I Wanna Live in Wanaka

If there’s one place I could have stayed the entire month, it would’ve been Wanaka.

Surrounded by mountains, this cozy little town was utter perfection. Maybe it was the long bus ride, but this view was exactly what I was looking for in New Zealand. Beautiful skies, rocks, and mountains (what are men?).

I considered abandoning my tour group and filing a change of address. I didn’t want to leave!

Our only night there happened to fall on St. Patrick’s Day, so like the traditionalists we were, we ate at a Mexican restaurant. (note to self: regardless of holiday, do not give in to peer pressure and drink the disgusting green drink)

My one mission that I wouldn’t leave Wanaka before completing was finding The Wanaka Tree. This thing has it’s own hashtag #thatwanakatree !! This is one of many many photos I took that day – definitely worth walking a mile in the blazing hot sun in flip flops.

On my walk back to the YHA, I noticed the path I was following was a timeline. As a millennium project, Wanaka wrote the history of the world on 2,000 tiles along the lakefront promenade. Each tile covers the important events, discoveries, and achievements of that year/period. As the timeline approaches the 18th century, facts from the local community start to appear.

 

As we departed from this lovely haven, we were off for more adventures further South! Thank goodness, our driver was a saint when it came to pit stops for photos!!

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Thunder Creek Falls

Fantail Falls

Driving in New Zealand is a true test of the stomach. You may think you’re immune to carsickness, but you haven’t zoomed around these corners on a bus…This was our longest day of driving, and most of it was in the rain. Thank goodness I brought my ipod.

(note to reader/future NZ traveler: There is an evil in the South Island called the sandfly. They are fierce and they are many. Bathe yourself in bug spray, wear long pants/skirts, high socks, and whenever possible keeps your windows closed if you want to avoid being eaten alive and scarred for the next month)

Our final stop was in the eternally wet Franz Josef. An itty-bitty town, made for backpackers, glacier climbers, and people who like to be damp.

I had planned to go sky diving over the Southern Alps here, but was warned that the weather was the ultimate decider. Sure enough, the rain proved too dangerous for any sort of high flying. So we did what everyone does when it rains, karaoke. Oh yes, I melted some faces with my Oh Darlin!  I impressed a Brit, so I consider that a win.

The two days we spent here were a wash (hehe) due to the ever-present rain clouds. But we made the most of it by trying some delicious nutella-filled donuts, carving our own jade jewelry at Te Koha Gallery, and embracing the wetness at the Glacier Hot Pools.

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We left for Greymouth the final day to catch the TranzAlpine railway back to Christchurch.

So what did I think of my week with Haka Tours?

They are extremely helpful, keeping an online messenger on their website should you ever need to ask a ‘silly question’ you can’t answer on the site. My questions ranged from what airlines to use to which boots would work best. My tour guide was super friendly and always keen for an adventure off the beaten path. He definitely made it feel like a road-trip with your mates, rather than a boring tour bus. The price is pretty reasonable, given the US exchange rate, my money definitely went further. $600 NZD was around $400USD. I always felt safe with this company, not that New Zealand is a sketchy place. Everyone I came across was uber-friendly. GO SKY DIVING. It is so much cheaper in New Zealand than the U.S. because of the exchange rate. You can’t afford not to.

I have two things that annoyed a bit, but weren’t total deal-breakers.

