a girl goes west... {otherwise known as "picture overload"}

Bekah getting in some big brother time!  <3

It has now been over a month since I last saw the rolling fields and towering forests that are my beloved Indiana.  It is amazing how a place can be so significant to you, not because you were born and raised there, but because of the little memories and amazing people that embody a location.

Packing day!

Because really, there wasn't much holding me to Indiana.  After all, "it's just a place", as Golde would say.

It is these precious people who make up my family and the moments I've shared with them that make it so-very-hard to be so-very-far away.

 The morning we left was wonderful... early meal of hot breakfast casserole (one of my all-time favorites), snuggling on the couch to get that last picture together, big hugs, and laughing.



Then there were the tears, the parents saying "take care of each other", the staring out the moving truck window watching figures get smaller and waving at them for as long as I could.

Day 1 recap: Figuring out how often to gas up the moving truck, a beautiful motel room, and a tired but excited me!

Oh and then the adventure!  Because it wasn't all crying and sadness.  For Andrew and me, this was a new life beginning.  Long hours together, talking, listening, eating (a lot!), and visiting MANY gas stations.



The first day everything pretty much looked the same, but our view started to get interesting during the second day!

Day 2 recap: Me having fun in my Batman t-shirt and enjoying stopping to shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming, LOTS OF COFFEE, and our first view of mountains!

Between bathroom and coffee breaks (well, for me at least, since Andrew thinks I'm crazy for liking the stuff), we began to see mountains...

Bottom left: TRAIN!!!

And then more and more... by the third day, we were surrounded by scenery that had me turning every direction and trying to get decent pictures through the glass of my window!

This is Utah, my friends.  It is beautiful.

Halfway through our last day on the road, we met with good friends.  It was so refreshing to walk around, talk, and laugh with people we hadn't seen in years.

We continued south through Utah until we crossed through a corner of Arizona and into Nevada, where Andrew's family lives.

Day 3 recap: beautiful rocks of many shapes and sizes, me in UTAH!, and reaching our destination.

 Going from lush forest and fields of the Midwest to the desert of the West was quite the transition.

And since I'm used to only seeing palm trees in Florida, it was strange seeing them with a mountain backdrop!

Andrew helped his sister, Amanda, shoot her first "big gun", as I call them since I have no clue what many of the technical names are!

We lived with Andrew's parents and sister for a little over a week while we looked for a job and a house. 



Our time in Nevada included shopping trips, a bunch of house-shopping, visiting the church there, and also taking some time for a shooting excursion.  :-)

Before moving out, Andrew, Amanda, and I also went on an evening fishing trip!  The location was stunning... and quite challenging for this city girl.  See the ledge behind Andrew is the larger picture below???  Yeah, it looks even steeper when you're in the process of climbing down!!

The weather was beautiful, despite being a little hot.  We found the *perfect* spot in the shade.



We stayed for hours, Andrew and Amanda fishing while I read or snapped pictures.  Once the crazy climbing was out of the way, this was such a relaxing trip!  The water was so clear and the ideal temperature for feet-soaking (and splashing).

Two great catches!!!

selfies

And then we moved into our new house!  It is a 3-bedroom walk-out basement apartment.  With the help of family, it only took a couple of hours to get everything inside and then, to top the day off, we went picking apricots!

Since moving, Andrew and I have done some exploring!  Andrew found this valley, which is right down the road from us and so pretty!

Life is good.  I'm still adjusting to the heat, but God has provided so graciously.  Andrew's new job has been easy for him to learn and our new church is very welcoming.  I'm still in the process of unpacking, but will be posting pictures of our new home soon, I hope!

 So, this is where I am now!  The girl has journeyed west.  I'm so thankful for the love and support of my family and my new friends!  This is a time of new stories and possibilities!

Blessings!

<3