Montana-Idaho Road Trip / Sister's New House / House Hunting
At the beginning of August, Nicole and I took a one-week fifteen-hundred-mile road trip around Washington, Montana, Idaho, and eastern Oregon. My workplace had a one-week shutdown so we spent the whole time visiting friends and rolling around the Northwest. Right off the bat, we visited Nicole's best friend who recently moved to Montana. It was a lovely few days with them enjoying the outdoors and the wide open spaces of the valley they live in.
When we left the comfort and calm of the area we already knew, the adventure really began as we drove into the unknown. We decided to take a mountainous road through the wilderness of eastern Idaho on our way to Boise. It was incredibly scenic and at the same time the countryside was desolate and barren. There was one stretch of road that was forty miles of straight road with no buildings, trees, roads, nothing. Just straight valley road. Crazy territory.
We spent a few days in Boise thrifting and visiting with my college roommate, Ian. It was like old times. I haven't been in Boise since the summer of 2010, nine years ago. Nicole's never been ever, so this was a treat. It was great to run around the old streets I remember and see how things have changed. We visited some cool sites, too, like the old defunct penitentiary and the expansive gardens around it.
On our way back home, we stopped into an amazing Oregon Trail museum in Baker City. It was a funny night in a strange motel, too, but that's what traveling is all about. On the final day of the trip, we passed through La Grande, where I went to college. It was my first time on campus also since the summer of 2010. It was great to show Nicole around the buildings and see how the town has changed. At that point, a whole week on the road running around had taken its toll and it was time to come home. Outside of a few sleepless nights in uncomfortable hotels, it was a great trip and everything went off perfectly. Our next road trip is Thanksgiving in California with Nicole's parents.
My sister, Val, has been having quite the adventure of her own during August. Her and her husband emptied every bank account they have to buy a house down the street from where they have been living in their townhouse northwest of Portland. The market here is crazy and when they heard that this house was going on the market, they pounced. It took some convincing of the owners, but it worked. It's been a whirlwind trying to get everything sorted out and it all happened so quickly but it's over now and they're getting comfortable settling in. Now to sell their townhouse and rebuild their savings...
As September gears up, Nicole and I are going to begin house hunting ourselves. It's time for us to get in a house too so we can continue our lives and begin the next chapter. We're hoping to have made some serious headway before the end of the year and are even beginning to meet with loan officers within the next week. Hard to believe we're finally doing this. In some ways, it feels scarier than getting married. Crazy times ahead!
When we left the comfort and calm of the area we already knew, the adventure really began as we drove into the unknown. We decided to take a mountainous road through the wilderness of eastern Idaho on our way to Boise. It was incredibly scenic and at the same time the countryside was desolate and barren. There was one stretch of road that was forty miles of straight road with no buildings, trees, roads, nothing. Just straight valley road. Crazy territory.
We spent a few days in Boise thrifting and visiting with my college roommate, Ian. It was like old times. I haven't been in Boise since the summer of 2010, nine years ago. Nicole's never been ever, so this was a treat. It was great to run around the old streets I remember and see how things have changed. We visited some cool sites, too, like the old defunct penitentiary and the expansive gardens around it.
On our way back home, we stopped into an amazing Oregon Trail museum in Baker City. It was a funny night in a strange motel, too, but that's what traveling is all about. On the final day of the trip, we passed through La Grande, where I went to college. It was my first time on campus also since the summer of 2010. It was great to show Nicole around the buildings and see how the town has changed. At that point, a whole week on the road running around had taken its toll and it was time to come home. Outside of a few sleepless nights in uncomfortable hotels, it was a great trip and everything went off perfectly. Our next road trip is Thanksgiving in California with Nicole's parents.
My sister, Val, has been having quite the adventure of her own during August. Her and her husband emptied every bank account they have to buy a house down the street from where they have been living in their townhouse northwest of Portland. The market here is crazy and when they heard that this house was going on the market, they pounced. It took some convincing of the owners, but it worked. It's been a whirlwind trying to get everything sorted out and it all happened so quickly but it's over now and they're getting comfortable settling in. Now to sell their townhouse and rebuild their savings...
As September gears up, Nicole and I are going to begin house hunting ourselves. It's time for us to get in a house too so we can continue our lives and begin the next chapter. We're hoping to have made some serious headway before the end of the year and are even beginning to meet with loan officers within the next week. Hard to believe we're finally doing this. In some ways, it feels scarier than getting married. Crazy times ahead!