if you are too concerned with someone to love, you'll miss the love of your life.

Is it possible to fall in love with life?
to look to the sky and feel a peace that quiets your soul,
and feel at least for that moment that everything just has to turn out alright.
to look to the hills that stretch for miles and ribbons of river that flow around them,
and feel lucky to have so much in front of you.
to look at the ground to watch your step,
and find that so many of the best surprises scurry across your path when you least expect them.
to meet the eyes of the people around you
and know that your are and have always been connected
and you feel complete in the midst of otherwise strangers. 
to look to the trees and see that the wind, no matter how temporary or transient,
will always change your mood when it wraps around you.
I suppose it is possible to fall in love with life
and if you are too concerned with someone to love, you'll miss the love of your life.

a home by any other name...

So it has been some time maybe a month or two since I last wrote. My time here in Seattle has been spent well. I have been to see the whales, who obviously had better plans that day. I have hiked and camped and climbed and drank coffee. I've seen amazing fireworks and got caught in the rain. I've seen the Space Needle inside and out, and the market from the sidewalks view and had many a delicious snack there. My lack of writing has certainly not been due to lack of adventure. As the sun sets on my time here I've been reflecting on all that has become familiar. I'm not sure if I'll miss it, but this is at least a list of some of the little things that made my every day:

~the bouncer who lived on my floor but always asked for my ID anyway
~the enthusiastic man who sells "real change" while practicing for a football game that will never happen,
~my breakfast diner, Delicatus, and Mama's kitchen,
~the endless cracks in sidewalks that I know by heart
~sleeping on a wooden floor for two weeks like the vagabonds we were
~garbage truck lullaby's at 2 am
~terrible thursday night karaoke and bands at Central also playing for me in the living room,
~bus rides to Dan's across 520 for showers
~bike ride escapades throughout Seattle
~the sickening sweet smell of street soap and long walks home.
~Capitol Hill PRIDE and the Unicorn with its corndogs.
~Elliot bay peaking through downtown buildings
~Ryan's awesomeness and him making this all happen for me
~Dan and tequila, skee-ball, cougars, darts, getting lost, and the Great wheel
~Mark, his band, and his contagious personality..and attention deficiency
~Kevin, watching downhill races and season 4 of breaking bad while investing in an uncommon friendship
~sleeping in and sneaking out
~Haley and our "zumba class"; Jacob's hilariousness; and mine and Brandon's adventures
~Fremont summer solstice day parade/night shit show biking and beer
~4th of July at Gasworks and being so close to fireworks, you feel it in your chest when you're laying down to see them.
~hiking that began in the rain and ended trompsing in the snow in July
~I.P.A's and whiskey on the rocks
~downhill dead baby race/ Georgetown party and double-decker bike jousting.
~Alysha's visit and our weekend at Second Beach in La Push, a simple and stunning example of how beautiful the world can be
~bright purple and orange sea stars and green anemones
~whaling for otters and seals
~the view from just outside the city looking in...

I'm sure there are more things I could think of but these things I want to keep. I've done a terrible job of letting this city settle into my bones and I'm a little sad that the chance to do so has passed. However I did not prepare for the way I find myself now at the end. Yes the city is great, do I want to move here? Probably not, but perhaps my greatest adventure was inadvertently introverted.
Here's what I've concluded: 1) my family continues to grow and one of these days I hope to be in a position to be more supportive. 2) I am scared shit-less to go back to school and for the next three years to be signed away already 3)  Although I don't need a hand to hold when jumping from one adventure to the next, I suspect that it may not be so bad to have some one to do it with. See, I've found that when you find someone, a friend, you feel you can be yourself with, someone that makes you feel important and excited that there's still so much you still have to learn...it makes leaving that much harder and going about it by yourself seem much less sexy...or uhh...interesting..:) Now I'm not saying I'm ready for the "maybe we should move in/ get a kitten" talks by any means. But lets face it, we as humans aren't meant to survive alone, we won't live long if we keep ourselves to ourselves. I need my friends to remind me that life's ever changing and this dark moment too shall pass. When I first moved to Seattle I needed to be reminded of the world not my own just to not fall down that dark rabbit hole. Also, I need to feel love. Just like anyone else, it motivates you to live with passion and meaning, even if what you are doing isn't saving the world, or anything even close to it.
My next post may contradict everything this one says but for now, I've left Seattle. I'm on my way towards a great new chapter, I am excited, I am nervous and I am hopeful. Seattle, you may be a mystery but I'm happy you were my mystery.

confusion doesn't always mean uncertainty

As my time in Seattle continues, at a steady enough pace, soon to pick up I'm being told, I take what I can get and spend my days going back and forth between being good to myself and making...interesting life choices. That's besides the point. I sit here in a Starbucks, yes I know I know but it get to use the internets and people watch in one of the most dynamic sections of town. I just completed my YMCA child abuse prevention awareness modules and paperwork and as I lift my head to see the sun, start playing my music, I sense it's  good time to take a few notes of the interesting intersection of lives I see in front of me, so bare with me please.
I live next to a Bread of Life Mission and other social service organizations that serve the King county less fortunate with food, showers, work and shelter. Pioneer Square, the original city center of Seattle is a bustling hot spot for homeless wanderers, work stay participants, tourists, locals on their way to a Mariners/ Sounders game and a very few residents ( including myself). In back alleys, the youth of our nation get high, argue about each others legitimacy and other nonsense. On the water front those without a home find solitude with a nice view of the west, Olympic mountain ranges and incoming cruise ships carrying waves of tourists sure to clog their streets. People are coming and going from their service jobs that make up a huge percentage of industry throughout Seattle, right up there with Boeing and Microsoft. Art is everywhere, as tattoos, on murals, in galleries, and on street corners in the form on buskers or public art. Girls wear their skirts, ride their bikes with dogs in their baskets, stop for red lights and turn heads. The man sitting across form me in front of the Italian Roast sign looks happy but perhaps not with this reality. Magic Mouse Toys has an underground tour group of 30 in front of it waiting to hear about Seattle's seedy happenings during prohibition; when seamstresses were taxable prostitutes and booze was allowed only if you knew the right stairwell to the underground. Sounds of the city are just as messy. I hear erroneous shouts on streets corners, conversations for one, business men expressing impatience, tourists talking about the Starbucks in Tennessee, delivery trucks and construction on the Alaskan Viaduct, duck tour quacking and horns honking but not at the bikers taking up a lane rather at other cars who continue to fail at making left turns. The pungent mix of pizza, coffee, Vietnamese/ Thai food, washed up fish, garbage, urine, concrete dust, and when the wind blows, fresh sea air fills the city as well as the sounds. Coming close but not quite overwhelming the senses, this place is rather a confused hodgepodge mix up of worlds collided into a center or square or hill. In a different world and up these hills, the other day I biked close to 20 miles and found Lake Washington and a serene scene of families and suburban Seattle-ites enjoying their weekend on many a different lake front beach with a collective appreciation for one of the first beautiful weekends of the Seattle summer. It seems everyone has a different agenda, no one the same, a world of different drum beats.

wood floor sleep overs

So now I've been in Seattle long enough to know my way around but still new enough to get excited when on a clear day you can see straight to Rainier, the Olympics and the Cascades. What a sight, completely awe inspiring every single time. I still have my moments where I forget I'm actually in Washington but fortunately reality has a way of sinking in no matter how strange it seems. We have moved from Capitol Hill to Pioneer Square, a difference of about a mile and a half and until paperwork cleared, Ryan myself and for a short couple days Branden our third tour guide stayed as inconspicuously as possible on the floor of our office. Yup, curled up nice and cozy like on a sleeping bag and layered blankets right next to our segways and some other odd and end storage things. At least in AmeriCorps I had the excuse of it just being what we did, but here, well lets just say the benefits are out-weight the temporary sacrifices so I'm dealing with it :) A 45 minute train ride away is the home of a cute boy that I am lucky to be able to extort for his shower and eating out has been a habit but soon, at the end of the week, things should be looking less like a drunk college weekend and more like the illegitimate sleeping arrangement I had before coming out here. Seattle itself is a wonderfully interesting place. in Capitol Hill I felt the people were as transient as the wind that hits high speeds up and down these hills. This hipster/ gay district is lit up with colorful people, bars, businesses and true to Seattle even its architecture. The transient feeling was replaced with tourist season when we came down the hill to 107 office space. I like living in a downtown, there's always activity and we are a 5 minute walk to Pike Place Market, the oldest running farmers market in America. It is complete with an unofficial pig mascot and local produce, tulips and most recently the sight of my collision with a bike pedal resulting in a huge bruise on my foot and a new rip in my jeans that seem to be disintegrating anyway. I'm getting more comfortable giving tours, stumbling through my fun facts which I still think are fun, and all in all I'm still happy to be here, smelly and happy. Even if I get weird looks because I smile too much.. or maybe it is in fact because I smell, who knows but I don't care.

