Memorable Travel Experience(s)

My most memorable travel experience was that feeling I had crossing the line into our 50th state - South Dakota. It was the year of the pandemic and also the year I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder. I never thought I would actually get to see my last four states, but right after my diagnosis, I made the decision to just go for it, so we hopped on a plane to Denver two weeks later and then drove through six states in 14 days (3,300 miles) to accomplish this goal. Our final destination on this journey was to visit Mt. Rushmore, which was a Christmas gift for my partner that had gotten cancelled due to the country shutting down. We visited many National Parks on this trip, and had the most profound sense of wonder and awe at the natural beauty of our country and also extreme gratitude for being able to turn a sad time in our lives into a momentous occasion of empowerment and celebration!