California is huge and it now feels weird to drive with local plates.
I took my time more than ever, soaking in these last weeks, and I saw big red trees and beautiful beaches on the North Coast, and more snow and mountains in Lassen Volcanic NP, I met really cool travelers on a breathtaking hike in Tahoe and escaped to a smaller lake that was much less crowded, I fell for San Francisco (3rd time’s indeed a charm) where I caught up with dear friends, I made it to Kings Canyon where I finally had a couple encounters with (friendly) bears, and rediscovered Sequoia NP with new eyes.
Among a lot of other stops, chilled time in awesome free campgrounds and mundane camping activities that filled my days of free range life.
But for the first time since I hit the road, I can’t find the words. Probably because I’m trying to process all the feels. The adventure has come to an end and I don’t know how ready I am for that.
I wish there was a concise way to summarize my Epic American Road Trip but of course there isn’t. It’s something that will probably stay with me for a while and will undoubtedly have an influence on what’s next.
For now LA is next, but I’ll be sure to keep my beloved rooftop tent on my car as a reminder to not let “real life” take over. Because as far as I’m concerned, the past 6 months really much felt like real life.
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Even off season, Tahoe on a weekend felt way too busy for my liking... so I followed my instinct and went South hoping I’d find a peaceful place to escape the crowds.
I drove for a while in pitch black dark, on a desert, steep and narrow mountain road, and eventually I stumbled upon it - a little heaven on Lake Alpine shore where I spent 36 hours of total mindfulness, enjoying every minute of the freedom I have to just change plans and do what feels right.
My hair is dirty, my hands are damaged by the cold water, and pretty much all my clothes smell like campfire at this point, but my heart is full and my spirits are high.
As I returned on this glorious sunny morning, all Tahoe’s traffic had vanished, allowing me to finally hike Mount Tallac.
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Despite all odds, I was quite successful at chasing and finding the sun in Oregon.
I only scratched the surface of Portland (got a taste of its coffee shop scene, rolled through Pearl District, ate yummy food on the East side, found a great bakery) but I have to say, even if it’ll be widely unpopular, that I didn’t really get what all the hype is about. I guess I just missed it, even coming back a few days later with fresh eyes and an open mind.
In between my visits I went East to escape the rain and ended up finding more snow, which was not part of the initial plan of getting warmer but made for an epic day hike in the sunny Wallowa mountains.
Nights have been cold and the humidity and condensation made for some unexpected but actually fun defrosting sessions...
I keep seeing the beauty around me and the few people I get to meet make every detour worth it - like the two game hunters from Alaska and Oregon I had a dinner with at this in-the-middle-of-nowhere micro brewery and who shared their life stories, photos of their kids and wives and ended up paying for my home-made Beer Mac and Cheese and rhubarb pie, just because we had an awesome conversation.
I also spent a couple long but delightful days of driving in sunny, trafic-less, mountain and national forest roads, listening to my audiobooks, podcasts and music, with ample time to sit with my thoughts (spoiler alert, no grand revelation yet).
And at last, I experienced again the joy of wearing just a T-shirt and needing a hat to protect my head and face from the sun and heat on another sweet hike. And wearing flip flops in Bend! I had almost forgotten the feeling (aside from my Planet Fitness visits, obviously).
I cruised through the magnificent coast and saw beautiful sunset lights and fell in love with the grey wooden beach houses so typical from here.
And finally I got to see Crater Lake that is, indeed, very very blue.
I really don’t want the trip to end, but I do realize I am starting to get a little worn out, and the shorter days and rougher nights don’t help - still, I’m happy to suck it up if it means I can enjoy the ultimate freedom of the road for just a little longer.
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And just like that, Winter started in Washington - couldn’t have been happier to be around snow... until I had to wash my dishes with water so freezing it ironically felt like a burning sensation on my fingers. That’s when I realized it’s a little too early for me to be this cold and it’s time to make my way back South.
