HOME SWEET HOME!!

We officially made it home safe and sound! Having spent 56 days on the road and 160 hours in a car and having crossed 25 states and 9,000 miles, we are unbelievably excited to be home so that we can kick our feet up and do absolutely nothing. Who knew travelling would be so exhausting?

Over the course of our travels, we discovered some cities we absolutely loved (Seattle and Austin for Claire, San Francisco and Nashville for Theresa), hiked some amazing trails (Yosemite hands down), met the nicest people, saw the most unique and amazing places and events, and have created enough memories to last a lifetime. For anyone thinking about roadtripping across the states, DO IT! It is truly a one-of-a-kind experience and an amazing way to see the country.

A HUGE shout out to everyone who helped make this trip possible--to everyone who loaned us gear, gave us destination advice, helped setup informational interviews, met us along the way, showed us around cities, welcomed us home, and followed this blog--THANK YOU. We truly could not have completed this trip without your support! We want to give a special thanks to everyone who let us crash on their couches, floors, and RV’s – you know who you are. We cannot thank you enough for all the hospitality and if any of you ever find yourselves in Chicago or Bloomington, IN, we would be honored to return the favor. The biggest shout-out  goes to our parents who were crazy enough to not only allow their 20something daughters to travel across the country but also gave us their car for the summer and most importantly supported us throughout this entire journey. Thanks Mom and Dad! 

This blog is only a snapshot of our travel adventures--our eight weeks on the road left us with more stories, memories, and photos that we can explain here. We are more than happy to share our stories, insights, lessons, and advice with anyone considering a cross-country trip. Also keep an eye out on Facebook as we upload more exciting photos and videos from our travels.  

As we both transition back into our daily routines, we will surely keep lessons we have learned from this trip close to heart. Flexibility, patience, the kindness of strangers, and the ability to persevere through moments of insecurity are just some of the takeaways from this trip (along with a nice tan – or sunburn for Claire). After experiencing the arts and nonprofit sectors across the country, we are both more passionate and invigorated than ever before to embark on our respective career paths, where ever that may be! And most importantly, understanding and appreciating the infinite value of friends and family is a lesson that will never be forgotten! 

Thanks for following our travels! Go forth and do awesome things!