In April of this year, my running buddy Kate and I found out that the Glen Onoko Falls trail in Jim Thorpe, PA was closing forever due to irresponsible and ill-prepared hikers getting injured. We immediately decided to go. We had always talked about how it was our favorite ‘local’ hike but had never actually hiked it together. She asked if she could bring her friend Sarah along and I obviously said yes.

That day on it’s own, would have been memorable. After hiking Glen Onoko, we decided to hike the Lehigh Valley Gap section of the Appalachian trail – which, in hindsight, was a terrible idea in 40-50mph winds. We rewarded our survival with a trip to my favorite vegan bakery in Bethlehem PA. From there, we parted ways, and I likely was never going to see Sarah again as she was moving back to Oregon in July.

It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it? Sarah and I ended up hanging out two more times, once at a women’s networking event that was a bust, and once for a quick drink in Wayne the night before she left town. We chatted about life, about our random food intolerances, about her time here in Philly, but never chatted about me visiting her out west. On our hike in May, she had offered to host both Kate and me if we ever wanted to visit, but I laughed it off. We barely knew each other, I would never feel comfortable imposing like that!

Then, she started posted pictures of the views from her hikes. Each one was more beautiful than the last, and I knew I had to go. I chatted with my husband, found cheap flights, and a month later I found myself at the airport waiting to board a flight to Bend, Oregon.

This past week has been nothing short of amazing. There were no expectations, no agendas, just a desire to hang out, hike, and experience the easy-living aspect of the pacific northwest. With the mountains only 20-30 minutes away, we were able to easily balance doing our day-job in the morning and exploring in the afternoons and evenings. We hiked three days straight, took in epic views, hung out by glacier lakes on mountain tops with cider and her pup Brody. On our non-hiking days, we did a mini-brewery tour, found secret rooms and hidden bars at a the McMenamins Pub and watched the golden sun set over the mountains. We wore hiking and athleisure clothes everywhere, including restaurants, and met and pet all the doggos.

This trip reinforced one thing. Life is short, so let go of expectations, let go of judgments, be open to new opportunities and choose happiness.