The first part of this story is that in the last year and a half I learned that I can push myself alongside my partner and drive really long distances. REALLY long.
We first learned this when we drove from Toronto to Seattle in 45 hours. No, we weren't speeding. Yes, we were driving a 22 year old VW van. We had just flown in from Iceland and were trying to get to a big gathering of a ton of our friends- and we made it! After a 45 hour drive through the top half of America I figured we really could drive anywhere.
At the start of the drive- Just north of Toronto!
After a 45 hour drive- then hanging out with friends all night. (Very little sleep)
I really think the previous 2 photos show just how I was feeling. My partner was feeling the same- I just didn't subject him to being photographed.
A few months later we were invited to Las Vegas with two of our friends that were eloping. There were 5 of us total that were going to drive there- it was supposed to be a short drive too. (Short being 18 or so hours). It ended up being 24 hours due to a huge show storm, but we made it! We flew home from Vegas so the two that were just married could have a honeymoon drive back up the coast.
So this all lead up to my birthday this past year- the year pervious we had gone on a canoe/kayak camping trip with 10 friends in the seriously rainiest and coldest time i've ever had. So this past year I wanted to go somewhere south- somewhere a little warmer. I asked my partner if he wanted to go to south Washington camping, and he agreed- then I figured that the Oregon coast was really only a short drive more, so thats where we should go. My partner agreed again. Finally I checked google maps- and it said the Redwood forest in north California was only 10.5 hours away. It was settled. I was going to the giants for my birthday.
We asked two of our friends to go with us- one also lives in Vancouver, the other in Seattle. The Vancouver friend knew the whole plan- and was super excited. The Seattle friend knew nothing of the plan. All that he knew was that we were picking him up after work, he needed his hammock and sleeping gear, and that we were taking off for 5 days. I love these kind of friends- the ones who don't say "why on earth are you doing that silly thing!?" but instead will not question you when you say "i'm going on an adventure- get in the car!".
We did it.
We drove to the giants.
There is seriously nothing I can really say that will let you know just how I felt- everything was just surrounded by a quiet brilliance.
We played around the forests and slept amongst the trees and along the coastline for 4 nights- it was a trip that really struck a chord somewhere in me.