Do something everyday that scares you...check

This morning I woke up and did not know where I was and once I figured it out, I had to convince myself it was real. Now, I've been many places and even in a very short amount of time and can not remember having this feeling. Yesterday, I shipped off my bike in a box and jumped on a plane to the west coast. Yet another weird feeling, flying out here for the first time. I decided after much deliberation and a few pro and con lists that coming to Seattle for the summer was my best bet; for sanity for the adventure, for whatever reason I ended up here. So I sit here at the Porchlight, typing away because unless I'm documenting my travels, I write when I'm looking for answers. Fortunately, yet perhaps unfortunately I don't need any answers. I have a plan and I have my needs met and I have challenged myself to a sink or swim situation. Today I rode a bike down hill to an office in an alleyway, made 20$ and drove a segway for two hours "guiding" two very nice tourist around a city I still on a first date with. I'm learning as I go and I figure if all else fails, people just want to dick around on the segways and I'm safe. When we made it down to the water, I might as well have been dreaming. The sight of Mt Rainier in the back ground felt fake. Yesterday I was at my house, where I have grown very comfortable, looking out across miles of flat land, wondering what the hell I thought I was doing with my life. Today I'm still not sure its all happened.

so now I'm poor, lets see where it goes..

I stopped in DC, as I usually do and stayed with Sarah, my team leader from year one and had the chance to catch up for a couple hours, always a pleasure! When I left CT, I decided that passing by the Point without stopping in and at least saying hello, would be sacrilegious, so as I did a couple hours passed in the halls of B-15. Some things never change. Although this time I was able to wear a hat and didn't have a mailbox to check, freedom was a weird feeling in this place but a good one. The familiar faces were good to see as well and while I was there I ran into another alumni, apparently doing the same thing as me. Starbuck was a good friend and even got to work with a couple of our teams this passed year for disaster response. He was visiting Kenny in Baltimore and we all met up with Ashley (from my badger 3 team!) at the zoo in B-more the next day. It was another class XVI mini reunion. Ashley has lived out a childhood dream of becoming a zoo keeper at the zoo and we all had the opportunity to go backstage and hangout with some penguins! Penguins by the way are similar to cats in that they love shining things, have no attention span and bite for fun. For the rest of the day, we walked around the rest of the zoo, sliding down kids only slides, taking pictures and petting goats. I had a decent 6 hour drive ahead through a decent amount of 4 o'clock traffic ahead so on the road I got. Visiting with my father is always on my to-do list when I'm heading south, I'm curious as to when things you do over and over become a tradition because it sure feels like one. Anyway, I arrived on a Tuesday and got to fit in what usually takes at least a weeks worth of time. I think we're getting good at this. I got to eat lunch with grandma, visit Marie and Madderpants, my stunningly beautiful niece, and I we went to the swamp and the AB homestead that weekend, a place that I have spent many a summer in, getting browner then should be allowed. I also got a boat tour through the east coasts second largest estuary, the Pamlico Sound. Unfortunately I couldn't stay longer and it's always sad to leave but as I've written and said before, I always come back :) This concludes, as now I have started to overlap my locations, my tale of time on the road. The rest of my trip south included a stop in Jacksonville to visit my little bro (who's expecting number 2!) and his little man, still as adorable as ever. Some of the other things to account for are as follows: the 5 total books on cd, the 15k miles, three oil changes, one new tire, new rear windshield, one hot chocolate at a rest stop in Washington (thanks to the happiest man in the world who gave it to me), and uncountable dings scraps and temperature fluctuations my poor car has had to deal with. Adventure has a price, especially one that's two solid months long. So for now my focus is building back up the means for yet another adventure!

My next step you ask? Well I'm glad you did! My posts will be getting fewer and farther between, don't get to excited though. I have been accepted into grad school,yay me!! So Vermont is where I'll be come September. From now til then, lets just say I'm working it out. Maybe Seattle, maybe I'll stay here.. maybe New Hampshire will need help manning visitor centers? Who knows, I'm sure don't but I'll keep you posted...get it ;) ahahaha...ooh man...

from snow on the green mountains to cherry blossoms on the Hill.

I stayed the night a sir Roderick Swains, he isn't a sir but I still feel the need to call him that for whatever reason. Rod was a team leader the year before and one again this passed year and a big Ohio fan, one of two I know of ( Julian being the other). I again did not get to spend much time exploring the city for all of it's treasures but I did get to hang out for a bit and catchup with Rod, whom I hadn't seen or talked to much since November. Seeing him reminded me again of how good it is to see people in a more natural environment, not with a green tucked in shirt running around in hysteria, most of the time. In the morning Rod had to work and I had an 11 hour drive to tackle. So as I headed out my spaz button was temporarily stuck. It was the first long drive (over a couple hours) I was making by myself in over a month and a half. I passed some of the time with a book on cd, some on the phone and some straight up spaced out. I made it to Bethel, where I'd be picking up a road partner, Chappy! Yet another green team favorite. We headed north for Vermont and made pretty decent time. The reason I had been so rushed through the hospitable midwest wasn't because I was aching to be home, but I had an open house date for SIT, my university of choice for Grad school. I thought Chappy, having a similar background and interest in international development would get a kick out of coming to the open house, plus really who wants to be by themselves at those tings if you really don't have to. It was a great day altogether, I got all my questions answered and straightened some other things out, productivity! Something I in fact did miss. We had fellow green team members hanging out about an hour away in New Hampshire at Camp Wilmont. Lucky for us they had work for us to do. Our first order of business was to make a fire, easy enough for the two of us. The next day the group staying at the camp was planning on playing broom ball, hockey with.. yes brooms. A street kids hockey. So we got to help out again by clearing a section of ice on the lake for a court, we took it one more step and made a snowman. It was great to actually help, feel useful. While our very our camp co-directors were assisting in refereeing the games we scrambled back inside to made cake! Upon the request of Katrina who was in the mood for something delicious, who can blame her. As it turned out, we made cupcakes, chocolate and banana. The banana sounds genius but it was actually a Yahoo answer to the question, I don't have eggs, what else can I use to make a cake? It was a delicious suggestion (although the eggs are still important for its binding qualities) that I'm definitely going to use again. Chappy had to be home that night so first to Bethel, then to my aunt Jody and uncle Mike's in New Milford. I've always loved visiting CT, especially their house. Driving through county roads from town center to town gazebo, I just can't think of a more charming and rustic place to lay my head for a while. While in CT, I saw Chappy off as he headed to Denver to make a go at a new start, I got to visit my successor, Tony in Springfield as he lead his very own team of ruffians, who were actually pretty calm and collected, unlike my B3.I had the chance to eat some good food, and drink some Irish beer to celebrate St. Patty's Day but unfortunately not actually on the 17^{th. .} No matter, its an omnipresent holiday for at least a week before and after the actual day. After I had some things taken care of, including filing my taxes, acquiring a new wardrobe from Aunt Jody (shoes included ;)) and helping Uncle Mike replant some rose bushes, I headed south, for the last leg of my journey.

the windy suburbs

We unfortunately stayed a bit to late in Milwaukee, saying our goodbyes over crème brulee and coffee. We got into Chicago/ Orland Park close to midnight. Rachel was our hostess for the evening and as soon as the catching up and planning for the next day was done we all headed to bed for much needed rest. Tommy and his girlfriend were supposed to come into town but that fell through so, as per usual when we had free access to a t.v. we spent most of the day vegging out. With funds running low, adventures into these big cities (Milwaukee and Chicago) just didn't make as much sense as making a PB&J and waiting for Rachel to get off work to come play. I was only, unfortunately staying for that one night, but we squeezed in some quality Buffalove on a driving tour of the OP. I soon dropped Caleb off at his next adventure and sadly took of alone to the Quad Cities to visit with the Vyncke's! It has been long promised and awaited so it would have been tragic if I had been so close and didn't stop by. When I showed up, I spent some time catching up with my midwest family, and even with Kirby, catching her on Skype for a little bit. The next day, I was due for an oil change so I showered, for the first time in a couple days, and we headed out and then met up with Papa Vyncke for lunch. Now I've never had a Reuben, and if I did it sure as hell was not as good as the one I had at a little Belgium restaurant in Moline. They made their own bread and it took up a plate the size of your head. The QC is home to some of the best foods I've ever had. Mexican, ice cream, pizza, whatever really. It must be the water. On the way to pick up my car from the shop we indeed stopped for Whitey's ice cream. Beats DQ, or Ben and Jerry's by a long shot. Cherri dropped me and my things off at my car and although I was confused by not having to pay the mechanic, I am so deeply grateful for not only the Vyncke's help but their support. Thank you thank you thank you! There was one more person I had to see before leaving the QC, so it was pure luck when I called and Ding was getting out of work! We stopped quickly at a Panera, me for a coffee and him for actual food ( I just had the worlds best ice cream so I was set) Ding is also a Splinter 1 member, one of the happiest people I've ever met, even when he is upset, he can make you laugh and smile. My next stop was Columbus, OH. One more midwest state and then I'd be east coasting it all the way down.

