We have moved! Yes... my darling husband and I have traded traffic and hastiness for wildlife and slow paced-living.
Where are we now?
As the photograph suggests, we are in the beautiful panhandle of Idaho. We are surrounded by mountains, natural bodies of water, evergreen trees, snow (for the season), quaint communities, and personable people. Sounds attractive, doesn't it? We thought so, too.
Why the move?
For the short explanation of our move: my husband's employment. For the long explanation of our move: my husband's employment, slower pace of life, family-oriented lifestyle, nature, and looking for like-minded believers.
When did we move?
We moved December 13, 2014. My last day of work was Friday, December 12. We finished loading our blessing Dodge Grand Caravan that Saturday morning and were on the road by 3pm. Moving in the middle of December seems a little crazy when north is the destination; however, we had a safe and comfortable drive.
Pictures?
Absolutely! I actually did not take too many pictures, and I did not edit any of these pictures. Please enjoy a few photographs that document our travels.
Texas
Texas is so large! We took Saturday and Sunday to get out of Texas. We stayed in a bed and breakfast our first night of travelling. Breakfast was delicious! The majority of our second day of travelling was actually in a mechanic's shop.... Our brakes were feeling kind of funny. Sure enough! The rear brakes were not correctly aligned, and the extra weight of our loaded down van were causing the front brakes to overwork.
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| Part of leaving work included writing one week's worth of detailed lesson plans for the substitute. |
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| Our first glimpse of snow! Not really. Texas "snow"- cotton. Memphis, TX |
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| Adrian, TX- just east of the New Mexico/Texas border |
New Mexico
Because of our lengthy layover in Texas (for our brakes), New Mexico took us the rest of the second day. We also experienced 35-40mph winds with 60mph gusts just east of Albuquerque. Brrr... how cold! Even with our weighed down van, we could feel the resistance against the wind. Since we were heading directly into the wind, our miles per gallon exponentially decreased during that stretch of road. We stayed at a hotel our second night.
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| When we noticed that our gasoline was draining quickly due to the wind, we looked for a gas station immediately. Before my sweet husband got out, he geared up to face the wind-- fuzzy hat, coat, scarf, and gloves. I thought we would be blown away each time he opened the door. He thought he would be blown away every time he got out of the van! |
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| The land was mostly flat with some large slopes. At one point, we saw all these lights from a city... But there were no cities around, and Albuquerque was still 60 miles away. It was Albuquerque! Wow... |
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| Our first view of mountains just south of the Colorado border! |
Colorado, Utah, southern Idaho, & Montana
The third day of our journey included four different states. We woke up in New Mexico (just south of the Colorado border) and went to bed at a quaint hotel in Montana. Day three was definitely the most scenic!
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| Durango, CO-- This town would be interesting to visit for a while! |
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| Mancos, CO-- SNOW! |
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| Mancos, CO |
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| Guess where we are now?! Such a beautiful state.... |
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| The photograph cannot quite capture this moment-- We saw the red coloring of the clays and rock structures, the greens of trees, and the blue/white hues of the mountains. Monticello, UT |
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| One of my favorite structures that we saw on the trip! Monticello, UT |
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| Dealing with the sun when wearing glasses doesn't have to be a necessary evil-- just wear your sunglasses over your glasses. Salt Lake City, UT |
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| The Rocky Mountains were beautiful in Salt Lake City, UT. |
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| We stayed at a quaint hotel in Dillon, MT. The snow and cold were definitely present! Ice, too.... |
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| Dillon, MT |
Last Day of Travel!
After leaving Dillon, MT, we did not have much longer to travel. The Pacific Northwest terrain definitely began to take precedence as we drove nearer to the Idaho/Montana border.
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| St. Regis, MT- We stopped in at a travel store to use the restroom. It had an interesting gift shop (that I would love to visit and purchase items from!) and restaurant (we didn't eat there), too. |
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| Couer d'Alene, ID |
We're Here! (North Idaho)
Our last day of travel included a small portion of Montana and the remaining distance to our destination in Idaho. (Our location is undisclosed for privacy.) A generous and gracious friend welcomed us into her home while our current (and still temporary) home was being fixed up. (THANK YOU, dear friend!!!!!!) Here are a few pictures of our new home!
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| On the day we arrived... |
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| After a snow... :-) |
Living Life to the Fullest
We are now in our new home (location-wise, we will be moving into a different structure soon). I am so thankful for safe travels and to be in a slower-paced, friendly place. I am so glad we will be able to bring our first child into the world in this peaceful area. Whether we stay in this area or move on in the future, the Lord knows. As for know, I am living life to the fullest to the extent that I can.
God bless you and keep you,
~Raquel
Really enjoyed the photo trip Raquel! Great pictures along the way, and your move sounds very exciting! We wish you all the best in your transition to your new home :)
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