• If you don’t want to purchase Extra Activities, you’ll have a lot of downtime
  There is one thing I wish they would’ve been a little more upfront about. There are a zillion things to do on these tours. Skydiving, white water rafting, cliff jumping, hot air ballooning, pretty much anything fun and extreme is within your grasp. These are all add-ons to the tour, time spent away from the group and whatever the tour would be doing normally (if you were the only one who signed up for an activity). But that’s just it. There were no ‘normal tour activities’ for those who opted out of spending their life’s savings on every single activity. We spent two and a half days in Queenstown and I was bored, having done my paragliding early the first day. The tour guide basically leaves you to your own devices, taking the days off. For a 7 day tour, I thought it strange to pay for 2 days of no actual ‘touring.’ I’m not saying I needed someone to hold my hand and show me down every street, but I think there needs to be an organized/planned option/activity for those tour members that choose not to do extra activities.
• Shorter Tours are added on to longer ones
  This may be just me, but as this was my first ‘tour group’, I was looking forward to sharing this experience with a new group of people and possibly make new friendships, or at least ‘vacation friends.’ I chose to go on a 7-day tour called the South LICK tour, which is solely on the South Island. As we met up in Christchurch, I realized I was one of five people joining a group of 11 that had already been traveling together for a week in the North island. There was a clear dynamic of ‘the original group‘ and the ‘add-ons‘. It sounds so high school, but it got on my nerves. Seats on the bus were ‘claimed’ (all adults mind you), rapport was established between the tour guide and the original group, meaning pit stops, music selection, and meal locations were decided. I would have at least liked a say in the decision making. Maybe that’s the draw to tour groups, that you don’t have to make decisions, you just follow the group wherever it leads. Maybe I’m just not a tour group person!

Would I do this again?

Maybe. If I were doing a longer tour and was with a group of my own friends. Going solo, on the trip I selected, is not something I’d like to repeat.

New Zealand Nuptials

Since I’m on this side of the globe, I had the perfect excuse to head down to New Zealand for a friend’s wedding. I met the bride in Florida five years ago. We both worked at Disney! Though our time together was short, we kept in touch, missing each other dearly, and swearing to see each other again some day.

I have dreamed of coming here since I was 12, when The Fellowship of the Ring came out. Sorry NZ, I didn’t know much about you until Legolas & Aragorn showed me the way. Don’t worry, I’ll chat more about LOTR locations later…
Before I begin on this epic tale of beauty and adventure, it needs to be proclaimed across the land that flying in New Zealand is incredible. I was flying overnight from Seoul and was pretty positive I would miss my connection. Once I arrived with less than two hours to go through customs, get my baggage, get that cleared, check my baggage again, go through security….that my flight would be long gone.

I was pleasantly surprised. Customs was a breeze. Being an American was a mega-advantage. I skipped the whole queue, scanned my passport, a robot took my photo and I was through! My bag was already waiting for me and there was no line to scan it. AND finally the very best part, NO SECURITY. New Zealand is such a care free, friendly place, they don’t feel the need to screen you if you’re flying domestically. These people are so great.

OK. Back to the wedding. This is the view from the venue, a vineyard on the outskirts of Tauranga. Yup, I pretended I was in The Shire.

It was a small crowd, less than 80 people. This is the way to do it, folks.

We felt so fancy! Champagne and hors d’oeuvres were served as the wedding party took their photos. I could get used to this. 

With such a small group, fun things can happen, like free photo booths!!

We were into it, and never wanted to leave it.

I loved getting to see old Disney friends, it had been so long! It was so awesome to be at the ‘Disney’ table. Over 10 of us flew from all over the world to be there! We went to a Haka ceremony in Rotorua. We also saw some natural geysers (smelly but cool!) and went luging. Hakas are a Maori tradition that I highly recommend you experience.

I bet you’re wondering if I took advantage of this lovely event and spent some more time in New Zealand. C’mon, you should know me better than that by now. OF COURSE. I stayed the rest of the month, and did A LOT. I saw Charlie Chaplin in Christchurch, found adventure in Lake Tekapo & Queenstown, fell in love with Wanaka, and melted into the mists of Milford Sound…

-wedding photos were not taken by me –

Suitcase Life: Arches & Airways

Before leaving Utah, we wanted to make a quick stop in Arches National Park. I could’ve spent a week in Moab just to hike and see as many arches as I could, but alas, we had but a few hours, I was hungover, and there are over 2,000 of them.

We decided to pick the few that were very short distances from the parking lots. It was super hot guys.

From afar, in the center you can see Delicate Arch which is considered the most famous natural stone arch in the world.

