I'm big in Texas

My baby is sick. She has done so well but then her power steering stopped working in Tennessee. I was able to continue my driving without having a problem while on straight highways but getting around the small towns has had me working up a sweat. Driving has become a work-out.

It ends up this hiccup in the car's ability to turn is not my fault. Really. My power steering ends up being electric which, according to my mechanical understanding, means that instead of hardworking gears and pumps and tubes doing the communicating between my steering wheel and my tires, a lazy computer is telling a lazy computer who is telling a lazy computer how to turn my wheels. One of these lazy computers stopped doing its job, hence the whole system shutting down. This can be blamed on Chevrolet's manufacturing, I swear. Its not my fault. My baby is at the GM dealer right now in Kerrville, Texas having a new steering column installed, courtesy of Chevy. (Major props to Tim C. for realizing that there was a warranty from Chevy for this and saving me $600 on repairs. I owe you big time, T.C., although not $600-big-time, just a hug-and-a-thank-you-big-time. I'm on a budget.)

Aaaaah, Kerrville, Texas. I walked three miles to get into town yesterday and passed two McDonalds, two Dairy Queens, a Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC. Its that kind of town. I haven't had a serving of vegetables in three days. I'm sure I could dig some up if I put some effort into it but I've decided I'd indulge in a Texas diet and gain a few pounds and then adopt a Portland diet of organic foods and outdoor exercise to lose those pounds. I'll let you know how it goes.

Another downfall of being stranded without my car: I've run out of clean clothes. Yesterday I visited the gas station next door and bought a t-shirt for today:

Its a kid's size medium. I had a choice between that and an adult XL. In case you can't read mirror-image scroll font, it says "I'm big in Texas." Which for a kid I understand this to be a good thing. Unfortunately for me, this statement has some truth because of the 5 pounds I've added from a diet of barbeque sauce and Tex-mex food.

Quick word about Austin: it rocks. The food is amazing, everyone is hip, and there is live music everywhere. Luke and I stayed on South Congress street to be in the middle of everything. We didn't get to document too much with pictures but we did need to get pictures of ourselves with the Austin Motel sign:

Notice we got pictures of ourselves separately being that we were both concerned about looking like tourists. Just imagine us in the shot together.

Burn out in Memphis

I've hit burn-out. It happened in Memphis. I was in a hotel room trying to fall asleep and was aware that I could hear the people in the room next to me roll over in their bed. If they coughed, it sounded like they were in the room with me. I realized that I was done with sleeping in a different bed every night. I want my bed. Currently my bed is in storage, but I'll settle for a bed that I get and put in an apartment that is mine and that I get to sleep in every night. If I must listen to my neighbors, at least it will be the same neighbors every night.

So my plans of doing a "quick" loop around the southeast has been scrapped. I am currently resting luxuriously in Springfield, Missouri with my aunt and uncle. I am falling in love with their dogs. I'm pestering my Aunt Kathy with a million questions about life trying to learn from her experiences. She has turned out to be excellent guidance. I hope to make progress on my resume and job search but the outlook is iffy. If I know me, I'll put it off until the last minute.

From here, I head to Austin, Texas for a four day vacation with a friend. From there, I'll high-tail back to Portland via the southwest and the California coast. I won't be taking my chances with the Rockies so I'll just have to see the west coast again. Oh, the sacrifices I make for safety.

Outside of Salida, Colorado:

Across Oklahoma:

The view from my Memphis hotel room:

Excuses

If I told you that my computer broke and had to be sent away to be fixed, would that be a sufficient excuse for not posting for over three weeks? What about if I blamed it on the holidays? There are people that believe there should be no excuses in life -- I am not one of those people. I could fill this post with excuses. But lets just put this whole haven't-updated-the-blog-in-three-weeks thing behind us. Deal? Deal.

