing a visit down the road, usually in the form of, “I live here now, so I’ll have plenty of time to go.”  Then I moved to Portland, Oregon.

During my time in Portland, I prioritized trips to the coast – a bucket list item for me. I was proud of myself for not making the same excuses that kept me from Glacier. However, life has a way of catching up to us; I got stuck in my day-to-day routine and stopped exploring. I lived in Portland for seven years and never once made it to Mt. Hood or up to Mt. St. Helens. I didn’t even drive up to Seattle for any whale watching or sightseeing. I had a list of places I wanted to visit, but I found myself using the same excuse to postpone my plans: “I live here now, so I’ll have plenty of time to go.” Before I knew it, we packed up the apartment and moved to Idaho to be closer to family.

I’m not saying it’s impossible to see any of these destinations now that I live in Idaho. However, planning those trips will require more time, effort, and resources now that I live farther away. I now regret not taking advantage of the proximity of those places when I lived close enough for a day trip. That regret has led to the creation of this project.

It’s been almost a full year since our trip to Yellowstone. During that year, we got caught up in our own lives and schedules, and I felt the onset of a familiar pattern. I don’t want my husband and daughter to miss an opportunity to see any of the National Parks, Monuments, Historic Landmarks, and other destinations nearby. Sure, our schedules feel full and our shared days off are few and far between, but the sting of regret is still fresh and keeps us committed.

My goal for this project is to break the cycle I have found myself repeating and share that journey here, hopefully inspiring others to do the same. This blog will not be a travel guide for Eastern Idaho, although much of the initial content will be from this region. Instead, it will be a different kind of travel blog. Instead of travel tips or budget hotel recommendations, we will discuss reasons to stop procrastinating visits to nearby destinations and tips for making those trips happen.

I hope you will follow me on this journey while I tour some well-known and not-so-well-known destinations and be inspired to get out and explore.