Our next arch was in a random patch of sandy dunes, a natural choice for those seeking a pretty easy trail for the already light-headed.

Sand Dune Arch

Some of us were not as excited about the sand.

I wish I would have been more energetic that day, the landscape was incredible.

A little further down the trail was Broken Arch, my favorite.

This thing was steep. Sarah is basically a spider monkey and practically walked right up. Me, being the unsteady photographer, had to grit my teeth and hope I didn’t die running upwards.

What was even more terrifying was letting a complete stranger hold my very expensive camera to take this photo. If they ran away with it, there was no way I’d catch them from up here.

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In spite of the heat and the complete lack of electrolytes, I was quite proud to witness such a beautiful piece of nature.

And we were off, waving goodbye to the strange rocks of Utah and Eastwards to Colorado…

By far, the cutest thing we saw on the very long, boring drive to Castle Rock, CO.

We stopped in Vail for dinner and leg-stretching. Truffle fries, while delicious, were a terrible choice.

Sarah and I had worked together, but never got on the friend-level at Disney, so it was nice to get to know her better on this mini-trip. She made me want to re-think my career goals, owning a beautiful home at 26, but I could never be a dental hygienist…

After a fun day of shopping, I was back in the air and back to my home-ish area in D.C.

Suitcase Life: Bells, Bouquets n’ Boots

Now on my second month of travel, I arrived in Denver, Colorado for yes, another wedding. However, this time I was in the bridal party.

The bride-to-be and I had worked together at Disney and fell in friend-love immediately. When I needed a little crazy in my life, she was the one to call. And if she needed someone to pick her up in the middle of the night and hold her shoes, I’d be on it.

We had the Bachelorette party in Grand Junction (a four hour drive from the airport). This was a quiet town, and even quieter on a Wednesday, but we made our own party. We walked to Volleys, a volleyball bar. Guys, these exist. It was amazing.

Afterwards, we needed karaoke, but the not-so-nice DJ clearly avoided our requests in favor of the locals. Hey man, I get it, but c’mon…

Luckily, he let the ladies close out the night with “Red Neck Woman”

We only lost one girl, but she was fine. She wanted to go home and sleep in her bed rather than share the hotel room. SMART. I was the party-mom and got everyone slowly but surely back to the hotel.
I am a jedi with drunks. The guiding force is with me.

The next morning, groggy and hungover, we got manis and pedis. Thank heaven for massage chairs.

We drove across the border to Moab, Utah. This place is beautiful, guys. I felt like I was stepping into an old Western. But most importantly, it’s where I got to meet this little handsome man!!

For just having a baby, the bride was looking dang good. Baby boy was too! We were pals right away, we even drove out to the wedding site together. It was a gorgeous drive, but it was also long, twisty, and incredibly rough. I feel for everyone who drove with a low-seated car or camper. The ‘roads’ were more like pot holes with random flat spots. I got lost twice.

Once we were out in the middle of nowhere, I couldn’t stop taking photos. The view was incredible.

This is Castle Valley. If it looks familiar, well it should! This area is used quite often for filming locations.

John Wayne had several films here (see it in the back)

As well as Thelma & Louise, John Carter, The Lone Ranger, Galaxy Quest, Mission Impossible II (ugh, the worst one), and the marvelous Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.

This was the view from the bride’s family cabin. We were out in the La Sal Mountains, just outside of Moab, Utah. Breathtaking, to say the least.

It’s always weird meeting people for the first time, especially when you all kind of have to be friends for the bride’s sake. Fortunately, we all got along pretty well. Whether it was the happy-wedding vibes or the steady flow of champagne, we’ll never know.

Waking up to this was marvelous. I highly recommend taking a trip out here. Camp, stay at the lodge, go horseback riding, or visit the film museum. There’s even a winery! I definitely plan on coming back here someday to hike some trails take it all in. (and we both know when I say hike, I mean walk a little and take photos)

One of my fellow bridesmaids, Sarah (another former Disney coworker) couldn’t bear another minute without cell service. So we snagged one of the dune buggies and set off to find some bars. Trouble was….we didn’t pay attention…or look how to get back…

Though the views were gorgeous and awe inspiring, we were starting to get a little worried.