Today finds me in Denver. I've been here since the 31st. I last posted when I was spewing profanities and cursing babies in Flagstaff, reeling from altitude sickness and lady rage. You'll be relieved to know I calmed down after a few days, although not before I attempted to find the Grand Canyon. You'd think that it being "Grand" and all would make it fairly trackable but that was not the case. I could find it on a map. I found ample signs and directions from Flagstaff. From the entrance to the National Park, I found the Visitor's Center without a hitch. And then the trail stopped there. I was in a maze of parking lots and construction areas. There were lots of signs about where to hike or bike or bird-watch or what-have-you but no simple sign saying "Viewpoint That Way." To be honest, all I wanted to do was see the darn thing, snap a picture of myself in front of it and then be able to say that I saw it. I ended up going in circles, fuming and rehearsing the lecture that I was going to give the forest rangers/park volunteers on their incompetency in making my visit easy. I finally teamed up with other frustrated tourists and we followed clues until we got to the viewpoint. Then, there were just too many people there. Didn't they know I wanted some alone time with nature? I resented them all and headed back to Flagstaff. Thats what happens when I try to sight-see while incredibly cranky.

From Flagstaff I hit up Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was one of my most anticipated drives but, unfortunately, I picked one of the cloudy and rainy days in the Southwest. By the time I got to Santa Fe, it had turned to snow. The drive in was sketchy but the final product of Santa Fe in the snow was worth it. The first night there I walked to a cafe (I love walking in the snow) and got turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy (I love comfort food), read a good book while The Beatles played on the overhead stereo (I love The Beatles) and life could not have gotten much better. I realize this experience is not unique to New Mexico but a standard formula for a good time is appreciated anywhere.

Santa Fe comes highly recommended. The people are nice, the feel is laid back, and the food is fantastic. I tried to get a picture of Old Town to get the overall aesthetic, although the pics came out a bit rushed:

From Santa Fe I headed to Denver, caught a plane, headed to Pittsburgh for a few days, and then flew back. Christmas was a time of family, food, and sloth. I had daily naps and lots of reading.

The only definite plans in the next two weeks is to head to Austin to meet-up with a friend and take in the sights and sounds. And then I think my trip will be coming to an end. Its time for me to get a job. Portland is my final destination where I'll jump into the adult-like activities of looking for an apartment and a job and becoming an asset to my community (something like that.) I can say with certainty that I'm not looking forward to the work but am incredibly psyched to live the Portland experience. I'll keep you updated (with posts more frequent than three weeks.)

S-M-A-T. I mean, S-M-A-R-T.

You'll have to bear with me on this post. I'm in Flagstaff, Arizona at 7,000 feet elevation and my thoughts come trickling in at a painfully slow pace. Who knew Arizona had mountains? I guess I always knew they had the whole canyon thing going on but I didn't put it together that a higher elevation was needed to create them.

I was going to have a friend join me for a couple of days in Arizona. I found out about the extreme altitude and quickly suggested that he join me at sea level. My inability to form coherent thoughts is not nearly the worst of my symptoms. The headaches and nausea aren't even so bad. The trouble comes with how insane I get with my moods. I have the patience of a child and as soon as I get the least bit frustrated (which happens with little provocation here) I feel ready to rip people's heads off and then, while holding their heads in my hands, start bawling my eyes out. Oh, I'm a good time once I get above 4,000 feet. Have you seen "The Exorcist"? You know the part where the little girl's head spins around? That's me with altitude sickness.

Anyhoo, a quick update on my travels. Two words: San Diego. And a word to describe the Diego: heaven. In La Jolla, I stayed with a friend that has life figured out. La Jolla takes the award for Best Place to Live. Not only does my friend live in La Jolla, but she is just blocks from the beach in a house that my sister-in-law has accurately dubbed "The Barbie Dreamhouse." I have a new goal in life and it is to follow in Sarah's footsteps. She has done it right. I spent a week there while having some of the most amazing and relaxing days of my life. I know that is an extreme statement, but I stand by it.

Now its three days in Flagstaff seeing Sedona, Phoenix and the Grand Canyon. Then I move on to Santa Fe for a couple of days of soaking in the New Mexico scene. Then its to Denver to catch a plane to Pittsburgh for Christmas. After the new year, its hard to say exactly what I'll be up to but its looking like I'll be spending the winter in Portland, Oregon. Its calling me back but I figure I better see if I can survive a Portland winter before making a full move. I'll keep you updated.