Dontcha know's and home made beer

I think the places I have gone into with no expectations have left me with the biggest impressions, and I don't know whether to blame myself for this finding or that these places are really that awesome. Either way, Milwaukee was one of these places. I had no idea what to expect upon arriving but there was snow!! For a trip I thought would be dominated with salty tires and the usage of my very small ice scrapper, this was only the second or third time I was involved in any of that. Anyway, we were staying with Tommy ( Pele Rojo for those better acquainted). He lived in a little burb of Milwaukee but worked about three doors down and across the street from his house, needless to say we didn't venture very far in the two nights we were there. The first night was relatively calm, Tommy took us to the local bar, where everyone knew everyone, including our very own Tommy, it was like being with someone famous almost. It was a good time, for a day during the week it was pretty hopping and we proceeded to have a great time. Jimmy Johns is an amazing sub place, and just so happened to be in the same couple square blocks as the house and the bar and also happened to be open late, which was smart because that's probably when they make most of the revenue. In the two days we were there, we ate there probably four times, never gets old I swear. So the first night ended with a sub, we woke up the next day to the afternoon and hit the ground running, well sort of. Tommy had to work at 8 so when Caleb and I rolled out of our respective floor and recliner we headed across the street for brunch! I know how fancy of us. We out did ourselves when we had beermosas and I had a chocolate chip waffle with bacon and a beer fried banana...yes it was awesome. I forget what Caleb had but I'm sure it wasn't as good. We ended up spending enough time there to eat again and for Tommy to clock out. That night, while Tommy was catnapping, Chelsea came from Madison to say hello! Its amazing how much I talk when people let me ramble. I hope if she is reading this she knows how much I loved seeing her, and next time I promise to not talk as much about me. We headed out to, well across the street to another bar, this one had couches! Back in AmeriCorps, us Buffalo priding ourselves with the most challenging of challenges, the Buffalo sweat shot. It was an initiation of sorts that we made a mandate for celebratory purposes. Some poor unfortunate corps members can attest to that. Bourbon and Tabasco is a generic buffalo sweat, but for whatever reason not many people know how to make one properly. I've been handed a bottle of Tabasco and a shot of bourbon and been told to do it myself, but in our case for this evening the bartender asked which spicy sauce we'd prefer. Someone yelled out Siracha over my Frank's red hot and our shot quickly turned into a chunky bourbony snack. It was gross and gave me awful heartburn but I cant help but feel like I conquered something. Well, once again, a long story will have to be abridged and most of us, besides Caleb who feel asleep in the middle of an Old Crow Medicine show jamboree and a heated poker match, didn't find sleep until well into the morning, for one reason or another :) Needless to say we woke the next day to the afternoon again. We had the chance to meet up with Tracy for Mexican. Tracy was Caleb's corps members and one of mine from Splinter 1 for a hot minute. She is amazing and in combination with Chelsea and Tommy, his roommates and gf, I couldn't have asked for or planned a better Wisconsin experience.

the Western Frontier

The St. Louis experience, this time not driving through at 4 am but rather staying a couple nights on the frontier land of Lewis and Clark. Our time here has not been my first time in the midwest but it has been a while since I've been around so I was taken back once again at the caliber of good time that the midwest subscribes to. John and Jamie have an awesome pad, filled with color and cultural relics making their relatively small-ish apt feel quite cozy. We went out to dinner at a bar with a countdown til St. Patty Day on the wall...15 days and counting. Apparently St. Louis makes a big to do for one of the most celebrated cultural holidays ever. We kept it simple for the most part that evening, an introduction to Peggle on their Xbox and some at home (much cheaper) beer drinking albeit not as fancy. The next day, Caleb slept pretty much all day but I was no better, except I got some house keeping things in order and a shower done before he rolled out of his nest of blankets on the floor. Caleb was not feeling well so I took my restlessness down to the museum district of St. Louis and walked around. If I said it was a bit windy I'd be struck down where I sit for such a perverse lie. It was the windiest day I had experienced next to when I stood on the Washington coast getting pelted with sideways rain. As it turns out, tornadoes had half a mind to rip through Ohio and Indiana not too long after we left for Milwaukee. Anyways, I walked around the St. Louis Art museum for a bit before Jamie got home from work, then headed back and had a pizza and cinnamon sticks waiting!! Yet another awesome day :) The night went on to look much like the night before except we got to meet Jamie's parents, hilarious and very unpredictable, before settling in for the night on the couch passing the controller and drinks, enjoying our explicitly recreational evening. The next day John was no longer employed and Jamie was free! So we spent some quality time at the Arch, a monument dedicated to the starting point for Lewis and Clark's westward expedition, just another piece of American history. We also scoped out the graffiti wall of originally constructed to bring peace and keep expressive youngsters out of correctional facilities. Actually I have no idea really but there is something to be said for a city the provides an outlet for instead of hinders creative expression and turns it into art. As the day wound down we took off towards another city known for mass producing cheap beer, Milwaukee! And oh the adventure continues.....

The return of thunderstorms and mountains..

If I haven't mentioned the reason for Gatlinburg before now, I'll explain. Some time, back in Arizona, I jumped on the bandwagon with Caleb to take a wilderness first aid course, necessary for his summer job, but something that may also boost my chances of getting a federal job through NPS or on a fire crew. So after touring the pacific northwest coast, we quickly and almost in a blur covered ground over at least half of the US in less then 24 hours, actually it was more like 22 but who's counting. The course had housing for us in a sweet little cabin type bunk house, complete with a full kitchen and a room full of AT ridge runners with stories that'll entertain you for days. We took the course with a few others like ourselves, not because we worked for the Appalachian trail conservancy, but those guys were great. My roommate, Kay was approaching 60 years old but had the heart and attitude of someone far closer to me in age, We got along well, as southern women are known as talkers, myself included sort of, we would talk about all sorts of things, needless to say, we hit it off. It wouldn't feel right if either one of us didn't know someone close by to visit and sure enough Caleb's friend from Asheville came out to have dinner with us. We walked a round Gatlinburg after, checking out the scene. It had its quirks touristy traps and even its own moonshine distillery. Down the street a bit into Pigeon Forge however, is probably a place I don't ever have to see again. Its a little like Disney but there is no real theme except southern stereotypes. I will say there is an awesome multilevel go kart track that looked cool but other then that I will no longer trust $6 pizza salad and pasta buffets, I don't even know why I did in the first place. Anywho the training part of our stay was awesome. Our instructor was hilarious and people quickly found out about my laughs and giggle fits. We learned all sorts of things, generally covered in the other first aid course I've taken before but this time the emphasis was on concepts and information to use to the best way we could in the event of a wilderness first aid situation. It was relaxed and comprehensive, all the things you wish every training could be like. Plus we all lived together and had training in the same house, so snacking was made convenient. Anything from broken bones to hypothermia, allergic reactions, you name it, I can hold you together until real help comes, no promises I wont throw up though, some of that shit is just gross. Successfully completed and added to my resume, we headed to Nashville, another place I never really ever thought Id actually make it to. Caleb's friend from Michigan was our host the first night, and an awesome one at that. Despite mid-terms and a truck load of stress he stayed up and talked with us about our travels, living vicariously through them waiting for his big break to go out and explore, after of course he got his degree in medical physics. Unfortunately our time ended a bit early because of a sill he took off his bike and had to get stitches for. Our very own Allen Hunt had moved to Nashville and was just finishing up recording when we got there. He was our host for night 2. After he wrapped up we meet up with him and went out to celebrate! He took us down to east Nashville, not Broadway where the lights and neon cowboy hat and boot shaped lights blinked and decent bands squished into every bar to play for tips. This place was far removed. 5 spot was the name and fiddle playing on Wednesday night was there game, in two jam session circles actually. My favorite part of Nashville, besides the smell of bbq everywhere, was the music in everything. Whether it was music row lined with record companies, bars filled will honky tonk, or studios, it was just in conversation, in the air, it was everywhere and I love that! I partly blame the combination of Allen and Caleb in a room together but the immersion was good for the soul. The musicians that came to 5 spot were not playing for a crowd, they played for each other, testing out the new guys or wailing on a washtub bass, it was awesome. Plus I got to hear some of Allens new music, which is always a pleasure. I just keep waiting for him to be famous so I can say I knew him before all the fame and things that go with. A fellow green bison and his other half lived in St. Louis about 6 hours north. So after chocolate pancakes and packing the car with our “red bags” we headed on our very last leg of the trip, the road home ( with a couple stops).