But before that, I got to see the beautiful yet angry ocean of the Olympic Peninsula, took a break from the wilderness in Seattle where I chased Sleepless in Seattle film locations and yummy bakeries with equal enthusiasm, did some landmarks sight seeing and discovered the city’s underground, installed fairly lights in my rooftop tent to make it even cozier, and then was beyond stoked to get to Mount Rainier NP just in time for a couple hikes in fresh snow, with even some sun and blue sky before the next storm.
Oh and I still have a rodent roommate - I’m assuming it’s a chipmunk and have therefore named him Alvin. But the problem with Alvin is that he’s been over welcoming his stay quite a bit now and seems to enjoy my little mobile world way too much: in addition to a questionable hygiene (he keeps pooping inside the car) he’s getting into my chips stash. And that, of all things, is not okay.
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It’s fall up here in Washington State and the colors are beautiful. After a couple years in LA I had forgotten what the reds and yellows and oranges look like outside. The downside? The rain. A lot of rain and humidity.
Luckily I’m quite used to it by now and master the best techniques to stay dry when cooking in my trunk, and I’ve camped in fairytale-like old growth rainforests, with trees and logs and stones all completely covered in moss.
And in between showers I got to do an awesome long hike in North Cascade NP along with super friendly fellow solo hikers I met on the trail.
Then it started to rain again, but it was a good excuse to get a burger and a beer with the cool couple of Londoners I had met 2 months ago on a parking lot - when you don’t go out but hang out at Planet Fitness, that’s where you end up making friends (and forget to take a photo when you meet again)...
And then finally, with a bit of good fortune and some careful planning and timing against the weather forecast, I was able to go backcountry again, this time in Olympic NP... with 3 full days of sunshine among the forests and lakes and amazing mountain views - so unexpected, so beautiful and so peaceful. Level of gratitude has been pretty high I must say. Even if the second night out there was pouring (oh what a great feeling to wake up in a pool inside my tent at 4am and hope to stay dry on my island / air mattress until dawn) and if I found out upon return that some rodent had mistaken my car for a B&B and had eaten my bread and almonds and pooped all over. This is all part of the trip.
Still, I start to feel that the experience is getting more and more challenging: the length of it, the shorter days, the quite defeating weather, and after my gear, my bad knee let me down on day 2 of my hike, making me think that it could very well be the end of the adventure. I know however that this is when it truly gets interesting, as I’m now pretty much constantly testing my limits and I’ve certainly caught myself thinking a bit more than usual « push through, tomorrow will be another day » - luckily, my knee is certainly weak but not giving up yet, and neither am I.
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Idaho wasn’t really part of the plan, but I veered off once again and instead of continuing West, I decided to turn South - I had read at some point that the road between Sun Valley, Stanley and Boise was worth the detour, so I felt I had to go and check for myself. Even if it was a 1,000-mile detour (just a detail when already 19,000 miles into this road trip) and even if my now totally irrelevant itinerary had me go back to LA on 9/17... which is clearly not happening.
And it was indeed worth it. A driver’s heaven of mountain roads and rivers, of picturesque villages in altitude, and all the remote, dirt road accessible National Forest campsites I’ve been dreaming of. And a bit of sun too (didn’t last unfortunately), and also a first with some frost on (and in) my tent one morning: nights are getting quite cold in high-ish elevation and campfires, which were mostly a fun camp activity until now, are slowly becoming a necessity to stay warm before retreating into my little elevated nest.
Aside from falling for this state, not a lot to report beside driving a whole lot and camping, and the fact that it’s starting to look like fall over here: I love to see the colors change in nature and realize how good it is to be outside so much, even for the most mundane things like brushing my teeth or do my dishes. Every. Single. Day.
But with more solitude and time to think and reflect, there are also and still the inevitable “wtf am I doing?” moments, and I’m actively working on not letting those take over.
My legs start to itch again and as I’m finally making my way to the Pacific Northwest I’m hoping I can get some backcountry permits to hike for a few days and get out of my head... should the weather finally give me a break.
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It’s almost like higher latitude and altitude have made my road trip roller coaster more intense in these past weeks: somewhat lower lows, but definitely higher highs too. And I keep being fascinated by how things can turn around in the most unexpected ways, and how timing and itinerary changes just seem to work out perfectly in the end. Montana has been rainy and so damp and cold and foggy for the most part (a camper’s dream), and yet I ended up staying even longer than I anticipated.