Getting lost in the middle of nowhere is scary enough, but risking the wrath of a bride getting married later that day??
I think our fear led us back.

We all made our own bouquets from the local foliage, plus some red and orange daisies.

All primped and pretty!!

As the time drew nearer, the nerves set in. I wanted everything to go perfectly for her. I wrapped the bouquets in burlap, lent her my favorite songs to walk down the aisle to, and put on her veil. By the end of it, I was a blubbering mess.

Never have I needed to keep it together more and failed completely. I cried the whole ceremony. Hopefully they were the gorgeous, Top Model tears that gently caress your cheeks…

They said I do and the party began! The newlyweds had to kiss every time someone rang the bell.

I’m so glad I decided to bring my camera. These two were way too cute.

Once the keg was flowing, it was rough getting anyone to stay still for a photo…

Bridal Growlers for the Happy Couple. (They’re doing it right)

This is the right way to wear a wedding dress. It’s one day, ladies. The dress is merely a tool to show the world what you already know; you’re hot and off the market.

The groom was already getting silly, and the night had only just begun!

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It was such an incredible weekend. We all felt so close by the end of it. You bond over things like: whiskey, keg stands, and late night snacking on food-you-would-really-regret-eating-later-that-night.

At one point, Sarah and I needed a midday nap. Cowboy boots are rough, and hot! (my feet were a’cookin in the Utah sun!)

While I probably had one of the best times ever at a wedding, being in the bridal party is hard work. It may seem like a party, but there’s a lot of planning and holding-the-dress-while-she-pees that goes into it. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, but I’m fine waiting a few years for the next one.

Packing up, Sarah and I prepared to leave for Colorado. She lived just outside of Denver and graciously offered to drive me back to the airport. However, she couldn’t leave without a selfie with the fearless cows on the gravel road.

This is selfie-commitment guys.

Back on the road again….

Suitcase Life: Seaside Oasis

If you are looking for a quiet coastal town, with beautiful coastlines, wonderful people, and the ability to walk everywhere, Seaside is your gig.

I had come here once before with just my parents a few years ago. When she suggested bringing everyone there, I quickly jumped on board, especially if it meant I could take my car on another road trip! (I really missed her – my car – her name is Coco)

After stopping at Cannon Beach to eat at Mo’s, (see here) we made our way north, BUT we ALL had to pee. The only thing in sight was a tiny winery with a sign saying, ‘Not a Public Restroom.’So we did some wine tasting first, flashed my adorable nephew’s smile and got to pee.

Mom found a great spot in Seaside right off the water that rented condos.

The decorations may have been a little dated, but that’s just coastal Oregon for you. They live outside of time.

With two rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living room and dining room, it was plenty for the 6 of us. (well, 5 and a half. My nephew isn’t that big, plus there was a pull-out couch-sorry bro)

Waking up to this was pretty amazing. I love the sound of the waves. I plan to retire on the Oregon coast (unless I find a place in the world just like it). My days will be filled with writing, drinking copious amounts of coffee and wine, wearing leggings, fuzzy socks, and messy buns. My only requirement is a view of the bitter cold Pacific.

This view wasn’t terrible though. I loved having a hilly horizon again. Living in Florida and then D.C., I was lacking in the awe-of-nature department.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a family vacation without a rousing game of Scrabble. This lasts a minimum of four hours because my family is so dang competitive (and my dad takes 10 minutes a turn). But we load up on snack bowls and popcorn and laugh and giggle our way through it.

Our last morning before check out, I decided to try a quick watercolor of the view. It may not be a Monet, but it was a relaxing way to greet the day.

Seaside has lots of things to do for the family. Carousels, mini golf, bumper cars, hiking trails, scavenger hunts, etc. It’s also just really pretty to walk around in.

