I sure hope you didn’t miss me.

Because, quite frankly, I didn’t miss Minnesota much at all, nor did I even think much about it, or the people, the impending Fall and it’s glorious colors or really, much of anything. Except my furbabies.

{{place your cursor over the photos to get a description of them}}

I was surrounded by something so stunning, so gorgeous and so unbelievable that I spent quite a bit of time with my mouth open, gazing up at mountains, down river canyons, swiveling my head at God’s rich beauty, under a wide open Montana sky. I breathed in wildfire smoke from the next state, smoke that shrouded soaring mountain ranges and I didn’t even care. I watched cattle roaming prairies that were wider than I could have imagined. I laughed at Bighorn Sheep scampering down sheer rock cliffs, and secretly longed for the nimble ability they had, while wild Buffalo stared through our car windows, shaking shaggy heads and looking like they were just quietly imploring us to leave them be. Mankind can be so rude to wildlife. Humans would never tolerate God’s creatures standing around them, gawking, cameras waving, voices shouting at them. We’re a rude bunch.

I watched more than 3,000 miles slip away under our tires, over some incredibly beautiful highways, byways, two-lane roads, deep mountain canyons and enormous sweeping Interstates, as well as some of the most desolate land I’ve ever seen go by my window. {{Note: If you ever think of taking Highway 212 through Montana to go East, don’t. It’s scarily empty}}. I stepped in to more truck stop and public bathrooms than I could ever have counted {to their credit- many were very well kept up and clean. High five, folks!!} We spotted 46 out of 50 United States of America license plates {we did not see Hawaii, Delaware, Rhode Island and Louisiana}, glimpsed 5 Canadian Provinces {missed PEI, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia} and several European license plates. We gazed in awe at The Badlands, Devil’s Tower and Mount Rushmore National Monuments, trekked through an enormous and amazing underground cavern {Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park in Montana} and spent two days driving deliriously through the beauty that is Yellowstone National Park. We watched Old Faithful erupt and stood inside both the historic Old Faithful Inn and the classic Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Our car climbed to more than 8,000 feet at the Continental Divide. And I stood at the base of one of Yellowstone’s highest peaks at 10,930 feet and felt the awe of God’s creation. We hiked six miles over a beautiful mountain trail and ate lunch by a bracing and lovely, babbling mountain stream. We rafted down Class 3 rapids on the Gallatin River, through a stunning canyon that comes to me in my dreams. We ate wonderful meals courtesy of my so very gracious aunt and uncle, who’s beautiful home was such a perfect way to spend a vacation. We came home with a suitcase full of clean clothes and heads stuffed with memories to last a lifetime. Summer segued to Fall while we were away, and the leaves turned and dropped and our cats were very well taken care of by loving family. I brought home Montana micro brews. I brought home a peaceful heart and a head full of Big Sky Country. I missed nothing that happened around me. And that in itself was exhausting, but in the most incredible way, it filled me up to overflowing.

Just like I expected. And needed.

It was so, so good for my soul.

{{Are you on Instagram? Follow me to find all these photos, and more!! I’m kate_selner.}}

And STAY TUNED to this spot!
On Monday, something BIG is going to begin, and you will want to get in on the action!