I didn’t go backcountry in Glacier NP but hiked everyday and saw canyons and lakes and mountain pics, wild pigs and very unafraid marmots, pikas, deers and a few bears and goats in the distance.
I even felt at home in a campground for 4 nights in a raw, which hadn’t happened since the very beginning of my trip.
And the bread and pastries... they just know how to do it up here.
And then there’s the people - the ones I met just during the time of a shuttle ride, the ones I kept bumping into for a few days, the lovely ones who offered a ride after a long day of hiking and then shared a diner over the campfire, and out of the hundreds of people (literally) who’ve stopped by to comment about my rooftop tent since early May, there’s the ones who stood out and wanted me to marry their son (true story, the son wasn’t there though) or just engaged in a great conversation that ended up lasting for 3 full days, along with a bunch of hikes and card games and camp cooking. There’s usually not that many photos taken of these moments, but this is what can turn around otherwise not so optimal situations in great memories and make some places so special, even if saying goodbye always stings a bit.
But the rest of the adventure awaits and I keep chasing more secluded places to camp - all this makes me feel so happy and alive.
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Some days just don’t seem to go according to plan. And when, like in my case, there isn’t much plan, it just feels like the universe isn’t particularly cooperative with my wanderings. But that’s what hot chocolate from home and bread and butter and huckleberry jam are for, right?
Woke up yesterday with the rain which means a damp tent and standing at the back of my car to eat breakfast, felt a bit gloomy all day long, struggled to find a camping at night, and discovered that shockingly my leaky water jerrycan had actually been leaking for a few days before I replaced it, soaking all my backpacking camping gear in the process. Not the end of the world, but more damp stuff to deal with before they start to mold and my little mobile world happens to not come with a dryer or much space to dry so many things. Today I’m in Glacier NP which I’ve been dreaming of for months, but the cold and fog and drizzle for the next few days are sadly forcing me to forego the exciting perspective of multi-day backcountry hiking - this is about having a good time, not struggling alone in rainy woods.
So in these days, it’s somehow much easier to only see what’s not going well, no matter how insignificant it is (spilled some food on my freshly cleaned jeans last night, it’s because everything was going wrong anyway), even almost looking for what will happen next (just dropped my toothbrush on the ground, see I knew another annoying thing would happen, it’s that kind of a day after all) instead of also acknowledging everything that is indeed going well - I have food and a car and a warm(-ish) shelter, I’ve been traveling for months on with no serious issue, I’m free to do so, and I’m immensely privileged to be able to do it as a solo woman.
So yes my first days in Montana have been rocky (no pun intended, really), but I now know by experience that all I have to do is push through and wait for a better day. The time this trip actually ends will come soon enough and I better make the most of what I’ve got left.
#myepicamericanroadtrip

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More National Parks, more hikes and backcountry camping, all the mountains and trees and rivers I was hoping for, plenty of geysers and hot springs and wild animals, a couple days off in Jackson to slow down and process all the new things I keep seeing and experiencing everyday, attend my first rodeo and do some laundry too, and a lot of simple but yummy cooking at camp or on the trails and quite a bit of chips eating as well to be honest (can’t be just healthy) - Wyoming’s treated me very well and I’m really happy I got to come back in summer time.
Sadly though, 4 months in and my gear starts to slowly fall apart: first my flip flops tore down a few weeks ago, then my watch wristband broke as I hit the road again, now my water jerrycan is leaky and the seams of my silk liner are no longer holding together. Even the soles of my hiking boots feel thinner and thinner every time I put them on.
It’s saddening to feel the time passing in this way and to have and let go some of the gear I’ve travelled a lot with, but it’s also quite satisfying to see these signs of wear and tear as that many proves that the adventure has been going on long enough to make some permanent marks - a little bit like wrinkles in the corner of the eyes.
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Coming back to Utah and discovering a few more National Parks has been quite a different experience from a few weeks ago: this time I didn’t have to go backcountry to find quiet, in the middle of nowhere, challenging but rewarding hikes.