miles and hours lost under tire tracks and across windmill populated plains

We arrived in Port Angeles on a see-saw of a ferry ride, enough to make me feel drunk with out a drink. We got in late and pulled into an old house close to the coast. Seqim was the name of the actual city we stayed in just east of Port Angeles and safely away from vampires that sparkle. We stayed with Joe, one of Caleb's corps members this passed year and I happen to be at least 2 years if not 4 years older then everyone there. Needless to say I felt old, I just wanted to sleep, catch up on my television, hadn't had it since Seattle you know. It's a funny thing but since AmeriCorps and even up til now, being around television when you don't have it regularly, it steals my attention right from under my nose. I'm not a huge fan and I always feel better after being active vs watching television but lately I just sit in front of one and soak it up. Even the horrible shows that come on late night. I didn't get very good sleep that night, for whatever reason but we had a long drive to Boise ahead so we got up early to head out. Before we did we ventured down to the actual water, maybe a half a block down, and no wonder Joe's home had to be built to withstand persistent hurricane force winds, it was windy enough to lean into and push us back up the hill to the car. On our way to Boise we stopped in Seattle to check out their three story REI store, maybe to find something good. Nothing was that good we couldn't leave without it so we left empty handed. It was a solid day's drive into Boise but we had Richard Dawkins and evolution to keep our brains firing away into the night. Megan was a sight for sore eyes. Her face just can light up a whole room. We talked about our travels and her upcoming ones to China with Bradley and this and that for a couple hours or so. It was lovely. Caleb and I spent the better part of the next day in our pajamas, laying on Megan's floor, watching..yup, more television! CSI Miami is just as bad as I remember. When Megan and her parents got home we sat around the table for dinner. Since we were in Boise, a capitol city, we should have probably gone hiking during the day or toured the city, but instead it came down to Megan driving us through the downtown, all of us in jamas, and stopping at a redbox to pick up a movie to snuggle to. 50/50 is a wonderful movie, made all of us cry. Megan and I stayed head to foot, mostly because I was too lazy to leave, but the snuggle factor was part of it too. Megan had to work again, it being a normal persons workday and we had yet another day long trip ahead. Our driving has turned from easy evening driving to all day and soon to be all night driving. From Boise we headed east. Wyoming, another state I never thought I'd end up in we wound up driving pretty much straight across. Too far south to hit Yellowstone but just close enough to drive through Mormon county. I married my cows a lot. Into Denver, right around 10 on a Friday night. George and Jesse were kind enough to let us take up some of their floor space again. We spent some time catching up on what was new over the passed month since Alysha and I left. The next day, my car threw me for another loop. The check engine light came on and I could have cried. Caleb had a friend who was uber sick and in the Denver campus of NCCC. We got some groceries but really aimed to get soup for our sick comrade. I went to see if my car would explode but no one could tell me anything for free so from miles away between the my mom, dad, and me we diagnosed it and came to the conclusion that it probably wouldn't blow up on us in the middle of Kansas. From Denver our trip just got longer. We left around 3 in the afternoon and drove straight. Straight in every sense of the word, without reference to sexuality if you use it for that. Salina and Topeka, Kansas while I was sleeping or trying to; southern Illinois and St. Louis Missouri during my graveyard shift, right on through to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Blowing right through central time noting that now all my time telling devices say the same thing. It feels closer to home, but also I'm kind of sad. I know I'm near the end, if not for the amount of time I've been gone but the amount of money I have left, which isn't a lot. But we made it that far..

Pretty rainy, eh?

After our tour of Seattle, we settled down for a rainy afternoon to watch a little bit of good old zombies and reality television. That day was President's day and really what better way to spend it then in the state of Washington? I figured it was just too much so into Canada we went. Vancouver was our next stop and we would be as far north as we were going to get on this trip, any further and I may have to invest in chains for my tires or at very least acquired a working knowledge of the Yukon. It was a pretty decent drive, however, as far as the time it took to get there and the grilling about why two jobless people were spending a night in Vancouver with someone we only sort of know. It was awesome, Vancouver is a compact little city, stacked high with apartments and office highrises all with balconies and encased in glass as green as the water of Coal Bay. When we got onto the campus, the rain wasn't really doing me a favor, but we found it settled in then settled on dinner. We've been on this kick now with all of the day driving, late nights, quick stops at fast food places we haven't exactly been watching our girlish figures, if you know what I'm saying. Our dinner was a huge plate of nachos and in all honesty was probably the healthiest thing we've had in a while. Another thing about the northwest is they sure do appreciate their beer, and we love them more for it. Not just any beer, and I would hate for people read my stories and to think I've spent all this money and time talking about beer and breweries and dared to order just any old beer.. No no. It would be against my nomadic religion to not traditionally expose myself to the local fruits and foods. The restaurant in Vancouver, home of epic nachos was also home to a blueberry porter and red ale that won my heart over. Fat, happy and sleep deprived we all headed to bed/floor back at Caleb's friend Laurel's dorm. The promise of a good breakfast and flashbacks of college lead me into sleep. When we woke up Laurel had probably decided in her sleep that we were to head off to Bon's off Broadway, arguably one of the best breakfast joints I've been at in a good long time. Bottomless cup of coffee, eggs toast and perfectly crispy potatoes for 5 dollars and with the opportunity to go wrong, Bon's came out ahead leaving Denny's or Waffle house in the dust. Laurel took us around the down town, to the 2010 Olympic torch, unlit but still awesome, and to the digital whale, giving the convention center a mascot. We walked down into the historical district of Gastown, probably named much like San Diego's Gaslamp District for its original use of gas lamps to light the well traveled streets. With ears full of the tune of Chinese, Korean and French and right around sundown, before the rains came in too fast we headed back, Port Angeles was a ferry way and we didn't want to miss it, even though we almost did:)

How do you pirate a pirate party?...

We showed up in Portland around 8 and had a bottle of Sailor Jerry and Old Crow awaiting. Rachel's house in the north ish section of the city and in her words was in the midst of being renovated but still maintained its punk feel. Well said, it reminded me of a very lived in and used house, but one that still had meaning in use. The house was a hodgepodge of clothes, musical instruments, an unused toilet bowls to be installed and free boxes, mostly rummaged through for pirate attire. In keeping with the piratey spirit, Sailor Jerry's kept us afloat until we left for the party. The venue was homey and dressed in jeans and flannel, I was certainly outnumbered and out fashioned by pirates. It was beginning to seem like everyone on the west coast just goes balls to the wall and doesn't look back. And Portland was no exception, in fact it may have even been the flagship city...(haha pirate joke). Portland seemed to be chock full of witty bizarrely talented people. Not only was everyone hilarious, but the house sheltered a pair epic banjo players (actually in a band Wolves at Glennruin), a clown in carhart over-alls and a twisty mustache and Rachel who is currently working on an awesome watercolor portrait of a scene from Alabama on disaster over this passed summer. Once again, I'll keep a long story short, as it was short for me anyway. I called it a night early (:/) but the next morning pulling the trigger paid off since I was the least hungover! We all woke up to some eggs courtesy of Rachel's hangover and then took on driving around town, seeing all there is to see, which turns out to a lot, too much for a brief afternoon. Portland is home to what seems to be hundreds of bridges. It is a beautiful city with things like Voodoo doughnuts and neon reindeer welcoming the people into downtown Portland. I later learned that the Oreo and kool-aid doughnuts are pretty epic and Powell's bookstore is way too big to explore in one afternoon, it has rooms by color and then category so basically it looks like I'll have to go back! I bought some postcards but couldn't bring myself to buy the other one hundred books that looked like a good read. I was proud that I was successful in practicing thriftyness. We dropped off Rachel, sat around with the other roommates because they are hilarious. One of the banjo players was moving out and to the burbs as she dubbed it, and in what seems a habit of people in Portland she was getting rid of anything she couldn't carry in a backpack. Indoctrinated into a true Portland experience, I took my free shirt, groggy Caleb and we drove on through to Seattle! I've heard many good things and I was excited to see how it would settle into my roadweary heart.