I missed living 40 minutes away from this little bug. My nephew is truly the love of my life right now. He could ask me for every cent in my bank account, every book on my shelf, every piece of clothing I own and they would all be his. Instead, he’s happy to read stories with Auntie and snuggle. He’s just perfect.

It was our first family vacation as adults. Meaning we were all out of the house, living our lives, some with their own families. Coming back together for the first time in 5 years was definitely strange, but a good strange. There was a learning curve on how to act, but by the end we were picking on each other like old times.

Before we left, we had to walk the coastline one more time. Why do we call it a Coast and not a Beach? Oregon doesn’t have beaches. Our water is frigid, the sand wet, sometimes just pebbles and rock. There is no ‘tanning’ or ‘laying out’ on them. There is trudging, clamming, pulling-your-windbreaker-tighter on them, but no, no beaches.

Sinking with Auntie. Apparently Hagrid took my nephew for a walk. (aka my beach hair)

Even though you can’t feel your toes, there’s just a rule that if you’re on the Coast, you gotta get in the water.

If just for a weekend, we loved every minute we spent together. We ate all the crab, played scrabble, quoted the Princess Bride, fought over who drank the last cup of coffee, and taffy. Sooo much salt water taffy.

And do you think I went home after that?

Nah, I was homeless remember? It was off to PDX again to fly down to Colorado.

NOTICE: Do not wear cowboy boots on an airplane. Especially if you’ve recently strained your foot.

Suitcase Life: Brides & Beaches

Columbus to Oregon seems like a pretty straight shot, but apparently flying down to Georgia first sounds much better to Delta. (rude) But I did manage to scooby-doo all the flight attendants into giving me extra cookies ‘for my nephew.’ (ok, most of them were for my nephew)

Mission Accomplished.

I’ve always cried watching the Love Actually opening scene with all the tearful airport arrivals (I’m puddling just thinking about it). My nephew managed to cause a similar scene when he ran up to give me the biggest hug ever at PDX. I know I just saw this little bug in July on my road trip, but everyday I don’t get to see him is too long.
This boy truly holds my heart.

Why was I in Oregon? (other than to see my family and adorable nephew of course) I had a wedding to go to! I have known this girl since I was born practically. She and my sister were childhood friends, but once everyone moved away, our relationship grew. We bonded over singleness, LOST, small town blues and figuring out how to ‘adult’. (obviously I’m the only one with the single problem now)

Our moms were friends and always seemed to be pregnant together. Naturally, all of us kids became friends.

My brother and I were feeling how good we looked and insisted on a family photo shoot before heading to the wedding.

My nephew has spidey sense when you point a camera at him.
He always knows….

We saw people we hadn’t seen in over twenty years. It is weird, but oddly calming to be around people who have known you your entire life.

She was a beautiful bride and the wedding was perfect. Tractors, guns, line dancing and all.

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My mother figured since all of us were in town, we might as well have a family vacation. It was a pretty big deal since we hadn’t all been together in the same house in over five years. But first, I needed a day in my hometown with my sis.

I had to go to one of my old college spots, Bom Dia Coffee. The chai is so delicious, as are the avocado bagels.

Jackson’s Corner had a new location I wanted to see, so my sis & I went there and got a slice and a brew while we waited for my grandpa to finish his appointment.

It was finally time, my mother had planned a weekend trip to the Oregon Coast for the whole family. To get us excited, she got us ‘vacation socks.’

We were headed to Seaside, Oregon but first we had to stop in Cannon Beach. If you take anything from this blog, you need to understand how important it is to try the clam chowder at Mo’s. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it!! IT IS AMAZING!! Plus the view ain’t bad.

We needed to walk off our humongous, but delicious lunch. Haystack rock was calling me…

This is a pretty famous spot on the Oregon Coast. If you google those words, Haystack has its own subcategory. Plus, it’s one of the locations in The Goonies. Goonies never say die!!!