Canyonlands NP ended up offering one of the most fun so far (despite the blazing 100 degrees) in a surreal landscape of red rocks: marked only at intersections, following the cairns felt like a treasure hunt with a grand finale view at the top - I’m happy to report I didn’t get lost, although inadvertently added 1.8 miles to an already quite long 11-mile little stroll.
I’ve then seen more Arches than I ever want to see again and I’ve had a good fix of sunrises, so I’m ready to move on to a new state with more trees and rivers for a change.
Hikes and drives apart, not very much is happening in my little mobile world. The simplicity of life on the road and the necessity to focus on the essentials (finding a place to sleep, making sure I have enough water, gas, food and ice) suits me for now - I also happen to feel calmer, healthier, more creative, especially when it comes to problem solving (my current specialties include but are not limited to duct tape and safety pins), my mind seems clearer (for the most part), and I also realize that I enjoy writing although I haven’t found the time or the platform to do it more.
On the other hand, with so much time to think (and yet so little time to be bored), it can be hard not to worry about what’s next - so I keep practicing mindfulness to recentrer on the present when my mind wanders a little too far or a little too crazy, and I trust that things are somehow coming together in the back of my brain.
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In just a few days I experienced a lot of extremes in Nevada: altitude ranging from below sea level to above 10,000 feet, several sand deserts and a glacier, extreme day heat in the Death Valley and freezing cold nights in Great Bassin NP, getting to spend most of my time outside balanced with the reality of being on the road and visiting a lot of public/supermarket/gas station restrooms, or sleeping in not so glamorous RV parks when it’s late and I’m tired - truth is, not everything is Insta worthy and I also have very few photos of my incredibly itchy bee sting, of my unexplained swollen eyelid one morning, of my sleepless nights because of the cold or the wind or the unlevelness of my car, or of the struggles of staying clean and washing dishes with limited water supply.
But I do genuinely enjoy this adventure as a whole and I’m making a point to honoring the promise I made to myself for this last part of my trip: continue to dare and travel the less traveled roads, and look as much as possible for remote (and often free) campsites that are always so special. It’s almost becoming a game, with extra points if in addition to long dirt road access, no cell service and no water I get to be the only one there - I won the jackpot when deciding to change my plans yet again and to hit Utah’s Capitolreef NP. I even got to cross my very first river (and no, my Jeep is not 4WD...).
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I’ve never quite understood how some people can be almost obsessed with their car... until I put a tent on mine. Since then it’s become my little mobile world, with everything I need on the road.
As I was sitting and watching a beautiful moonrise in the middle of nowhere last night, I realized I may now look at my car and tent with a little bit of love in the eyes - and it felt simply right to be back in this adventure.
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After this second week in Hawaii I feel I’ve had my fix of beaches and sunsets. And of poke and sushi and Japanese food. And quite surely of ice cream too.
Not ready to say goodbye to @mirlacaze though, and certainly never will have enough of our constant laughs and giggles, deep convos about big and not so big things, and endless card games. It truly hurts to live so far from so many of the people who really count in my life, but I’m so grateful it always results in intense and unforgettable reunions.
I’m also grateful that the adventure doesn’t stop just yet for me - the beginning of my trip feels like ages ago and I’ll probably need a minute or two to get reacquainted with my gear and habits in my little mobile world, but I’m pretty excited to hit the road again in a few days after this vacation within my break.
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Time flies with my number one travel buddy. It’s been more than a week already on Kauai and I’ve been 100% in my element with this mix of ruggedness and goofiness, topped with a healthy dose of granola and raw fish (and a not so healthy amount of ice cream).
My hiking shoes are in quite a poor state though and it’s very possible the car rental company will keep our deposit because of the persistent smell left by dirty clothes and aforementioned shoes - some quieter beach time seems appropriate from now on.
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Keeping it real since 2012.
A lot has changed since our hostels days together across Peru - complete change of career for one, change of continent for the other, and time and financial ressources have gone up and down for both with various life and professional turns along the road. Still we’ve somehow managed to honor for the most part our vow to meet every year: some years have been more successful than others and not all places have been this epic, but every reunion has been a highlight and the proof that distance is only a detail in this kind of friendship.