Bradley's twin

Showing up in Coos Bay, again in the cover of darkness, we came upon a small town, a main street and a few left turns. Bradley's house is a none stop revolving door of picking up and dropping off at respective schools, basketball practices and dance classes. On top of that, running amuck is a pair of dopey loving dogs and a floppy mischievous cat. We had the opportunity to steal Bradley for a couple nights. The first night we kept it simple, and woke up to explore the wonders Coos Bay has to offer the next day. We drove to the beaches that opened up to rock walls and slippery boulders that were decorated with sea stars (starfish) and urchins. Collectively we decided that whether the tide was coming on or out, we were going to attempt making it across the slippery rocks with pools etched out by tidal waves to the caves (?). The funniest part, besides Caleb eating it three times, was the commentary. At one point on our spelunking adventure we could not see two feet in front of our faces and Bradley dunked his foot in toxic green gross cave water, probably the reservoir for cheap beer spills and the answer to no close by water closets. After our tour, Bradley took us to Coos Bay's very own, best sub shop and in true small town fashion, it was awesome. We headed out that evening to visit with some of Brads friends and to make a long story short, got shitwasted. Brads brother showed up and it was all down hill. They are pretty much the same person, equally snarky and almost identical. The hilarity continued until we showed up and some girls house in the boons, and all I knew we needed to get back to our mattresses on Brads floor. The next day, we had more City Subs, this time for breakfast (although it was noon). We had to get on the road soon so a farewell to the puppies, Brads parents and brother (way cooler then Brad) and eventually Brad himself. Next stop, Portland, OR.

feathers, chocolate, redwoods and beer :)

I spent the morning of good old Valentines day walking to the Puerto Rican bakery down the street and then up to a park on the other end of the street. I sat for a bit, looking over the city that laid out ahead and the bay not too far off, all still in a bit of a haze, but cool and breezy just the way it should be. After a croissant, coffee and a walk around the Mission hood, we took off to find the Golden Gate bridge. We found Golden Gate Park, and let me just warn anyone interested, you won't find Golden Gate Bridge in Golden Gate Park but if you follow it though it'll dump you off right at the ocean and the view will blow you away.. hah ha get it..cause its reeeaally windy.. nevermind. By the time we found the beach the sun was setting so we quick drove in the general direction of the bridge and caught a glimpse of the sun fading behind the horizon. Our plans for the evening were stacked with a six o'clock pillow fight, 7 o'clock beer and chocolate tasting, and Starwars showing at 10. Unfortunately by the time we made it to the bridge it was just about six, leaving negative time to get to the pillow fight. San Francisco has an annual Valentine's Day hundreds of people pillow fight in a downtown plaza complete with a count down and lasting until people just give up. Thankfully the good people of SF found it within themselves to continue beating each other long after I would have anticipated. As it turns out this is not the only day where this activity is celebrated, there is actually a national Pillow Fight day which probably looks much the same. Just about the time we drove past the plaza and I was settling for Caleb beating me with my own pillow instead, we found it! Feathers and lights, a crowd surfing teddy bear and a medic. Caleb let me jump out of the car and I made a friend in a n-95 respirator mask who was waiting still 30 minutes later for his friend to make it out of the core of fighters still sending exploding pillow feathers in the air and raging on each other. We had a date on Haight (;)) at Noc Noc for beer and chocolate. Noc Noc is actually a sweet little speakeasy vibe, inconspicuously situated and themed in a dark cartoon network Flintstones colorfest. And the chocolate was awesome. It was out last night there and although it was rushed and we were late for pretty much everything, and Caleb was too tired to even go see Starwars, it was one of my favorite Valentines days ever. I found the best ones are spent with friends in fact. The next day we woke and had some pastries before heading on the road, checked out the Golden Gate Park again, this time we could take our time. We saw bison, big ole adorable bison and the Golden Gate bridge in the light. We took our time, going up the beautiful 101 up to the Redwoods and stopping off at Lagunitas Brewery and North Coast Brewery to enjoy true nw hops and fresh air. Wilco Tango Foxtrot from Lagunitas was my favorite for sure. We were still a bit away from the actual Redwood forest and we were super tired so onto the side of the road and into our sleeping bags was how we spent that night. We did try to find hotels, but it just wasn't worth the 60$ for what my car is perfectly good at, keeping us dry and relatively warm. The sleep was good, warm and very convenient the next morning for getting back on the road. Jumping on the road again, putting a hat on my greasy hair we tromped on through the best forest I've ever been through. Sounds like a silly thing to say but it's awe inspiring, with trees reaching heights of 300+ feet, diameters at breast height (dbh for forestry people) of 40+ feet and enough rings in the middle to tell a tale of hundreds of years of history. It was like hiking and driving through a fairy tale. The northwest has an overcast, misty, rainforest feel and the smell of fresh moss and peat, natural light and spectacular showing of nature at her best, it's better then any spa you could pay for, at least I'm willing to bet. Driving up the Oregon coast, to the right, cascades, mountains, mossy trees and to your left..dunes, coast line, caves and crashing waves. Beautiful scenery even in overcast. Coos Bay, OR was next on our boomerang around the NW points of interest.

Save me San Fransisco

Reno was a nice break from camping. We got ourselves a shower, internets, and a lovely lunch the next day with the lovely Carrie Porter. Reno is the guy next door, stayed away from steroids version of Vegas, which makes it nice and walking around I don't feel like I'm on some sort of drug that oversensitizes me to my surroundings. After some R&R in Reno we headed to Lake Tahoe to see some views. This time of year it is supposed to be just covered in snow and booming with ski junkies. Instead because of the weather, the only real extreme sports we saw driving up the mountain we families out with kids and dogs sledding down bunny hills at parks right off the road. It was so damn cute, that alone made me want to move there stat. The view from the top before you get into the little village area was breathtaking, the lake it self is massive then bookended, because you couldn;t see the other side, by mountain peaks blanketed in giant pine trees also powdered in a light snow. One of the worlds few alpine lakes as Caleb described, just sitting a modest 7000+ feet above sea level and clear as a Mediterranean sea. Sure it was surrounded by hippies who sold out to become rich but still smoke way too much weed but who can blame them with views like that. On ward and westward. Driving into SF right at dinner time. Yum! The air was think with food smells and we were staying in the Mission district, known for its abundant food options. It was beautiful and I could feel that warm fuzzy feeling creeping in, the one that makes big cities feel like home. I was going to like this place. When we got in Sara, our lovely host, took us on a tour of the city. We hoofed all around the Mission, in the Castro and into some down town areas. I for one had walked up and down enough of these hills to be hungry even after a huge lunch not too many hours before. So before I got to cranky, we stopped for a cookie in the Castro. Next to the penis shaped cookies with macaroons, I went for the more modest double chocolate chip... I'm not a macaroon fan. Then as if that life choice wasn't good enough we went to a place that served not just good beer, but good sausages too. I had a vegan apple and potatoesohmylorditwasgood sausage. We tried to venture into north beach, but zero parking and time ticked to fast so we called it a night, saving our energy for day light. The next day was brunch with Rose and Cait!! Two of the lovliest women I have the pleasure of knowing. I haven't seen Rose since we studied abroad in Greece but the three of us plus a couple more were always into some trouble together. It was like the four years its been weren't so long and we were giggly and chatty and all smiles. I miss them very much and I didn't realize how much until I saw them again. After bottomless mimosas and some damn good brunchy  foods Caleb and I then headed to the Haight and Ashbury and met up with Griff, probably the coolest cat ever. We had a few more drinks and snacked on some foods, then just walked Haight. Another very good face to see, Griff had to take off back home since he for one actually has a job. It's hard to describe how it felt walking around those streets. It was quiet and drizzly, a hazy yellow from street lights, it could have been 2012 or it could've been 1969 but it seeped into your skin so that it didn't matter. It may have been the patchouli and mary-jane in the air but whatever, it felt good. The next morning I headed across the bay to get my back window replaced, it felt nice waking up at normal people time for a day, a day more specifically that I didn't actually have to go to work. The little good luck I ran into was getting my window fixed right before the rains and right after our taped plastic bag art piece blew apart on the highway. When I came back we went off to 21^st Amendment brewery downtown before going to dinner at Nicks crispy tacos for dinner with the girls again! Nick's is a swanky little taco place, with relatively cheap foods and its so damn good. Nick's way with half off margarita pitchers, yes please. We came back for the evening and enjoyed some night caps before calling it quits. Caleb really tried to like gin, tried a little too hard, more then gin ever deserves. I thought it was funny, Caleb felt like hell. At this point, I feel a little bit like SF could be a place I spend some time in. But who am I kidding, we haven't even been to Seattle yet!

