Tell us a little bit about your background.

"My boyfriend [Peter Gjovik] and I did the road trip together.  I am a freelance photographer and he is an art educator for children with special needs, as well as editor-in-chief of The Good Camp, a lifestyle website covering culture in both east coast and midwest metropolitans.”

Where did you travel?  

"We traveled from Saint Paul, Minnesota to Portland, Oregon.  We spent time in the Badlands, Cody, Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton, Jackson, Wyoming, Boise, Idaho, and Bend, Oregon."

What inspired the trip?

"I've always had the travel-bug.  My next road trip is never far from mind...  For months, Peter had planned on moving out to Portland with me, which inspired our road trip.  We used Minnesota as our starting point because that's where we are both from and where he was living."

What were the highs and lows of the trip?

"Every part of the trip was magic.  There's nothing like the high of the open road - the unknown - not having a clue what awaits you around the corner.  Some of the most memorable imagery from the trip was waking up to a stunning sunrise in the Badlands and getting ready to climb the rocky cliffs before anyone else in the park had even opened their eyes.  We fell in love with the seemingly endless Wyoming sundown, the pure magnitude of Grand Teton and the wildlife, including a young moose that got a little too close for comfort.  We sipped whiskey out the bottle in the middle of nowhere, experienced the heat of Idaho and finally indulged on a nice hotel room there.  The entire trip made me feel alive."

Were you trying to convey any particular message with the aesthetic of your imagery?

"I don't strive for a specific aesthetic.  I just hope that my photographs are constantly developing and improving as I do.  What I want for others to take from my photographs is a desire to explore for themselves, to see a story, to share their own and to dream a little."

How does your adventure relate to the George Frost themes of unity, peace and the idea of being watched as well as watching?

"Photographers are natural observers; we try to see things in a way that differs from how they have been seen before.  We watch for emotions, human connection, natural beauty, a moment of peace and then we try to capture it, to freeze it in time."

The playlist is important... what song was on repeat?

"'Everything is Alright' by Motion City Soundtrack.  Remember that one?  I know yah do."

Would you do it again?

"Would I do it again?... How's right now?!"

*Catch yourself in a state of wanderlust and check out more of Mattie's dreamy photography here.