June 7, 2023

9 states, 53+ hours, 3,020 miles

For the May recap, we are doing something a little different… a road-trip recap!!!

I have always wanted to go on a road trip so when Isaiah mentioned this idea to me, I was pumped. I didn’t think it would actually happen when the idea was brought up but, of course, I was up for it.

The dates worked out perfectly & we got it all set up… by we, I definitely mean Isaiah. After planning, prepping, and lots of overpacking, we were ready to start our journey.

We left Birmingham on May 1st and headed to Oklahoma. We saw thousands of gorgeous yellow wildflowers on the road and surprisingly, we only stopped one time, the whole way! We explored, froze our butts off on the lake (worth it), relived some of Isaiah’s favorite childhood memories, spent the most precious time with his grandparents, and almost came back with a dog. It was so cool the way it worked out because my dad was in Fort Smith, Arkansas which was about 45 minutes from us. We were able to meet him & Bayler for dinner. What are the chances of that!? After several days exploring Oklahoma, we headed back to BHAM for a birthday celebration, a wedding I shot & to regroup for the second & third legs of our trip!

The 36 hours back in BHAM were spent celebrating one of our best friend’s birthday, shooting a wedding, unpacking, doing laundry, repacking, and gearing up for the second & third parts of our trip.

With Starbucks in hand, we left BHAM (again) on May 7th and headed to North Carolina. It’s always annoying knowing you have to drive through Atlanta and hoping that you don’t get stuck in the famous Atlanta traffic. What was supposed to be a 10-hour trip turned into a 12-hour trip because of the lovely construction. We definitely stopped more than once on this drive. We finally made it, and I don’t think I have ever slept better than when my head hit the pillow that night. Coastal Carolina or The Crystal Coast as they call it, was a DREAM. Shopping in the cutest coastal towns, long walks on the beach looking for shark teeth, more family time, incredible seafood, walking the marinas, watching sunsets, braving the cold water (again), and of course ice cream. This part of our trip was definitely my favorite. The days felt like a movie, and the time spent with family was so sweet.

Full of seafood & a little sunburnt, it was time for the last leg of our trip. We left NC and headed down to Orlando, FL for Anna’s (Isaiah’s sister) high school graduation. We broke up our trip and stopped in Savannah for an early dinner and a stroll down Riverstreet to stretch our legs. After a long day of traveling, we were greeted in the driveway with a warm welcome.

Although our road trip was over, we still had several more things on our agenda! I had an engagement session in Winter Park and I cannot wait to share that session on Madyson Grace Photography soon. We celebrated the cutest grad all weekend long. Meeting family, a pizza party, pickle ball, time on the lake, the new Guardians movie, and again, more amazing food.

I don’t think words will ever describe how incredible this trip was. I mean, 53+ hours in the car with someone could be a really good thing or a really bad thing. I can confidently say that it was a really good thing in this case! I am so thankful for a job that I can work from anywhere in the world and allows me to spend time with family & traveling, which are two of the biggest things in my life.

If you’re still reading this, props to you because this is long. Until the next road trip! Enjoy the photos!

From the midwest to the east coast!

Date night for our last night in North Carolina before hitting the road for the last leg of the trip!

Pit-stop in Savannah for a few hours to stretch our legs! If you’re in Savannah, you MUST go to the restaurant, Treylor Park, and you need to get the nachos. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. 10/10 recommend!