Well at least my car isn't on fire

Despite the weather dipping well below freezing and the slight nagging terror of a possible mountain lion sniffing the garlic on our breaths from the left overs from Calebs's bday dinner, our night in Great Basin went by pretty smoothly. I did wake up a number of times and thought about using the bathrooms 40 feet away but then the thought of finding a mountain lion, however irrational, scared me enough to forget I even had a bladder. Now when I say bathrooms I'm being kind. This facility, however lucky we were to have it, had no lights and our site had no running water. This would make night number three without a shower, which we were dealing with fine with some wipes and minor wardrobe changes, more specifically socks. The Great Basin NP was noted for it's skies and man oh man did we see some stars, its a shame it was a bit to cold, I would've stayed out there for hours. You probably haven't seen that many stars in your life. I have to make it a point to go there again because as best laid plans will do, they went wrong first thing in the morning. We were supposed to get up to go on our cave tour, we woke in plenty of time, however the night before just as we were about to go to sleep we heard a terrifying inorganic pop, imagine what a gallon water jug sounds like when the pressure returns to normal after high elevations or being filled with water after its been compressed, except so loud it could have been in the tent with us. We passed it off as something falling off a tree or whatever, we'll check it in the morning. Well sure enough, we found it, it was my back windshield, shattered from corner to corner. So on the prettiest day of the trip, warm and no clouds, a perfect 50 degrees, we ditched our plans for hiking and cave touring and heading straight for Reno in hopes of finding a place that could get it fixed before the weekend. We picked out as much glass as we could and made a damn good make shift shield in it's place, could hardly tell there used to be a window there. Unfortunately we wouldn't make it into Reno before the close of most businesses, so Monday it was... luck was not a lady for me that night in Nevada.

Being one with the cold...

Arches was under the cover of darkness when we arrived however the moon was a stunning pink and orange, full and on the horizon peeking through the monoliths. We set up our camp again without too much fuss and settled on a cheese and crackers dinner and washed it down with a beer Caleb had been toting with him since San Diego from Ballast Point Brewery, so good. Sleeping turned out to be much more successful with insulation encasing you from head to toes. Even though mine were frozen the rest of me stayed relatively warm and when we woke to a raven approaching our tent, we started moving about to keep us warm outside of our cocoons. We spent the day hiking Devils Garden, a total of 7.2 miles but as to be expected we took detours and side routes to get the best views that was closer to 8 and an exhausting well spent 8 at that. It was breathtaking. The arches are what remains of the cracked sediment resting on an ancient salt bed being worn by water and wind over thousands of years. The arches themselves are the where the wind and water wore right through. Standing next to and under some of the structures makes one feel very small, not only in size but in a lifetime. I will never see the a sizable difference in mine but over time these walls will change shape, new arches formed and old ones will collapse with a likely deafening and terrifying snap. It was Caleb's birthday so we went into town for dinner at the Moab Brewery, with a great selection of beer and assorted gelato flavors. A hot dinner hit the spot after a day's hike and the chill of the night setting in. We decided to get a stove and something to cook with so that maybe in one or some of our camping adventures we can make something hot for ourselves. The general store in Moab offered us a few good components for some moderate camp style cooking supplies and a kit kat bar I just couldn't resist. The next morning we woke up to frost on the tent, making folding it more of a pain then putting it together. We stopped by some of the other pulloffs and sites on our way out of the winding road to catch some other photo ops and then headed into town for a bit before we got on the road. In town I ate my delicious BLT with avocado sandwich at my leisure since a UPS truck had double parked me into our spot.  At dinner the night before we reviewed what it would take to get us to Yosemite. 16.5 hours... so on to plan b...or to making a plan b. Part of the plan we were keeping was heading to Reno to visit a good friend of my family's.  We picked Great Basin NP, right after the Nevada border because it was on the way and this way we could get in our fill of nature. Plus they have caves, something new and exciting for less then any other park we've stayed in. So that's the plan, as far as we can tell. That and spend less money...oye.

Just a little homesick, for what home I'm still not sure...

We left Cottonwood and the warm RV we've called home for the last couple days. We have been very lucky to have the hospitality of Caleb's grandparents as they took us around sightseeing to what central AZ has to to offer. We've seen now Prescott and Jerome, Montezuma Castle and a bit of Sedona in addition to hiking around to Tuzigoot National Monument and Walnut Creek Canyon. These two along with Montezuma were areas inhabited by the Sinagua Native Americans who after a couple hundred years of living in the flourishing Verde Valley mysteriously left or migrated leaving behind ruins of homes etched out on the sides of canyon walls. In Tuzigoot they left a series of square apartments, all accessible from roof tops. The past couple days have been a history lesson and a half, I've learned so much and seen some of the most unique geography the United States has to offer. I have also been very lucky to have such wonderful and giving people to watch over us for these last couple days. The RV resort they stay at is home to some of the nicest, most rugged road warriors you've seen. We got to play WII bowling and SuperBowl Sunday, we watched the Giants take a big win in the lodge with a few other family's. People were rooting for either side but all of us were snacking on communal chips, cheeses and wings and having a good time. Our last night there we took advantage of the mini golf course, unfortunately I lost so it's not really even worth writing about. We got in a couple of good hikes while we were there also, once in Sedona, climbing as high as our nerves could take us and once at Walnut Creek, down into the canyon and back. At least it would balance out all the Denny's and pizza we were eating:) After a couple days of good rest, investing in some laundry washing and sleeping bags and seeing what central AZ has to offer we headed north towards Arches National Park to camp out for a couple days. The plan from there was onto Yosemite and through to San Francisco by the weekend.

I learned how to play rummy at Jamie's...

It is not everyday you have someone in your life you can spend every good, bad and cranky moment of 12 days together, and still think they are awesome at the end. Alysha and I did and we are better for it. I learned a whole other kind of patience, with myself and I have grown an even deeper appreciation for Alysha and her ability to take things as they come and to be happy with little. I admire that about her, so if you are reading, thank you for being awesome and making the trek out west what it was, a none stop (except Kansas and Oklahoma) adventure full to the brim with stories :) Now I have Caleb, how lucky am I to have two friends willing to do this sort of thing with me? From this point on our destinations change on a daily basis but we started in San Diego. The night before Alysha departed, we went out to SD's historical Gaslamp district, full of restaurants, bars and breweries. We met up with Lily, my roommate from my first AC year, who came all the way from Orange County to reunite with us. We hopped around from the Local to Rock Bottom Brewery. Both were good, but rendered Lily's car unfindable. After a sleepover with us at Jamie's house we ventured to a Trader Joe's to get local fruits for Alysha to take home and a coffee for the ride as well. Sadly, the time came and we had to drop off both Alysha and Lily at their respective places where they'd be going home and Jamie and Caleb and I, well we drove around a bit but then Jamie, inevitably had to go to work. Caleb and I head east again, to Tucson, AZ. We had an old AC friend with beers and laughs waiting for us by the name of Rob Delong. We showed up after eating some Del Taco (way better then T- Bell btdubs) and hit the town and the neighborhood gay bar for some spastic interpretive dance off, with ourselves. Tucson is a quirky little city. It has big city elements like a downtown and a homeless population but it had a small town feel and by that I mean it's almost all bikeable. There were a couple schools nearby which made it a younger city, an artsy skinny tire driving, hipster town. Still the murals, giant 13 foot monkey statue, and copper art sculptures made it a neat place to drive around. The next day we had bagels for breakfast and an oil change for brunch. Rob took us out west to hike Tucson's highest peak for lunch. Unfortunately I can not read a map and Rob is about as good at making decisions as me, so him and I didn't make it all the way up, but Caleb did on his run. As if I didn't feel out of shape enough here comes Caleb showing me up. Rob had work later so we reconvened and dropped him off at home. Cottonwood, AZ was in our sights, after a stop at Del Taco, seriously you can eat so much for like $2. Caleb's grandparents were kind enough to put us up indefinitely at their place in Cottonwood. We checked out Prescott College, Caleb's school of choice and poked around the area sightseeing and spending quality time with family. It was a good place to rest before we headed north, into the cold, into the unknown. Prescott College, a genius campus with a lot to offer the outdoorsy soul. Students are barely at campus because so much of their education is real life practicum, so for class they go skiing in Idaho studying avalanche movement... or rock climbing to learn about geology... it was ridiculous how awesome this school was, not to mention how the earthy crunchy vibe presented itself in a green campus. Arizona it self, is beautiful, the sky is a magnificent shade of blue, the terrain of red rock country, high desert, snow-capped mountains, canyons, and ruins of native Americans on canyon cliff side are all here, also mountain towns with Haunted Hamburgers are here. I was adopted for all intents and purposes for a day when we ventured out to Montezuma Castle and the well, both National Monuments. We headed towards home a drove straight through Sedona in red rock country and caught a gorgeous sunset with dinner. In Sedona, we also stopped to get Prickly Pear icecream, not as prickly but way more delicious then it probably sounds. We stayed for a couple days and I see now it wasn't just my grandparents who tried to fatten me up :)

