Getting the van changed how I travel. It made things simpler, slower, and a lot more connected to the places I was already drawn to.

Instead of planning trips around destinations, I started following colors, weather, and birds. A trailhead at sunrise. A quiet campground at dusk. A place I might have passed before but now had time to stop and explore.

It has taken me all over Washington and beyond, often without much of a plan. Just a direction, my binoculars, a map, and a reason to go look around.

This is how I travel now.