Wild Minds Wander

Hey everyone, Kyli here. And if there’s one word that defines my current state, it’s STRESS. 🤯We leave in T-minus five days for our “Wild Minds Wander” adventure, and honestly? I am so overwhelmingly stressed it’s not even funny. My to-do list feels like a mountain, my shopping list is endless, and the packing? Don’t even get me started. I feel like I’m drowning, completely frozen and not knowing where to begin. I got home from a much-needed girls’ weekend in Steamboat Springs on Monday night, and instead of feeling refreshed, I’m just at a standstill.My body is literally screaming with the stress. I feel inflamed, bloated, and my period is nine days late (and no, I’m definitely not pregnant!). It’s like my nervous system is in full fight-or-flight mode and doesn’t know what to do. I keep replaying everything in my head, convinced I’m forgetting crucial things, and seriously starting to think, “Holy crap, what did I sign up for?!”

And as if I needed more reasons to panic, my girls’ weekend came with an unwelcome surprise. A bear broke into my minivan and ate a bag of pistachios! 🐻🌰 Where I live, we’ve never had to worry about bears like this. When we camp locally, we just toss food in a grocery bag in the car and it’s fine. Well, apparently, that’s not how it works. Apparently, food needs to be bear-proof even inside your vehicle. That little incident just compounded my stress about camping in the wild, adding another layer of “what if” to my already overflowing plate.

Then there’s the logistical nightmare of fitting everything into the van. Seriously, how is it all going to fit?! I ordered a hitch for a cargo carrier, hoping it would be my savior, but it arrived with a broken box and missing hardware. And of course, the replacement still hasn’t shown up. My slight panic is starting to feel a lot less “slight.”

The funniest (and sweetest, but still stress-inducing) moment happened today when I asked my five-year-old, Theo, what he was most excited about for the trip. His answer? “When we stay in ho-e-tells!” 😭😭😭 He pronounces it with such adorable innocence, and it’s the cutest thing ever, but it also shows his excitement level for tent camping. 🙄.

Sunday will likely arrive and I will still not even start packing, because right now, I’m just frozen. The thought of pre-making and freezing meals, figuring out exact quantities, and all the food logistics is just a big, overwhelming “AHHHHHHHHHHH!” Like should I even do food?!?

Life. Ugh. It just keeps throwing curveballs, doesn’t it? It feels like I’ve been knocked down time and time again these past few weeks. This adventure we’ve been planning is a chance to breathe, to recalibrate, and to find joy in the wildness. It’s the belief that the fresh air, the changing scenery, and the simple presence with my boys in nature will help put things back into perspective, heal some of these raw spots, and remind me of the beauty and resilience that still exists.

Honestly, as excited as I am, I’m also super nervous. Every day we get closer, I still can’t quite believe we are actually going to do this. But deep down, amidst all this stress and chaos, I know it’s going to be okay. This trip is going to be life-changing for us all. I’m counting on it.