Everyday we're hustlin'

From New Mexico, Alysha and I had nothing but new experiences on the horizon. Driving away from Taos, we drove passed Earthships, this area of land devoted to homes made out of recycled building materials and themed to look like miniature water parks with solar panels growing out of their roofs and gardens on terraces. It was crazy and smack in the middle of nowhere, it was its own little oasis of color and creativity. Driving up through a mountain pass in northern New Mexico provided us with amazing views as well as 8 foot snowplow banks and even a little part of road that iced back over. We persevered by pulling over to take pictures on top of snow plow piles while hoping we didn't fall in over our heads. The air is thinner, the skies seem bluer and you can see for miles ahead in any direction. The terrain even changes so much in what seems a short period of time. We drove through school bus graveyards and into the desert and through canyon lands. We drove into the Grand Canyon itself just after night fall and on the verge of peeing our pants, maybe it was just me. The sign on the ranger post before entering basically said, if you're reading this, keep driving, enjoy your stay. We found out camp ground, popped up our tent with just a little fuss. We layered up because there was snow on the ground and we were going to be sleeping on it. Unfortunately even after 3-4 layers of sweaters and jackets and socks and heavy blanket, our body heat was no match for the frozen ground and it sucked that and about 6 hours of good sleep from us. Which is why we cracked open a couple of Great Divide's as a rewarding night cap before the long night ahead. Our plan was to wake and watch the sunrise, but who are we kidding, we were already awake. 5:30 am turning into 7:30 am with little to no difference in the sky. Alysha was hell bent on finding the best lookout spot possible and so we found it, perfect perch and sat there for an hour and a half, looking homeless in our sweatpants and multiple layers of sweaters and a blanket across our laps. As we sat, I felt peace, the kind of peace that only a sunrise can bring, before people start moving about and stirring up the air around you with noise and distractions. It was beautiful. Then we encountered the Korean hostile take over, and by that I mean, a bus load of tourists came through the area from their nice warm cabins to take pictures of the mental image I already had. So we stole back to my car, turned on the heat and took a solid two hour nap which we counted as our sleep for the day. When we woke up, nice and toasty, we took down the tent, and did a couple miles worth of hiking the southern rim trail. It was a mesmerizing view that induced a bit of vertigo just looking down. Back in the car, ready for a drive we headed to LA, via Las Vegas. It was only about 40 minutes out of our way and by the time we drove through all the lights were already sinfully glittery and bright as day. We took a couple touristy pictures as we drove down the main drag. Fun Fact, the famous Strip is actually located in the city of Paradise just outside metro Las Vegas...but no one really cares. We got into LA and to my cousins place around 9 or so. By this time I had discovered my tooth had something severely wrong with it and it was decided that I should make a run to an urgent care, yet another trip down the AmeriCorps memory lane. The next day, we slept in a bit then headed out after our continental breakfast from Starbucks. We picked up Mare from work, and drove to the docs. 2 hours and too much money later, I had the fix in my reach and I could soon smile without cringing. We got some foods then went on a tour de Los Angeles. We went out to the art museum and watched the sunset with European impressionism. We got all dolled up for some steam punk underground 1920's themed bar downtown. The wait was bordering ridiculous at just under 2 hours but it the absinthe fairy and seeing an almost famous Disney star was worth seeing. We danced and scoped for more recent famous people but came up empty. The next day we gorged on delicious pancakes that were stacked three high and the size of the plate. We then headed out to the Santa Monica Pier and played skee ball at the arcade and gave away our tickets to a much more deserving 5 year old girl. We then took a drive up to the Observatory and saw the Hollywood sign, no longer lit up and smaller then you'd think but still there and still California's. Its free and is home to the most looked through telescope in the world. It was so neat to see the moon that close and interesting to say the least to walk around deep space being educated on the history of our universe while children jump off marble benches onto marble floors, eventually ending up in an ambulance. Don't worry he is alright, just a broken arm. Our time in LA ended too soon but on to San Diego, where Alysha would catch her flight and switch off with Caleb...

From a mile up

These posts seem to be getting longer and longer, but I'm really trying to keep it short and sweet. I can;t help that there are So Many Activities! In order to shave off some time, our route took us north through Oklahoma and west through Kansas. We got some postcards, as we would probably never come back, but at least it took us along semi major highways instead of back roads through Amarillo. We drove as long as we could. In Austin we stopped by a vitamin shoppe and got schooled on B12, multivitamins and probiotics, taking the healthier approach to staying awake the B12 got us through close to 2 am and to travel plaza a few miles short of the Kansas border. We utilized bungee cords and towels for makeshift privacy that reminded us of being 5 and throwing sheets and blanket over couches to make forts. The next morning we woke up to a couple frozen toes but a decent nights rest. The farms in the middle of this great country, with the exception of the 8,000 pound prairie dog and $2 postcards, were about as uneventful as they seem but this tacked on two additional states to our adventure. We made it into Denver around 4:30 pm and paid for our stay by helping our hosts move in some furniture that would eventually benefit us since a couch was part of the load. George, a corps member from my most recent year, and his roommate were our hosts and entertainment as they we pretty funny. George's family that lived near by had us over for pork chops, cabbage and some Green Planet education. We got to check out a local bar which was pretty empty but it had cheap drinks and it was close to homebase. The next day we stole Jesse and met up with Ethan, another AC flashback from year one who happened to be passing through town on his way to Tucson and day tripped to Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bill's grave. Just west outside the city and into the foothills of the Rockies was a beautiful drive and on our way back we stopped at Red Rocks Park/ Ampitheatre. To say we just walked around wouldn't be fair. At 6,400 feet, 100 extra feet up will put a roadtripped, Austin food binging, resting heart rate into overload. But we made it, top to bottom and back up. By the time we were on our way back George was out of work and we decided dinner was a must. Since both George and Jesse were new transplants we all explored this new city together. We parked downtown and started hoofing it about the city. We came across a restaurant with “Food Network” and “ Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” painted on most of the windows. Sam's No. 3 turned out to be a pretty sweet stop for dinner. All of us had what we had been told was a Denver classic, a breakfast burrito, with eggy, chessy, potoatoey goodness as big as your head. Keeping up with staying as authentic to each city as possible, we took our togo boxes to a Denver original brewery, the Great Divide and made it just in time for their happy hour and brewery tour, both were favorable. We bought a couple six packs and headed back to the car before rush hour. Ethan came back out to play in the evening when we hit up another local bar, Stoney's around Capitol hill where we ended up loosing terribly in a couple games of cornhole, or bags as I like to call it. I got to drive George's car home, this is fun because it was a manual transmission and would make the most god awful noise when you put it into second, but George was asleep so he wouldn't have minded if the transmission fell out anyway. The next day we loaded up the car once more to head south to New Mexico but not before we detoured through the Garden of the Gods and saw the kissing camels and some rock climbers on top of a rock enjoying a picnic. Since our drive to our next post was a short one we took advantage of the natural wonders of the area. We stopped at a closed Seven Falls but found Helen Hunt's falls around the corner. Mantiou Springs was a cute touristy city we drove through before NM also, and although there were no springs, we got to drop off some more postcards. As far as weather is concerned, we have been pretty lucky. Even though Denver was a little overcast and it snowed our first morning, it was nothing a scarf and sweater couldn't handle. New Mexico was just as pleasant. Whether its the dry air or the night we spent in Hotel Corolla that readjusted our body's internal temps, but a scarf and long sleeves took us through most of the Southwest. Unfortunately it was dark by the time we got to Taos New Mexico but pulling up to “Hotel Pascual” we were still giddy at the sight of the pueblo that would keep us warm that night. Alysha's friend who had made Tampa his home for school then returned home to Taos. He took us out to the “local favorite” which was actually there catch phrase which made dinner an easy choice. There is something about a XX's, a chicken enchilada and sopapilla with honey that put a smile across my whole face. On the list of things I've noticed, right behind how Oregon Trail did not prepare me for how big the wild west is, is that the southwest keeps their food spicy. It's delicious don't get me wrong, but as the south appreciates their sauces the Southwest appreciates the food itself being spicy. Pascual, our accomodating host had the world's most awesome house. On a dirt road, lined with unmatched skinny wood rails and neighborhood dogs about, his house was adobe made with a decorative clay tile floor, rounded doorways and an upstair accessible by what resembles an attic ladder but that opened up to his patio in which you could see every single star in the sky. He lived next to his grandparents in a house his great grandfather used to live in and the street address was his very own last name. Taos as a city itself was incredibly self sustaining and rather preferred family owned and operated businesses. Pascual told us it was a habit that when commercial and chain business try to settle in the town gets involved in boycotting the big business and driving through the downtown their Christmas lights and family named store fronts are the proof, that a little town can survive. 

