At the start of 2022, best friends Claire Harris and Kate Strong pressed "pause" on normal life.
They quit their jobs, bought a second-hand four-wheel drive, cued the bootscooting playlist and hit the road to raise money hosting line dancing classes across Australia.
The original 22,000-kilometre trip more than doubled in size to 46,000 kilometres and amounted to 273 days on the road.
The pair hosted 75 Hoedowns for Country Towns events and raised $38,250 for seven rural charities.
"We definitely remember them for all different reasons," Ms Strong said.
"We've had everything from one person to 104 people show up to our events.
"It's so much more than what we could have imagined [the trip] being at the start."
They estimate they've boogied with 2,800 people throughout the year and say every stop they made was by request.
'Super special'
The "very bizarre" idea to bootscoot across the country was something the friends joked about when they first met at a line dancing class in 2016.
Because line dancing can be performed to any song from the Nutbush to the latest Ed Sheeran hit, both women were attracted to the style's inclusivity and versatility.
But they knew most people would be a little apprehensive to give it a go.
Ms Harris said they banked on being in towns for one night only with the aim of creating a relaxed environment where people could try a few steps without pressure.
"It really was all about bringing people together and the line dancing was just a way or an excuse to do that," she said.
"Even if people came and just sat on the sidelines and talked to their neighbour or someone in the community that they hadn't talked to in months, for us that's just as successful as someone absolutely nailing the steps on the dance floor."
Ms Harris said the towns that went "all out" were "super special" and highlighted a memorable night at Yunta, in South Australia's east.
It was about five weeks into the trip and the friends were in town at the same time as the Easter tennis tournament.
"The tennis trophies were cowboy boots — they'd decorated their local hall and put a saloon in there," Ms Harris said.
"But by the same token, any smaller event … all you really needed was one feel-good story.
"Anytime where we really knew that we made a difference to a town or to a specific person's life, that's what made it all worth it."
The friends documented their trip with weekly social media updates and filmed themselves dancing in iconic spots around Australia.
That included at Parliament House in Canberra, where their portable speaker was confiscated on entry to the building.
"After explaining what we were doing they gave our speaker back immediately and asked us to teach the guards a dance," Ms Harris said.
Life on the road
Alongside those roaring evenings in small country halls and pubs across the country, Ms Harris and Ms Strong enjoyed the chance to see more of Australia.
"You get a whole new appreciation for the country we get to call home — its diversity in landscapes and the incredible people and generosity of the people," Ms Strong said.
But how did two friends cope with the challenge of living together in a car for most of the year?
It's mostly down to the little things, like "intentional ignoring" to give themselves time apart while living out of a car together.
They also had quick breaks from the trip throughout the year, for weddings or family events.
"It was really like having a job," Ms Strong said.
"We're all given annual leave to have a bit of time off and reset … we definitely needed those little breaks.
"Even though most people will probably say we were already on a holiday, we were definitely working."
Dream a reality
Turning Hoedowns for Country Towns from spark of an idea into year-long reality might sound daunting.
In fact, when mentioning the plan to people during the early stages the pair was often given a list of reasons why it was going to fail.
"There will be people out there that support you wholeheartedly and there'll be people who do their very best to knock you down in every way shape and form," Ms Strong said.
"But if you have the belief in yourself and you're willing to work for it, you should absolutely stick to it."
So now the boots are getting a little rest, what's next for the pair?
Ms Strong will be heading back to Rockhampton in central Queensland to work in agriculture education and innovation.
Ms Harris is heading to Melbourne with the aim of getting a line dancing program into primary schools and will also pursue freelance projects.
