My Big Fat American Road Trip According to Instagram

We made it to Portland! Gerry and I are staying with his aunt and uncle in (far) Northwest Portland until we can find a place of our own. We're so lucky that he has relatives with plenty of space to put us up. This house we're staying in is huge, and I haven't even seen portions of it yet. I had to ask if they owned a TV because I hadn't seen one (they do). We've got plenty of room to feel like we're not cramping anyone else's style, which I wasn't previously sure about. Down the street are his cousin and her family. They have 3 chickens, a golf cart and an australian shepherd that tugs at my heartstrings because his behaviors remind me of Dixie. 

We went apartment hunting today, which proved to be exhausting and deflating, but we're armed with a new plan of attack and plenty of enthusiasm for tomorrow. We've both got our own set of priorities, and finding a place with the criteria to accommodate our needs is going to be tricky. I'm skeptical, but hopeful, and if compromises need to be made, then that's what we will do. The important thing is WE MADE IT, and what a journey it was...

I took more than 500 photos while on our road trip; the primary bulk are from Yellowstone. It's going to take some time before I go through them all, but I thought I'd share some Instagram and phone pictures. If you follow me  on Instagram (@mittenpaws) or Twitter (@mittenpawsduh), you may have seen some of these already. These are a nice taste of our big fat American road trip, personal manifest destiny, and one of the best weeks I'll probably ever have. 

Bartlett, IL to Lawrence, KS

Lawrence, KS to Denver, CO

Denver, CO to Pinedale, WY

Pinedale, WY to Island Park, ID

Island Park, ID to West Yellowstone, MT (the day we added to spend more time in Yellowstone)

West Yellowstone, MT to Boise, ID

Boise, ID to Portland, OR

Wish us luck finding an apartment soon! We need to get that taken care of so I can start worrying about finding a job. Just gotta take on one thing at a time.