Home
If I had to work almost every day of my life for the last 17 years so that I could have the last seven days, so be it. The experience was so profound that it changed my outlook on life. It reinvigorated feelings and aspirations deep in hibernation.
It still hasn't hit me that I left home and I don't believe it ever will. The reason is obvious. When I sent my dad the selfie I took with my thumbs-up pose in front of the "Welcome to Oregon" sign, he responded with "Almost home."
"I am home," I said. "Time to have a look around."
I took highway 20 to Bend, made camp, then in the morning I drove north to Sisters. From there, I took the scenic byway through the Cascades. The road led me to Eugene, so I took I-5 north for the final 20 minutes of my journey to Corvallis. I took a few pictures along the way, but for the most part I will be keeping this part of my cross-country drive to myself, much like the experiences I had in the Black Hills National Forest and during the first chunk of Idaho when I took a non-interstate road through the Tetons during sunset. Truly special moments.
In all honesty I was glad to do it alone. My dad would have loved the entire thing, and I would have enjoyed sharing so many beautiful sights with Kayla, but somehow I've known for months that I needed to make this trip on my own. It was a brilliant journey of exploration and self-awakening. The life around me fueled the life within me. I felt vibrant and boundless. Full of purpose.
And so I felt a bit sad when I arrived in Corvallis, for I knew the vacation part of my journey had come to an end. There would be no more national parks in Corvallis. The moment I entered town, I knew it was time to stop living carefree and get to work.
I rolled into town looking and feeling like something out of The Walking Dead. Pieces of my sunburned face and neck were flaking off, my beard had grown to an itchy length, my boots were caked in mud and my skin was filmy from dirt, sunscreen and sweat.
I scrubbed myself raw, threw my outdoor outfit in the "wash me" basket, put on some fancier duds, and stepped outside to introduce myself to the community. My vacation may be over, but the game never ends.
I do know one thing, though: once I get a job and find a place for me and Kayla to live, I'm going to embrace the part of me that came alive during my adventure. I'm finally home, and I want to spend as much time exploring this beautiful state as I can before too many more people figure it out and move here too.
It still hasn't hit me that I left home and I don't believe it ever will. The reason is obvious. When I sent my dad the selfie I took with my thumbs-up pose in front of the "Welcome to Oregon" sign, he responded with "Almost home."
"I am home," I said. "Time to have a look around."
I took highway 20 to Bend, made camp, then in the morning I drove north to Sisters. From there, I took the scenic byway through the Cascades. The road led me to Eugene, so I took I-5 north for the final 20 minutes of my journey to Corvallis. I took a few pictures along the way, but for the most part I will be keeping this part of my cross-country drive to myself, much like the experiences I had in the Black Hills National Forest and during the first chunk of Idaho when I took a non-interstate road through the Tetons during sunset. Truly special moments.
In all honesty I was glad to do it alone. My dad would have loved the entire thing, and I would have enjoyed sharing so many beautiful sights with Kayla, but somehow I've known for months that I needed to make this trip on my own. It was a brilliant journey of exploration and self-awakening. The life around me fueled the life within me. I felt vibrant and boundless. Full of purpose.
And so I felt a bit sad when I arrived in Corvallis, for I knew the vacation part of my journey had come to an end. There would be no more national parks in Corvallis. The moment I entered town, I knew it was time to stop living carefree and get to work.
I rolled into town looking and feeling like something out of The Walking Dead. Pieces of my sunburned face and neck were flaking off, my beard had grown to an itchy length, my boots were caked in mud and my skin was filmy from dirt, sunscreen and sweat.
I scrubbed myself raw, threw my outdoor outfit in the "wash me" basket, put on some fancier duds, and stepped outside to introduce myself to the community. My vacation may be over, but the game never ends.
I do know one thing, though: once I get a job and find a place for me and Kayla to live, I'm going to embrace the part of me that came alive during my adventure. I'm finally home, and I want to spend as much time exploring this beautiful state as I can before too many more people figure it out and move here too.