Its time to see the Grand Canyon. Please ignore any spelling mistakes or grammar faux-pas in the above post. I should be thinking a bit more clearly by the next entry. No promises, though.

Hello, L.A.

Slumming it in the hostels and eating my meals of cheap carbs and sugar is going to be hard to readjust to after this last week of luxury in LA. There are two unrelated things that I've learned while in LA this past week: 1) LA is exhausting and 2) Family means everything.

The events of my week have revolved around my commutes. Thats what I do here in LA. I go somewhere and then I get in my car and I go to somewhere else. Its not the destinations that make a lasting impression in my mind, its the commute. My main events here seem to be surviving freeways and negotiating traffic. My memory of this city will be of white knuckles and prayers to St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers.

But so far, so good. With the energy draining drives, my days get limited to one to two small activities. My reprieve from the tension is staying at my Aunt and Uncle's house. I've been sleeping like a queen in a bed that wraps itself around my body and on sheets that are like swimming in butter. Butter, I tell you. Believe me, reverting back to my hobo ways is not going to be easy.

About Thanksgiving: I have this theory. The theory has to do with the fact that holidays can be a trying time for people. Although its supposed to be a time of joy and love and blah, blah, blah, a lot of times there is just a melancholy that hangs around and a feeling of stress. My theory about why this is, is that what we all want is to have the holidays be like they were when we were little. And as adults, we can never achieve that. I must say, though, I came pretty close this year.

My family from Los Angeles would come to Pittsburgh to visit every year. The Thanksgiving holidays that I spent with them were the ones that I remember the most. This Thanksgiving I pretty much reverted back to being 10 years old. Although my aunt, uncle and cousins have all changed in the way that growing up makes us change, they are so much just as I remember them. Its going to be hard to one-up this Thanksgiving, so I told them that I'd just need to come back every year.

I'll end this post with a pic of my cousin Kim, myself and my cousin Chrissy with their dogs, Zoey and Benjamin:

The dogs don't get along and are in perpetual quarantine from each other for fear that one will eat the other. So for us to try and get them in a picture together, we were running the risk of one of the five of us not walking away with a face after the shot. Or we were going to get a damn cute pic, like above.

Fish apathy

Remember, in one of my first posts, how I took a picture of the food that I was taking with me on my trip? The pile of food included carrots and nuts and oatmeal. It steered clear of processed sugar and empty calories and, unfortunately, any kind of taste. Oh, those were ambitious times.

This was the breakfast that I had a couple of days ago when I was going down the Oregon coast:

I kid you not, it is called a "Trucker's Delight." This morning I had a full serving of waffles with butter and syrup, a bagel with cream cheese and a bowl of frosted flakes. Please notice the lack of the fruit/vegetable and protein food groups. I have created my own system of food groups that revolves around carbs and sugar. I actually thought to myself that maybe if I put more butter and cream cheese on my food that I could get close to a full serving of dairy.

Now I spend quite a bit of my day doing the math trying to figure out how far I need to walk and which meals I need to skip to insure that I don't need to be rolled back into Pittsburgh for the holidays. Although, as long as I can get my seat belt to fit around me and am able to move the steering wheel without my belly getting in the way, I'm good to go.

I cruised through San Francisco the other day. I went into the city for one night, staying at a hostel, and walked as much as I could in one day and took in the sights. I realized afterwards that I didn't get one picture while I was there. If you would like to see pictures of San Francisco, please google them. You'll get the gist.

Once again, family and friends made my day. I got to see Mill Valley, stopping by to see close friends of my family. It made my week. I'm passing through Monterey right now and am on my way to spend Thanksgiving in Malibu with extended family. Mom and Dad: I love you both and am going to miss you for Thanksgiving. But I am so incredibly psyched to be seeing my aunt, uncle and cousins (Jane, you will be missed.) Its going to be strange to not have grey skies and rain and cold on Turkey day but I'll just have to make-do with sun and warm weather and the beach in the 'Bu. I'm taking one for the team here.

