Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland, Iowa, Idaho, Wyoming, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee are all of the states I've visited this summer. A lot—I know. As some of my friends have said, I've caught the "travel bug".

This summer was probably the most I've ever traveled and managed to actually pay for. I do have to say, my bank account is crying just a bit, but I still have two weeks to recover and make some more money babysitting before I go back to school on September 1st. 

It has been unbelievable getting to travel and explore so much of the US and getting to see all of the people I love. I've been very lax on my blog writing, but my social media presence has shot through the roof. So yes, I do admit that I've sucked at getting posts up, but I've got a lot planned as school comes around the corner.

I've traveled so much and have honestly learned so much about what kind of traveler I am and what I need to focus on when I do travel a lot. It can feel like you're never grounded in one place and like you are all over the place. However, being with people I love and care about always makes me feel more at home. 

I had to make a choice of traveling a lot or finding a job of some sort because I knew I didn't want to sit around all summer. Don't get me wrong, traveling is hella expensive and I was lucky enough to have the savings for it all. I took a train, a plane, a car, a bus to wherever I needed to be. 

One of the things I try to remember when I'm out and about is to appreciate the time I get to spend with the people I'm with and the memories I make with them. Travelling can be stressful, overwhelming, and very unpredictable. On my trip to Washington, DC, I lost my luggage. Little things like that including plane delays, traffic, weather, and all of the inconveniences can start to add a ton of stress to a trip. Learn to adapt and be flexible to those things. 

This year was my year of traveling alone and learning how to find my own way without the guidance of my parents. It can be hard for a lot of people to be able to ask for help when they need it and I've become more comfortable talking to strangers and being alone for extended periods of time. 

I've seen so many sights and new things this summer. It makes me crave travel even more. However, nothing more than just being in the city of Chicago makes me feel at home. The best thing is that Chicago and my school are so diverse and I never feel like I can't learn about other cultures and backgrounds being at home. 

It has truly been one hell of a summer that I will remember forever. The places I've been and the people that made it even more special have opened my eyes to travel in a totally different and liberating way. I feel secure when I travel and also get a sense of adrenaline not knowing what's in store for me at my destination. 

Hello from the Grand Tetons everyone! I know it has surely been a while since I have updated you all on my whereabouts, that is if you don't already follow me on Instagram (link above), and I have had quite the adventure out west. It's summer and a breathtaking getaway to a mountain range was the perfect escape. 

My family and I went to the Jackson, Wyoming area, and Yellowstone for a week. It was definitely a trip to remember for a lifetime. Words and pictures cannot do the views justice, but I hope they suffice.  If you know me, then you know I'm really outdoorsy at heart. I love waking up in the morning to birds, views, and no makeup or judgment in sight. It's humbling to get to live in the beauty that remains in the States and to appreciate all it has to offer. 

Waking up to the view above of the Grand Tetons was something I wanted to get used to all the time. I needed to be out there before I go back to city college life. The air, while rather smokey and hazy from the forest fires in California and Oregon, was rather fresh and I never really felt the altitude like my sister did. 

Our major plans were to really just explore and see wildlife around the parks. We rented a Chevy Suburban and went on our way from Salt Lake City, Utah. It was about a five-hour drive and the view in the car of the mountains already had our jaws open the whole way there. Once we saw the Grand Tetons, we just about broke our jaws then. 

The main city near the Grand Tetons (and the closest Starbucks) was Jackson Hole. It's a very cute little town with shops and restaurants. Of course, we ate some bison. It's a bit touristy and ol' western looking but has charm and character I've never seen before. 

My younger sister Emily and I are posing in front of a vintage tour bus that has run for almost 50 years or so. This year was the last run for it! So, it was special to be taken around Yellowstone and have our tour guide Jackie educate us about the wildlife, trees, rocks, rivers, lakes, and so on. 

For food, we mostly ate at our lodge we stayed at which had a restaurant and gift shop, a small convenient store and gas station, and then our small cabins that we slept in surrounding the area. It was like a large campground resort in a way. We had burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and quesadillas! Pretty great meals at the Signal Mountain Lodge. I would highly recommend staying there. 

The first day we took a ski gondola up 10,000 feet to view the Grand Tetons. The pointy one in the back is it. What a great way to start off our trip and also get to eat waffles 10,000 feet up in the air! I would recommend the bacon and peanut butter waffles all day. 

Did we see wildlife? Of course! We saw so much that we didn't expect to see! On the gondola, we saw a moose, we saw many bison in the fields up close, we saw elk and deer, bald eagles, a black bear and her four cubs, and my personal favorite—five beavers. The buffalo and the beavers were massive. The elk's horns were huge. The black bear and cubs were just phenomenal to watch in the woods. The eagles were majestic. I felt almost like I was watching a nature documentary the entire time. Italics because italics. 

It was nothing like seeing these animals in captivity at the zoo. They could roam free and this was their turf. It made me kind of upset when I would see some people getting way too close to animals to take pictures. We need to help preserve these majestic animals and it got me thinking about how much we actually affect nature. We don't even stop to think about it. I want to keep living in a world with animals and ecosystems. I want rivers, oceans, and lakes to share with my kids. My dad said, "don't wait until you're 55 like me to come to see the earth's beauty". He couldn't be more right and true. 

We ended our trip with a Snake River float tour. Nothing like extreme white water rafting. That was probably my favorite thing we did. It was so peaceful to float along a river and through the forest that's been there for thousands of years. Like a dream. 

I know I didn't go into much descriptive detail about my trip—no need. However, I can't stress how much I want to urge people to go and continue to visit and support our national parks. You can actually donate to The Wilderness Society to keep our nature's beauty conserved and able to be shared on for generations. It has truly made me realize how much waste I use and contribute to the planet, destroying our o-zone and ecosystems little by little until there are none left. 

We need to take it all in and not treat our beautiful earth like trash. It does us so much good and we need to protect it. 

My skincare has been evolving and changing all the time recently and with the warm summer heat, my skin changes and tends to get more oily and high maintenance than normal. I'm more of a fan of skincare products than I am makeup, but I still need to be careful when I try out new products because my skin reacts to so much that I never know if it will work or break me out even more. 

On my way through the tempting kiosks in Sephora to check out, I spotted the Tatcha Pore-Perfecting Moisturizer & Cleanser Duo. I've always heard good things about Tatcha, but couldn't dare spend so much on a full size, singular product. I mean I'm a college student, so $50 dollars on a face product isn't where I should be really spending my money. However, this duo was only $25 dollars, so I decided it was time to try them out.

Now I actually bought this because I was really interested in trying out the moisturizer. The cleanser, though, impressed me way more. I loved how the cleanser had a fruit exfoliant and the way it reduces my breakouts really shows. 

While the moisturizer is rather light and smooth, I didn't notice so much hydration afterward. I think I can get even more hydration from my Simple moisturizer which is one of my all-time favorites. I don't know, there's something to be said about high-end skincare, but I really think you can get the same results and products for far less at the drugstore. 

Maybe it's my inability to really differentiate between brands, but I've had great experiences with other products half the price. The packages are small and there's hardly a lot of product between the two. I'm on the lookout for more products to try out as usual, but I'm not so sure that I would revisit Tatcha. What do you think about high-end versus drugstore skincare products?