Last week, a goal 27 years in the making was accomplished. I stepped two feet into all 50 states. Over the years, I learned big goals aren't about speed, they're about keeping the flame alive.
As a child, I was eager and fortunate enough to travel to many of the East Coast states. I assumed by the time I graduated high school, I’d have visited all the states. That child grew into a young adult who was naïve, ambitious, and traveled around the country on tour buses, checking more states off the list. Convinced my twenties would end with both a college degree and completing the 50-state tally.
By my thirties, reality had settled in. With four states to visit sprawling across the country, I knew this goal would take more effort, money, and patience to complete. In my early thirties, I took advantage of a little time freedom and rode my motorcycle across the country (you can read more about that adventure here). I had two goals in mind: cross the country on two wheels and finally step foot in Arkansas. Both were accomplished, leaving me with three states left. But soon after, I faced my hardest challenge yet: recovering from a traumatic brain injury. In those years, keeping my flame alive meant something entirely different: choosing to heal (you can read about that here).
In time, life allowed me to continue my adventures. I found myself in Hawaii, and a few years later on a long, quiet, much-needed drive through North Dakota. Suddenly, I was down to one state and one year left in my thirties. I set out to finish this childhood goal before turning 40 and did it with one week to spare.
Alaska revealed shocking views around every bend, and somewhere between glaciers and wildlife, I realized this dream was never meant to be completed when I was a dewy-eyed child. The joy these final states gave me wouldn’t have landed the same in my youth. They were meant for now.
Along tree-lined Alaskan roads, I crossed paths with young and not-so-young residents. \ Risk takers who traded in routine for boldly chasing adventure and embracing the unknown. Every person I met had followed their own Scents of Adventure—whether that meant cruise ships, cabins, or faraway countries. They didn’t wait for permission or an accomplice. They found their fire, and it led them to Alaska.
Alaska made me aware that it carried the same spirit as my candles. Casual, high quality, and designed for risk takers. When you light a Shoppe 815 candle, may it remind you that your own fire is worth chasing—no matter how long the path winds. Celebrate where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going next.
On to the next adventure,
Katy
On to the next adventure,
Katy
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