With all of the Steinbeck that I'm reading, it only makes sense that I would stop by his stomping grounds, Monterey, California. Here is a picture of me with a statue of my man:

I was reading "Cannery Row" while sitting in a coffee shop on the actual Cannery Row. I have to say though that I was hiding the cover of the book as I read. I was worried that I might look like a tourist; and I put a lot of effort into being a tourist while not looking like a tourist. I'll never see the people here again, but it is still incredibly important to me to make strangers think I'm cool. My own behavior baffles me. I think I might start strutting down the street, from now on, giving winks and shooting off finger-guns as I pass people. That way there could be no doubt that I was cool.

I did slip into the Monterey Aquarium for a quick look. I don't think I get aquariums. Fish just don't do it for me. Maybe I feel a slight twinge of excitement when seeing a shark. Jellyfish can hold my attention for a half-minute, but thats about all. I think this is just something that I'm going to have to accept about myself. Another self-discovery made on this trip: I have an indifference to marine life.

Here is a pic of a jellyfish (I forget which kind.):

Passionate car sickness

Aaaah, Mendocino. I could get used to you. I had high expectations and they have been met. First things first, please notice my new dream bench:

It might be hard to notice the bench, being that it is between such a picturesque town on one side and crashing waves on the other. You may remember, there was a bench that I found on Antelope Island that I said I would frame when I got home because it was in such an amazing location. But I believe it just got the boot. This bench is the winner and it will be put in a heart-shaped frame. To put the cherry on top, I spent the time with my man, John Steinbeck. I'm reading "Tortilla Flat" and, again, I revel in Mr. Steinbeck's constant genius.

(Side note: if you have the book, please check around page 23 for the paragraph that describes the correlation between the amount of wine in a jug to the common actions of the paisanos. I was so impressed that I wanted to call someone and read the paragraph to them because it seemed like such a gem. Ben, we may need to have a Steinbeck book group when I get home; we can take Mary Ann's idea of a salon. Mary Ann, you're invited, too.)

From Portland, I did a reorganizing day in Eugene, followed by a day in Coos Bay, then went on to Eureka, California, which I used as my home base while checking out Redwoods National Park. I was able to do a fantastic hike at the Klamath Overlook, leading to this view:

Yesterday, I went from Eureka to Mendocino passing through Humboldt State Park. This took me to the very top of the infamous Route 1 that goes along the California coast. My dad had actually called me that morning to warn me of the intensity of this road, so I kind-of had a feeling it might be difficult. But really I didn't believe him. How hard could a road be?

There is a 20 mile stretch that goes from inland California to the coast that is insane. I've never been car sick while driving before but I had to pull over 3 times yesterday within those 20 miles to pull myself together and shake off the motion sickness. I was actually to the point where I was telling myself to "just make it one more mile." You may have to experience it to believe it. I did text my dad right afterwards to let him know that he was right. I said that I would never doubt him again. He has told me he is "going to preserve that text for posterity -- and as a reminder."

I had mentioned that Portland marked a turning point in my trip where I realized that I'd have to start thinking about reality again. During my 10 minutes of sitting still, I've come up with my big goal to try to achieve after this trip. It, in general, is to live passionately. My top three ways to do this (I'm huge on top three lists) is:

1) Stay close to family and friends. I've realized that although I've seen some amazing places on this trip, the highlights have been when I reconnect with people in my life and when I meet and make new friends.

2) Eat well and exercise daily. To "eat well" is in one part to keep myself thinking straight but also to become a little less meh about food and a little more aware of taste. Exercise for me is walking or hiking which gets me out and looking around me.

3) Take time to sit still and take time to write. Doing both of these things helps me to slow down and let experiences seep in a bit more.

I have to admit, this is all pretty easy to do when on the road and going to beautiful places. Check back with me when I'm working a nine-to-five job and taking care of mundane life chores. I'm interested to find out how I incorporate living passionately with doing laundry, getting groceries and paying bills.

I'll close this post with a picture that I like to call "Big Tree. Tight Pants.":