Everyone raves about the North Cascades in October—gold larches, red huckleberry, that cinematic mist. I drove hours to see it, hoping the colors would snap me out of my own gray. The views were unreal, but standing there, boots muddy, hands cold, I felt the same old ache. I took photos I never posted. I watched couples laugh at trailheads and wondered if I’d ever stop feeling like a background character in someone else’s highlight reel. The leaves changed. I didn’t. Maybe that’s the point: sometimes you go somewhere beautiful and still carry yourself with you. The mountains don’t care. They just keep turning gold, year after year. #Travel #TravelConfessions #NorthCascades