That may seem like a weird wish but of all the photos I have I get the most compliments on the ones of my feet.  So by popular demand here is a speed road trip across America with my feet in pictures:

Kayaking 1 of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes

Olympic National Park in Washington

Kayaking with alligators at Everglades National Park in Florida

Walking along the beach in Naples, Florida

Watching the sunset at the beach in Naples, Florida

Arches National Park in Utah

Camping on the beach at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas

I have worn this pair of Keen sandals in 47 states. I love my well worn Keen sandals and couldn't let them go to heaven at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas.

I got my kicks on Route 66 at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona

Taking a break and enjoying the view while hiking the Grand Canyon in Arizona

Foolishly wearing sandals among the cactus at Joshua Tree National Park in California

Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California

Mount Tampais overlooking San Francisco Bay Area in California

Hood River in Oregon

Who hikes 4 miles up Mount Si in Washington wearing Tevas? Sue, that's who.

Kelp beds at Deception Pass State Park in Washington

Looking for whales at Lime Kiln Point State Park - San Juan Island in Washington

Muir Beach in Marin County, California

Out of my tent and off on the next adventure in California.

I wonder where my feet will take me next.

And then I realized that I’m in California not Washington so I should stop trying to locate Mount Rainier on the horizon.  It has been a little over a week since I left Seattle for the Bay area but sometimes I still forget where I am.  Hopefully, soon I’ll stop looking for the Space Needle to orient myself in the city.

I am confused.

The other day I was sitting atop the Space Needle in Seattle drinking a soy latte after a day of sightseeing.  There was an antsy teenage girl next to me whining to go do something else, anything else, rather than sit there looking out the window.  BORING.  Her mom exasperatedly said -

“This is  a once in a lifetime moment.  You never know when or if you will ever be here again.  Enjoy the view.”

The teenage girl begrudgingly sat down, crossed her arms, and stared at the floor.

They made me think about what constitutes a ‘once in a lifetime moment.’  It is easy to define and enjoy the big once in a lifetime moments in your life – traveling to a new location, your wedding day, birth of a child, graduation, etc.  But what about all the other moments?

Technically this is a once in a lifetime moment for you.  You are sitting somewhere reading this post for the first time.  This moment in time will never happen again exactly as it is happening now.  Sure you could read the post again but you will already know how the story ends.

Once in a lifetime moments are every moment.  The big moments are memorable.  But what about the little moments?  They may not be as memorable but they are just as precious and often under-appreciated.

When people ask me where is my favorite place I have traveled I always have a hard time answering that question.  Long-term travel isn’t about a location or a place or a big once in a lifetime moment.  It is about the journey.  All the moments – big, small, and in between.

Every moment is a once in a lifetime moment.  Enjoy the journey.

San Juan Islands by Air

San Juan Islands by Ferry

San Juan Islands by Foot

When I was flying over the San Juan Islands I had no clue I would walk through a sculpture garden with a dragonfly in flight.  From the air I grasped the big picture of the islands but had no conception of the details hiding beneath the tree canopies.  And on land I discovered  some intricate details of the San Juans but missed the big picture of the layout of the islands.  If I had been dropped off in the the sculpture garden with a blindfold on I wouldn’t even have known I was on an island.

One of the things I love about travel is that it provides a different perspective.  But at the same time you can gain a different perspective of your own neighborhood just by looking at it in a different way.  Maybe by taking a different mode of transport – walking instead of driving or taking the bus.  Or maybe just by talking to the guy on the street that you pass everyday.

At one time in my life I aspired to see the San Juan Islands.  But now that I have seen the San Juan Islands by air, ferry, and foot,  I aspire to look at the familiar places in my life from the multiple perspectives I take when traveling.  By looking at the familiar from multiple perspectives new worlds open up and the disparate becomes connected.

Proud owners of a grassland home

with a million dollar view.

Location:  Olympic National Park, WA

Be yourself.  Be beautiful.

Location:  Seattle Pride Parade 2009 – Seattle, WA

I was too afraid to sleep in my tent in the Hoh Rainforest because I heard growling coming from the woods while tending my campfire. So I slept in my car with a mouse that got in when I was unpacking. It was a long night.

Location: Hoh Rainforest at Olympic National Park, WA