Day 5

Oh what an adventure, let me fill you in. It started with a bang, me loosing my keys and turning Alysha's house upside down for them. We had a show to catch in Orlando as our first stop so my back up key had to do the trick until they turned up somewhere, hopefully. A quick stop by Caitlins to say good bye and pick up my pants that had been the recipient of little Desmonds diaper snafu and on to O-town we went. We spent the evening downtown at the Social to watch The Givers, awesome show I would recommend them for anyone who appreciates inventive upbeat quasi hippie music, a stellar performance and who wants to be blown away. We spent the night at her brothers house, which was so very nice of them to let us stay. So technically our trek out of Florida didn't start until Thursday am, and from Orlando. For those who are not familiar with Florida and traveling through it, it feels like forever, and then some. We broke it up with a pit stop at the Ponce de Leon State Park to stick our feet in what legend has as the original fountain of youth, but really it was just a cool natural spring that stays 68 degrees all year round and is in fact quite refreshing. About 12 hours later we finally arrived in Biloxi, MS. Just in time for a bite to eat. My friend Kathryn from AC and her roommate , Bailey, were the most gracious of hosts as they took us to experience Biloxi. Casinos it was! As it turns out Biloxi it self was hosting a rodeo, and the Beau Rivage was their hangout. Last Thursday night, you'd find the four of us people watching and getting our groove on to a not soseamless mix of country and old school hip hop and the room full of cowboys, hats, Wranglers, and rodeo participant number still pinned on the backs of each and everyone of them, no lie. Needless to say, our time was well spent and as we woke the next morning our journey was picking up the pace. Austin, TX was our next stop, a route we are familiar with but we decided to spend some quality time checking out the pre mardi gras Decatur and Bourbon street. We met up with Sandra, another friend for some sight seeing and coffee, another flashback from year one in AC, and headed out west once again leaving the green, yellow and purple banners flags and beads to the city that's always welcoming and never stops partying. This time, the drive took longer then forever, I-10 is not know for fun and entertaining roadside distractions. Alysha and I passed the time with stories, reorganizing the glove box and drinking crack in a can to try and stay awake. We made it into Austin just passed midnight and had just enough time to blow up Chris' air mattress and pass out. We woke up to a lovely Saturday morning and a shower that was worth the wait. If there was one theme to our time in Austin it was good food. We spent the morning at a quaint little hipster coffee house down the street and talked about our plans for the day after I dropped my car off for a new wheel and a rotation, to keep it safe. We had seen an incredible amount of restaurants and billboards that advertised tacos and after falling for the Taco Cabana trick last time( they are everywhere so we assumed they'd at least be worth it) we wanted a rematch. Alysha Chris and I met with Marina for lunch at a different and much better taco establishment. We picked up my car and headed to S. Congress street downtown to check out the nightlife. We bumped around to a few different stores and bought a cupcake from a food truck, that didn't quite justify the three dollars. Sometimes, no matter how much chocolate is present, a cupcake will just be cupcake. Dinner time called for Kerby Lane, Austins version of a classic 24 hour diner and Gordoughs, yet another food truck specializing in... yup doughnuts, big ones. At this point throwing up seemed eminent but after forcing this delicious, gooey fried banana-y goodness down we met back up with Marina and some of her friends for some good old fashion karaoke. Now it's not generally my thing because I'm a horrible singer, but Alysha and I had a surefire winner, Meatloaf “ Paradise by the dashboard light”. They called our name not 5 minutes before they started kicking us out at 2 am and we sang our little hearts out to the wonderfully drunk but uninterested people of one of Austins best karaoke bars and a few friends (including Kat, yet another AC favorite :)). Somewhere there is footage of this, I have yet to see it and its probably better that way. The next day Chris took Dan Alysha and I to Hamilton Pool, which is a lovely area about an hour outside the bustling city. We hiked to the cavernous cutout of the pool area and to the river that we waded across to bask in some sunlight on the limestone rocks. It was close to lunch time so we headed back. The plan, Hopdoddy's a trendy burger bar that was totally worth the wait, especially the thin mint milkshake. Our last day/ Dan's birthday was coming to a close when we headed out of Austin for our next destination, Denver, CO.

For no apparent reason and in the dead of winter...

Yes its true. I have completed over 4000 hours of national service in the last two years and spent countless hours driving up and down 95 and the intricate state roads of our Atlantic coast states, and a few others. It started as simple idea, I have all these people I had the chance to meet but now we live far away from each other, so Ill drive to visit them... So I've graduated from my NCCC experience, and ahead of me is a horizon as blank and full of potential adventure as the plains of Kansas, maybe we'll have to see about that later, but for now I'm assuming. Money has been saved, a plan A, B, and C have been established as mere guidelines to what may actually happen, and my stuff is packed (in a red suitcase which I get a kick out of). Now, being that I am used to traveling with my beloved B3 and all of our issued red bags placed like tetris blocks in the trunk of our 15p (whose name was never really decided upon because I was never sure how to feel about “Stanky Marlee flame”... ) I wasn't ready to spent another set of countless hours driving solo through the great expanse of the US. I am lucky enough to have friends who love traveling and adventures as much as me, so for those who may be concerned, I won't be alone on this adventure. As a side note, I have done a lot of traveling by myself and although there is more to come, for now while I have them, traveling with great company should never be refused I think. Plus nothing beats having a partner in crime who can stand being around you for hours, literally just sitting next to each other :)

I could begin the adventure from when I left Maryland, a place I never thought I'd call home, crying because I no longer had two phones to keep track of, never mind a whole team. From there, I went on to visit my corps member who is incarcerated and who I hadn't seen in 6 months and probably won't see again for a long time, but hopefully it'll be because he is off on his own adventures when he gets out. There was also the pit stop in DC and Richmond, love you all! I could pick up again at my dad's in North Carolina, where I spent a couple days sleeping in way too late, watching too much discovery channel and spending time with my family that I never get to see as much as I'd like. Then jump to visiting with my little brother and my nephew who is far from anything terrible as a 2 year old, and then back to Sunrise, FL, where I spent the last three weeks, planning my next happenings. Or, I could just start here, in Tampa my home away from home. It was here that I did the most growing up and finding out about lots of things, and there's something about the way Spanish moss hangs in trees made for climbing and feeling closer to the sunset that makes me smile when the wind blows warm even in mid January. Tonight, in a few hours, Alysha and I head onward and upward to something old and something new. We are two years older then the last time we had a road trip but you can't shake a travelers soul, no matter how many wrong turns, flat tires and bad food you come across.