WILDLY SARAH

The Cross Country Adventures of A Girl and Her Dog

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than

the risk it took to blossom.” - “Risk” a poem by Anaïs Nin

This is the start of something. Big.

The curtains part, the spotlight silhouettes a curly haired woman, small in stature, and a dog upon the stage. The dog crooks his neck to look up at the woman, knowingly, his gaze a mix of affection with the hint of an eye roll, let’s get going. The woman stays poised, still as a statue somehow elegant and earthy, with a vintage glamour and sparkle, even in hiking boots. “And for her next incredible feat…” booms the announcer as the white lights brighten and bleach out the scene.

Sorry. I couldn’t resist a good circus montage!

I have always been a dreamer. An adventurer. With big ideas for trips to the most picturesque and wild destinations. Waking up in tents overlooking mountain landscapes. Traveling cross country in the cutest little DIY camper van. Capturing the moment with the most perfect pictures. Somehow owning the ideal clothes to look outdoorsy but still feminine and beautiful...the ultimate adventuress! But for so long I was too practical, safe, and okay, I’ll admit it, scared to really live the life of my dreams.

For years, I’ve thought about starting an adventure blog (ta-da!) and what I would want to write about. Wondering...could I get paid to go on hikes? Letting ideas go out the window because I often found it impossible to find friends that were as adventurous as I was. I can be pretty shy when meeting new people, after all. I even had the dream of moving to Oregon, a place where I felt that people’s interests and lifestyle might match more with my own. But like many ideas, the inevitable excuses prevented me from pressing Start. This failure to launch was never due to self doubt or negative thoughts saying, “I can’t,” instead, the excuses and emotions told me that the timing was not right. I always knew I would do amazing things, but there is strength in patience and waiting for the right moment to act.

I’ve traveled often through the years and shared many incredible adventures with wonderful people. I’ve been fortunate to spend so much time with my best friend from childhood who now lives in Oregon. Lucky that when my Dad retired in 2016 he answered my invitation for a trip out to Denver and transformed it into the most epic National Parks road trip. A vacation that inspired a special tradition of exploring National Parks together. Thankful to have met friends to travel with, to camp or spend nights in unique places like a tipi, a tiny house, a fire tower, a yurt, a houseboat. But still I knew I was capable of bigger experiences, and my heart searched for something more.

The past year of my life was filled with so much happiness and magic. I met a man that was like my adventure twin, stepped out from a dream, sharing passions for an active lifestyle, creativity, good food and drink, sometimes getting fancy and going out on the town, and as much time as possible spent in nature. We challenged and supported each other, and dreamt about a future spent exploring the world together. Maybe even building that camper van?! In that relationship, I experienced the type of magic in meeting the person I had always wished for but never knew if I would find. I thought I’d found forever. When it unexpectedly came to an end, I was blindsided, and now, recovering from a broken heart, I choose not to shut down or lose hope, but to embrace empowerment.

Empowered because I found my best self in that year; the life or at least the building blocks for the life that I’d always wanted to live. Not that I was always at my best (who is?), especially during the rollercoaster of 2020 and Covid. In the empowerment that comes from being truly accepted for who you are. From feeling seen, the wonderful of you recognized, and letting your dreams blossom and take flight. I became my dream adventure woman through our travels, hikes, hunts, conversations, shared dreams, and all the nights around a campfire, under the stars. I gained confidence in myself alongside someone more experienced in the outdoors than I am. The happiness that I found, the empowerment that I felt is still there -- not from anyone else, but right inside me! After all, she has always been a part of me, and I’m not letting her go. This fierce adventure girl, ready to climb mountains, grow wings to fly and explore the world.

I hesitate to share such personal, emotional details, it isn’t easy, but the blog I want to write is one filled with truth and motivation. I want to tell my story. I know that so many people out there are trying to find strength through loss, fighting roadblocks set by societal expectations or maybe even just placed there by themselves, preventing them from embracing who they are and following their dreams. So, my hope through raw honesty is inspiration. Maybe the first step to shifting perspectives could be joining me on this journey. So I invite you to follow along!

I press Go. I create my own happiness. When one dream ends, there are others that follow. Create positive change for yourself and honor that silly happy, starry eyed, strong human that you are. Life is too short to settle for less.

On Sunday, October 4th, I’ll hit the road for a three week cross country road trip in my new Subaru Outback! Destination Oregon and back again. I’ll be accompanied by Portland, my constant companion, hiking dog extraordinaire, the bed hogging, cuddle bug pit bull pup I adopted 9 years ago. We’ll travel as inexpensively as possible while still enjoying the journey, camping, hiking, seeing the country, stopping at breweries and meeting up with a few friends along the way. This is not a vacation, this is a long time dream, finally put into action. A relaunch, a celebration, a spirit quest. Time for spreading wings, self care and seeing the country.

The world may still be strange with Covid, but this might just be the most perfect time to follow a dream, to choose your own adventure, be the writer of your story. Embrace your power and be totally, unapologetically, you! Pro tip: If you keep waiting, there will never be a perfect time! But I also believe that you press Go only when it is the right time for you. Quarantine has provided us a unique opportunity. With so much time to reflect away from work and “normal” busy day to day life, now we get to decide. What does our future life look like? What parts of our past life do we value and want to keep or grow? Who are we when we’re at our best?

I’ve done some solo travel over the years, but nothing this extensive, and never such a big trip with my dog. There will be a steep learning curve with minimal new gear, long drives, changes in fall weather, late nights writing, and daily yoga. Am I scared? Mostly of being eaten by a bear while camping. I’m not sure why it’s bears, specifically. There might be a night where I end up sleeping in the car if I get too freaked out. But that’s all part of the journey, how we learn and get stronger. I’m excited to answer impossible questions, like the mental puzzle of just how big is the country when you drive across it?

I hope you’ll join us on our journey. A girl and her dog. Be sure to follow Wildly Sarah on Facebook and Instagram where I’ll be posting the most frequent updates from the road. There will be blog posts as often as I can stop and access WiFi. Please send me your questions and I’ll be sure to answer them. If you can, share this blog or social media with others you think might enjoy it. Thank you for your support as I reach for the stars and chase a dream. I can’t wait to share stories from the road with you!