Is it really October already? At the end of the month, it will have been a year since we moved in to the Turtle!  It’s fun to look back on the last year, and how we’ve spent our time quite differently than we’d expected. We make a lot of jokes about how it took us a year to make it from Oregon to Montana! Turtle time a real thing, guys.

We’d originally planned to divide our time fairly equally between the outdoors and visiting long-distance friends we didn’t get to see enough when we lived in Portland. Little did we know that the year would be quite so filled with people time! It’s been great getting to see people we’ve been missing, catching up with family and being around for significant life moments, and spending that quality time leisurely instead of smashing it all into a weekend. And then in a hilarious twist, after the year away from Portland while we caught up with old friends, we were missing our Portland friends Jason and Kelly so we planned a meet-up in Missoula!

For me, it was a super-fun collision of two worlds. I lived in Missoula for a number of years and have incredibly fond feelings for that charming little town. So it was a total blast to have Andy and our friends come and play with me in my old stomping ground! When we arrived in town we wasted no time getting to the river, and discovered that since the last time I was in Missoula, they put a dog park right on the Clark Fork river! So the dogs can all run freely together, and swim and drink as needed, right in the middle of town. Plus it’s called Bark Park, so bonus points for charm.

We got there in time for some glorious sunny days, so we spent as much time as possible on patios. Jason only ordered drinks in novelty glasses, as far as you can tell from this picture.

Missoula is small and super walkable, so we wandered around from place to place all day and into the evenings. And to add to the list of reasons I love Missoula, someone had put two pianos on the street that remained the entire time we were there, so Andy played them every single time we passed them! It set such a whimsical mood to hear piano music drifting throughout the streets downtown, some people playing difficult pieces beautifully and surprising their friends, others laughing while they tried to remember how “Heart and Soul” went. (Andy was the former.)

One of my favorite days was spent at my very favorite spot: Red Rocks! It’s a short walk from Whittaker Bridge, just east of Missoula, and has a nice beach, a beautiful view, and slow spots where you can swim or wade, depending on the time of year.

We relaxed in the sun and played Ladderball (or Montana Golf, or Snakes, depending on whose side you want to take in the discussion of the correct name of the game.) I hiked up to the top of Red Rocks and snapped a few quick photos as close to the edge as I dared.

We had a beautiful sunset on our way out, and to top it all off, while we were there, I found punctuation rocks! I mean, that comma, right? So the day was a resounding success. 🙂

It was great getting to see Kelly and Jason again, and to finally meet Brendan!

Jason had to get back to Portland, so we dropped him off at the airport (right on time, and he did not miss his flight. . . is how we will remember the day’s events in the future), and the remaining four of us drove south past Lolo to a nice camp site for a few days. Initially it was clear and warm, and we soaked up the last of the summer sun by the river.

Andy decided he wanted to cut his hair short, so Kelly and I gave him a picnic table haircut! Having your hair cut fireside is another perk of the Turtle life. So is getting your picture taken at an unfortunate middle phase of that haircut.

At one point, the weather remembered it was supposed to be Fall. Fortunately, we’re all hardy campers and had a great time despite the wind and rain. We cozied up next to the fire, had slow-cooked bacon and huckleberry pancakes, hunted for firewood by the river, played more Ladderball, and sat around the fire some more.

It happened in an instant but we realized, as the dogs peeked out at us from the wind-squashed tent and the leaves swirled around our rainy picnic table. . . fall was upon us! We were sorry to leave when the time came, but the weather made it easier to admit that being indoors sounded cozy!

I left Missoula with Kelly and Brendan and we drove to Portland while Andy stayed in the Turtle at the camp site to finish out the work week. I spent a week in Portland, hanging out with friends and my sisters, nieces, and nephews.

The week flew by, and in a flash it was time to go. I road-tripped with my brother-in-law back to Bozeman, where we met up with Andy at my Mom’s house. Since we arrived we’ve had lots more quality time with her, my other sister, and my other nieces and nephews! There’s a lot of us. Which means we require a lot of time to catch up! It’s been such a treat to see everyone on a more regular basis, being around for birthdays, learning to snap, and loose teeth, and we’re especially savoring it because we realize that we’re not going to spend every year the way we’ve done it this time—hopping from town to town hanging out with all our buddies.

It’s been so much fun to make this year a people year, but as we approach our year Turtle-versary we realize we also need to focus on the other reason we chose this lifestyle, which is getting outside and playing hard! We’re going to have to break the news to Gracie, who is thoroughly enjoying the comforts of Mom’s house. . .

But we’ll use Clive’s pop-up illustration of him and me roasting hot dogs over the fire as inspiration to get back outside!

In the meantime, we’re using our time and resources at “Bozeman Harbor” to get the Turtle in top shape before we get into the snow. As I sit bundled up indoors with a nice cup of coffee, I’m thinking this will be a good time for reflection as we approach a year of being full-time vandwellers. So look forward to posts where I dish the details of Turtle life—the good, the bad, and the breaking-down-by-the-side-of-the-road.

Happy Fall, everyone! 🙂