A year ago today our family was in Yellowstone National Park for Fall Break 2022. The last time I was in Yellowstone I was 15! This time I was in Yellowstone with my 15 year old (and his older brother). Ah, time comes full circle.

My husband has an uncanny sense of timing. We always manage to go at the best time with the least amount of foot traffic but best time for the sites. We had to get creative with food and lodging as the park was in its seasonal last gasp. Challenge accepted. The boys are older now, so some beef jerky, a hershey bar, and a bottle of water go a long way to filling in the gaps.

We saw all the big sites—Old Faithful, Paint Pots, Yellowstone Lake, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The buffalo were accomodating and posed for pictures. We hiked so much my wonky hip flared up. I finally threw in the towel on our last hike and skipped the hill climb. My sons climbed every rock, jumped every creek, and generally tried to make me crazy with worry. This wildness is calculated and par for the course. It is an endurance test between their prefrontal cortex and my amygdala.

We also enjoyed some time in Bozeman, Montana checking out the downtown. I did not see any movie stars. There was no gunslinging or swashbuckling. I guess they save that for Paramount+. The food was excellent and the shopping was fun.

The best part of any Fall break whether I am home or traveling or camped out after hours in a car rental terminal, is being with my family. We play made up trivia games, tell stories, fight, frustrate each other, ignore each other, hide out in plain site on our phones, and hug on each other. I am so grateful for our time together and memories made.