After finals week, my parents and I decided that we were going to up to Yellowstone and experience the wilderness. Bringing along my Chihuahua, Diego, and my Border Collie/English Setter mix, Zoey, we packed up our cars and we drove to Medicine Bow, Wyoming; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and good ol' Yellowstone. Here's what I learned from my trip.

You don't really know what darkness or the cold is until you're in a sheep wagon in the middle of a 65,000 acre farm.

Your sleeping bag gets really cramped when both your seven-pound dog and your 30-pound dog want to sleep with you.

The mountains up close don't look real.

My mother compared it to the backgrounds you get when you buy a Mac computer.

You may visit stores and interact with people you are not used to, that's OK.

People and places have a way of constantly surprising you for the better.

Everyone likes dogs.

Even when you struggle to communicate with someone based on language differences, people will make an effort to tell you you have a pretty dog. Thank you for that.

It is really fun to run full speed with your dogs galloping at your side.

It felt like I was in a movie, and that's a really cool feeling.

The stars really are more beautiful out here.

Spending time with your family is so precious.

I'm continuously thankful for the relationship I have with my parents and my dogs.

On that note, your mom may want to document everything.

Let her. You may hate the picture right now, but you'll laugh about it later. Besides, sometimes she gets some Instagram worthy shots.

Not caring about your appearance is really refreshing.

Throwing your hair in a ponytail and a messy bun, wearing comfy clothes, and having the sunroof down in your car is so SO refreshing.

You learn to appreciate wi-fi a lot more when you haven't had it in a few days.

I'm sorry, friends -- I promise I'm alive.

Nature is so incredible. As a self identified city girl, I've come to be so thankful for this Earth, and the beautiful sights it gives me. Whenever I'm in places where my breath is taken away, it makes me want to protect this Earth more than ever. So if you haven't been outside in a while, go for it. Breathe. Take a dog. Load up your car. New adventures await. Go.