Nowhere at Nighttime

Alternate title to this post: we drove to Wyoming + all I got was this photo.

Back in mid-January, there were little rumors floating around the internet that we might be able to actually see the Northern Lights from as far south as Colorado. It was one of those spontaneous moments – do we stay home because it’s cloudy/snowy or do we go for a little drive to the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night on a chance? Well, we went for it. Took off driving in the middle of the night from Denver all the way up north of Cheyenne, Wyoming, pulled off onto a dirt road + stared at the sky.

And all we saw were clouds.

Lately, life has thrown me some pretty big curveballs, but I’m learning that sometimes you just have to take a chance. Drive off into the night + hope that you find what you’re looking for. And even if all you see is clouds – no stars even, certainly no aurora borealis – there is still plenty to appreciate in the journey. This, at it’s foundation, is why I love to travel. There’s a sense of spontaneity, of suspending daily life, taking a chance + fearlessly going on an adventure. And even if that adventure doesn’t turn out like you anticipated, it’s full of tiny everyday but unusual moments that define you. It’s easy to let the fear of the unknown (how will this end? what if I don’t see anything?) keep you at home, but you’ve gotta stay fearless, friends. Stay open to the little adventures.

So, although there whispers of faint sightings on the horizon from Estes Park, we didn’t see anything from our little road in nowhere, Wyoming. But I did have a great time on the way.

Isn’t that the point?

Have you had any adventures (travel or otherwise) that didn’t turn out how you expected? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!