Almost one year ago, I embarked on the most amazing adventure in my life thus far. After my last final, I packed up my dorm room, headed home for a night, then hopped in a car with three of my closest friends for the first of several all-day journeys.

We traveled to many different cities, and met so many fantastic, kind people. It was an eye-opening and educational experience, but most importantly, it so much fun. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, seeing different, exciting parts of the United States, and being so lucky to meet and stay with some incredible hosts, but above all, it was the people I traveled with that is what made this cross country road trip an adventure I will never forget.

It was a Sunday morning, my parents fed us, and then we packed into a white Subaru Forester, affectionately known as Talulah, and hit the road. “All The Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers was the first song on the road trip playlist, and with that we left behind my tiny hometown in Southern Vermont. The whole purpose of the trip was to accompany my friend Sam on his long journey home to his parent’s house in McMinnville, Oregon. I had first met Sam in our first hall council meeting, and I’ll never forget thinking how tall he was and how much he loved to talk about West Virginia, where he grew-up. Sam’s parents had moved to Oregon just after he had packed up his things in West Virginia to move into Hamilton Hall, his dorm his first year of college. Sam had told me all about his travels before, I was excited to join him for this new exciting endeavor, and am still so grateful for the experience, opportunity, and all that he taught me. Sam asked me, his best friend Simon, and my sister Julia, to partake in the endeavor.

Together, our motley crew of four UVM students did so many wondrous things. We passed some ridiculous billboards (thank goodness they are illegal in Vermont), ate some delicious food, and listened to some rad jams.

I’ll never forget the endless games of the license plate game (that damn “x” though…). Together, we conquered the 8833ft above sea level Smuggler Mountain in Aspen, Colorado (Julia and I were exhausted from terrible altitude sickness), faced a bear in Maroon Bells, saw the world’s tallest golf tee and largest wind chime on a whim, we kidnapped a baby bunny in Utah, and so much more along the way!

When we reached our destination, the adventures continued. We all embraced our wacky side and dressed up for McMinnville’s annual UFO festival, explored the amazing foods of Oregon (toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory- not as cool as the Grafton Cheddar factory, but still cool), mini golfed on a real grass mini golf course, played so many nights of Carcassonne and enjoyed Rogue beers, chatted with some loud sea lions, got a walking tour of Portland, visited Powell’s bookstore (It is a block long! It has a map to navigate it’s shelves), and went to the Portland Saturday Market (Which could put the Burlington Farmer's Market to shame, even though I love it...).

Above all, it was my night at the ocean that will be my favorite memory. I have always loved the ocean, I’ve been to the Atlantic ocean many times. It always has struck me with such awe. We went to Lincoln City, Oregon, and it was the first time I saw the Pacific, also the first time I saw whales. Being there in that moment on the beach, in that time, with someone I loved… I have always been at a loss for words to describe it. I felt like that was the place that I was meant to be. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that moment, to the ocean, or go back to Lincoln City and I would feel so entirely blissful and happy, as I did there. I won’t ever forget how I felt there, so in love with the world, and what it had given me. Just so much love.

Although I don’t really get to spend time with my exploring companions as much these days, I will always share these marvelous memories with them. We listened to “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers dozens of times in the car, however, whenever I hear the Sleeping at Last version, I always find myself in tears. Happy and sad, a state of joyous melancholy and nostalgia that makes me treasure and long for the days with those people, and for those moments. “And if I grow old, well, I know I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the girl who's growing old with you.” And I would walk five hundred miles, but I would walk about three thousand more. Just to be the girl who walked three thousand five hundred miles to fall down at your door, and to be in Oregon once more.