Exactly 6 years ago I was packing my bag to visit a good friend from college. At this point in my life, we had been friends for about four years (we’ve been for almost ten now!) and I had been through about 57 different phases in my life with him. We met at the University of Wyoming and partied way too hard together, sludged through 6 feet of snow together, one even found the other on a park bench the next morning after going out, failed classes together, laughed until we cried, climbed rocks together and saw many awesome shows together. My life drastically changed when I met a basketball player and fell in love and moved with him from Wyoming to Oklahoma. OH, MAN, DID I GET SHIT FOR THAT. But we always stayed friends. I’m telling you all of this because it’s not only fun to reminisce but also because this friend, Benja, is the reason I bought these Chaco sandals in the first place.
Now, side story, when I was 18 my dad bought me a pair of black Chacos but they were too big and two years later my friend’s dog chewed them up and that was the end of those. I never really wore them and was living in Oklahoma plus I didn’t have the lifestyle for them. Ok now back to the love letter…
A few years later and a few months after said basketball player dumped me, I hopped off the plane in Missoula, Montana with my Modest Mouse poster to visit Benja. I knew he was living out of his truck at the time but didn’t know like, FOR REAL living out of his trucl. Like where does one shower when you live out of your truck? Well, I soon found out, we were showering in the Clark Fork River. I think this was on day 2 or something but Benja plunged right in as I slowly made my way in, complaining about the sharp rocks in the river because they were cutting up my feet. Keep in mind when Benja and I were first friends I was a bit more “outdoorsy” than I was at that moment in my life, so I tried to act cool and told him “Oh yea I always wear my Chacos, my friend’s dog just recently chewed them up so I don’t have any.” When really I hardly ever wore them.
We went straight into town and bought my favorite pair of sandals I’ve ever bought in my entire life at The Trail Head, on Front Street in Missoula, Montana on August 27th, 2013. For all my Chaco lovers out there you know they can be pretty pricey but it was the end of summer and I found some for $47. And this is where my Chaco love story truly begins.
Now here I am 6 years to the date, August 27th, 2019 and I’ve been to 22 countries and 28 states with my Chacos! I’ve jumped off waterfalls in them, I’ve climbed many mountains in them, I’ve hitchhiked in them, I’ve hiked many miles in them, and so much more. All I really have to say is that I am so in love with my Chaco’s. They’ve been with me through the saddest and happiest times in my life. These babies were even chewed by a different friends dog and actually somehow haven’t fallen completely apart yet! Join me as I reminisce on my life with my Chacos!
Although you can’t see them this is the first picture I ever took in my Chacos somewhere in Montana on our way to the Hot Springs…August 2013 I wrote in my journal on August 27th, “On our way to Glacier National Park and stopping at the Hot Springs on our way, wow I am so obsessed with my new Chacos!”
Some awesome photos where my Chacos saved my feet but they didn’t make the picture…
A few more times my Chacos saved my feet but didn’t make the picture…
Thanks for joining me on this walk down memory lane. Although, yes they are just sandals, these babies have been with me through so much and I’m crying because I’m sure our time together is coming to an end quite soon. Even though I thought that would have happened at Havasu, or Peru or on my latest hike to Empire Bluffs and it didn’t! But until then, thank you Chaco® for making the best footwear in the world and thank you to all my friends and family who have helped me make memories in these little yet mighty pair of sandals.