What hasn’t changed though is that we’ve managed to rough it up once again. After all we’re in Kauai, not to be mistaken for Hawaii.
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This past week in Southern Utah has been about escaping the crowds (with so much outdoors beauty to see, no wonder every single place is packed) and daring to take the slightly less traveled paths.
I got rewarded by some of the most special places I’ve camped at, finally checked a lake I had I noticed about a year ago from the window of a Chicago-bound flight, didn’t shower in 6 days (bless the baby wipes and rivers), did more backcountry hikes and got more hip bruises courtesy of my backpack filled with camping gear, and met really cool fellow travelers, be it on the windiest campsite watching a dramatic sunset over a canyon and then gazing at the Milky Way, on a remote trail in Zion wilderness, or on a Planet Fitness parking lot - yeah I really needed that shower.
Saying I’m not ready for this to stop would be an understatement, but luckily it’s not ending just yet.
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Colorado did not disappoint - not very surprising given how much I love the mountains. And in summer the dramatic skies, the snow topped pics, the picturesque lakes, the crisp air of the altitude, the scenic drives, the omnipresent wildlife, the dark nights and brightest stars... it just never fails to give me the chills.
After crossing miles and miles and miles of cereal fields in much flatter Nebraska, I hiked all the way up to a remote mountain lake and I hiked all the way down to a canyon river - two of the gnarliest hikes I’ve ever done. I passed by many really cool ski towns and went to see a huge sand dune in the middle of nowhere. I got a little taste of outdoors enthusiasts filled Denver and visited the pretty amazing ancient cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde.
A lot to see and do and yet I made sure to enjoy my evenings at camp, mostly cooking on the fire and baking cakes. And letting a deer snack on my beloved plant as I was nerding out at an evening Ranger’s program - luckily, leaves aside, there’s nothing duct tape can’t fix.
Not sure where time is going because I’m still not bored of this and can’t wait to be back in the Rockies in a few weeks.
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A breeze through Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, a long drive through the flat, grassy plains of North Dakota and its Badlands, home of buffalos, prairie dogs (I was expecting dingo looking creatures and I found miniature meerkat looking rodents) and beetles, and here I am in South Dakota with different Badlands and spectacular sunset lights and skies and thunder storms, and Mount Rushmore.
I’m still going strong after more than 12,000 miles, even when I’m starting to wonder for a second “why am I doing this again?”. Making my best to take in every moment, enjoy each minute spent outside and each meal cooked with whatever’s left in my cooler at the moment, be present, and above all not think too much about how closer to the end of this adventure I inevitably get every single day.
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So it turns out July 15th is now the day I get black eyes. Exactly a year later to the day, I got another one. On the left eye this time, for good balance. And of all things, from a mosquito bite. Yep, that’s right, a mosquito gave me a black eye.
Seems like I’m officially loosing this now 10-week battle against bugs.
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Flashback to Isle Royale.
An island in the middle of Lake Superior, 3.5 hours away by ferry from the Michigan shore and entirely protected as a National Park. No cars, just hikers and paddlers, and no infrastructures except for some camping shelters (quite the game changer) and pit toilets. Water and pine forests everywhere, and islands on lakes on the island... so meta of nature. A more or less bearable amount of bugs, depending on weather, wind, dragonflies and quite honestly luck.
Along the way, some awesome, like-minded fellow hikers I would have probably never met in any other circumstances given our differences in background, age or experience - and yet, common values and real connections, be it for a few minutes or a few hours.
And all the moose. Gracing me with their presence in the lake by the campground I had for myself that night... quite magical.
The 4 days of hiking weren’t that intense all things considered (slight bruises from the backpack on the hips become a badge of honor and the proof you’ve deserved this slice of preserved nature) and the views were not the most spectacular I’ve ever seen, but the remoteness of the place, the sense of loneliness (in a very good way) while feeling part of a community, and being in touch with nature reminded me how humbling it is to get close to wilderness and how it resets the mind.
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