August has been a super solid month. We did a little travel, but all of it was really laid back. We had a busy month at home, but it’s felt really nice to be home for a lot of fun things. School is back in session and we’re in the final stretch of the year running headfirst into the holiday season. Fall is at our doorstep now and we’re winding down and settling in for most of the rest of the year as far as our family travel goes. More on that in a bit.
Travel Planning This Month
This month has been all about planning my solo trip to Colorado and Utah next month. I started getting some permits in line and decided to reroute my Colorado portion of the trip a bit, but I’m doing a couple really fun things en route to Utah. One is completely new, and the other is something I’ve only done once almost a decade ago!
In addition to that, I’m doing a bit of daydreaming/planning – for they quickly become one-in-the-same – about our longer camping adventures next May/June. I do have a bit of a big, crazy dream for Nomad Summer 2026. I’m also going to try to convince Matt to do 6 weeks this time… wish me luck!
Plus, my friend Shea and I are planning a trip to the Northeast next fall! We’ve got a route set but we have a lot more work to do on this.
Travel This Month
We took the most chill camping trip with my parents to kick off the month. We camped at the Horseshoe Bend KOA in Arkansas, and we fell so hard for this area. It was just simple and sweet. We roasted hotdogs, played putt-putt, roasted marshmallows, swam, walked around, kept it simple. It was just relaxing and just what we needed.
My dad, Charleigh, my oldest nephew, Cooper, and I went up to Onondaga Cave State Park – a truly stunning cave with all kinds of other-worldly formations. Charleigh did so well and I loved the questions she asked. I just always am proud of how much she retains from our adventures around the country.
We went camping down in Fayetteville for a weekend as well. It was another pretty relaxed weekend of eating out, visiting Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and wandering around Fayetteville. It was brutally hot, so we made the most of mornings and evenings and hunkered down in the afternoons.
We ended the month up in Kansas City getting to see a couple of Matt’s friends from college and going to a concert together! We saw Gregory Alan Isakov again – I’ve now seen him 7 times, and we had so much fun hanging out together. Plus, it was a kid-free weekend, which is always really nice.
Blog Posts from August
July 2025: A Monthly Roundup: This is a monthly roundup, just like this one.
Things to Know Before Visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison: These are the things we think you need to know before visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado.
Camper Diaries – Nomad Summer Pt. 3 – Our Week in Estes Park, Colorado: This is a little roundup of how our last third of Nomad Summer in Estes Park went – a little about camping, what we did, etc. (Read parts one and two here.)
Things to Know Before Visiting Rock Mountain National Park: This is our guide to things that a first-time visitor to Rocky Mountain National Park should know before visiting!
Finding My Own Path Back to Adventure within Motherhood: This is the most personal post I’ve written in a really long time. It’s inspired in part by the book Wild Mama I just finished in August and how I’m finding myself more and more in this motherhood journey.
Local Adventures in August
We went to our local zoo a couple of times, which is a lot of fun. I love watching the kids learn more about animals through these experiences.
We spent so much time at the creek! I took just Liam, I took both of the kids with my parents, with Shea and on my own. It was just so much fun and I’ve seen so much imagination and growth in them just through this experience.
I had the loveliest ladies night with friends of mine. We all met in Branson, did a little 4.5 mile hike together at Table Rock State Park and then ate Indian food at my favorite Indian restaurant in the Ozarks – India Clay Oven. So stinking good! We had such quality time and I love that we did something other than going out for drinks to spend time with these ladies.
I’m still leading 4 By 4 Women’s Hiking Club and I’m absolutely obsessed with it still. While our groups are smaller – 15-30 women each time – we’re creating a true community, true friendships and taking up the space we deserve to take in the great outdoors.
I also had a lot of coffee shop dates, walked on loads of local greenways and enjoyed Augtober as much as possible in the Ozarks when our cool snap came in.
Quote of the Month
“What you are not changing you are choosing.”
Best Thing I Ate in August
My build your own breakfast hash from Succotash in KC. I love a good brekkie and this one was exceptional. It’s my go-to brunch/breakkie spot in Kansas City. It was hash, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, ham and smoked gouda and holy chef’s kiss, was it delicious?! This is a place I always choose for brunch in KC if I get to pick.
What I Read in August
I finished Wild Mama. I cannot rave enough about this book. If you’re a new mama, or a mama looking to find herself again and you’ve been an adventurer before parenthood, I cannot recommend this enough. I felt so comforted and validated by this book. I’ve gotten back on Your Guide to Forest Bathing, hoping to finish that this month and move on to The Nature Fix.
I listened to When the Moon Hatched, but I have to be honest and say I think my focus was a bit off. I want to listen to it again eventually, but it wasn’t my favorite fantasy book thus far.
Most Popular Blog Post in August
Best Hikes in Northwest Arkansas – I love when this post does so well because it means our “home region” of the Ozarks – even though we’re in the Missouri counterpart of it, is being shown off to a degree.
Most Popular Instagram Post and Reel in August
Wild Motherhood Update
This month, I didn’t do anything new, really, but we spent so much time outside – especially at the creek. We spent a handful of days down there this month and it was the perfect respite for the heat here in the Ozarks. Their confidence in the creek has absolutely skyrocketed and I love seeing them more and more comfortable out there.
I took Charleigh on a mother/daughter hike this month going completely at her pace and letting her stop and look at what she wanted and just talking about anything she wanted. It was a wonderful time, but it was also not a massive success and that was a lesson in itself. That I have learned I absolutely don’t want to push that in a way that causes her to not enjoy time outside and that’s a major lesson-win for me. I can sometimes push to prioritize the distance, the experience and the want for my own adventure. But, this time I took a deep breath and the second time that she asked to turn around, we did just that. We still looked at plants and picked up sticks, but we didn’t even make it a mile, but the distance we did walk was fun and special.
Home and Life Updates in August
My biggest and most exciting home update to give is that my mom got to ring the bell signifying the end of her cancer journey this month! It was such a special moment that meant so much to me! She’s so incredible and I’m so proud of her journey!
The kids started back at school this month, which is always so fun. I love their school and the people who are educating our children. We’re really grateful for this school and their education.
We spent a lot of time together as a family preparing for school to start. I cut my hair short, short again which always feels cleansing and we grew our record collection and spent a lot of family time in our reading nook listening to vinyl.
What’s Coming September
In September, I have my first solo trip in 11 years. I’m so excited about this and the time of reflection, resetting and adventure that this is going to give me the opportunity to have. I’m going to miss my family so, so much, but I know Matt has it completely handled back at home.
We’ll be settling into the cozy season a bit in September. We’ve got some local adventures we’d like to take and we’re looking forward to the cooler temps to be outside a ton. Matt’s work will prevent us from many adventures this fall, which isn’t the norm, so we’re finding the joy in being home for this season and settling into the darker end of the year, getting ready for Halloween (yes, in September), and just being together.
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