I’m a big fan of jump shots. Therefore, I made my family do them.
My sister looks like she just won a car.

I cannot jump very high, so I hide it by spreading out my limbs.
Illusions Dad, you don’t have time for my illusions!!
After too many attempts to admit, my mom managed to make it an inch off the ground, but not without great enthusiasm.
My brother is an acrobat in spirit. He can do anything athletic. Some of us were not too keen on this whole jumpy thing…

It was a lovely walk, but Seaside was calling our name

Before we left, I knew I had to do the Mermaid shot. It was a long time coming, and it was now or never. (really, the tide was coming in) In hindsight, I probably should have worn shoes to climb on the sharp barnacles.
(If I still had my fin, I wouldn’t have this problem)

Suitcase Life: Books & Travel

This Summer was a busy one. I started it out by driving from Washington, D.C. , down the bottom of the US and back up the California Coast ending in Central Oregon. That was just June & July.

Here we begin August 1st in Washington, D.C. (again). The place is ready for the new tenants and it’s off to Columbus, Ohio. So starts living out of a suitcase for three months.

We stopped in Ohio for a restful weekend.

This is a bedroom, not a hotel room guys.

Books are what really got me through this massive trip. So here is # 1.
The Davinci Code written by Dan Brown. If you haven’t read it or seen the film, it’s like National Treasure with a more academic approach to clues and mysteries, rather than ridiculous car chases and stealing historical documents.

WARNING: These books will make you very suspicious in general, but especially about anything government/science/religious related.
So there’s that.

I took a break from reading and watched Sex and the City reruns while practicing my very rusty pool skills.

Ohio wasn’t terrible. I explored a small town called Westerville. It was adorable. I went to Java Central Coffee House a few times. It has great coffee, very friendly baristas and tons of nooks and crannies to eat, drink, and read in! There’s comfy couches, game tables, basically the perfect coffee shop. Worth a visit.

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Next we drove up through Chicago to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I was pleasantly surprised by Wisconsin. I thought it was a perpetual snowy tundra, but we had many lovely sunny days!

This trip was more of a marathon than a sprint. I mean by this point, I was virtually homeless for two months until I left for South Korea.  So I stayed in Wisconsin for two long, relaxing weeks.

When staying in a place you have never been before, don’t fret. You’re not going to know the area instantly, there’s no need to panic.

Instead, grab a book. Does the photo above make you cringe? I’m sorry to disturb the spine lovers out there, but I don’t mind doing this to a paperback. My philosophy is this: Do I like the book? Am I keeping the book? Fold it back. Do I hate the book? Am I going to give it away? Fold it back.

And hey, why not lounge on a window seat and read for hours? I can’t really call this Book #2 because I started but never finished it. (Yes, I’ve read Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone before.)

I didn’t always stay in though. I went to see the Wisconsin State Fair in Brookfield. Fairs are never the same once you’re an adult. Instead of being dazzled by the blinking lights and the sweet smells of cotton candy, you notice the creaking hinges on the ferris wheel that was put up in a day and the grimy hands of the hot dog vendor giving you your change.

Regardless, I rode the spinny rides and ate the corn dogs.

Aaaand onto Book #2 Into the Wild written by Jon Krakauer

I remember watching this movie and being extremely angry. I couldn’t forgive his stupidity and ignorance and irresponsibility with his own life. But reading the book was different. I’m not saying what he did was the best decision, but I understand him better. We’re all so quick to judge people, especially the dead. Krakauer gave Chris a voice. He cared enough to ask why. This book made me want to hike a trail, go camping, and breathe in the air of the mountains. It didn’t turn me off from seeking nature, it drew me to it. I think Chris would have loved that.

Drove into downtown Milwaukee to see Lake Michigan. Thing is humungous.

It was too cold though. So I retreated to my cozy couch with cocoa. My reading material wasn’t quite so comfortable.

Book # 3 Gone Girl written by Gillian Flynn

Again, I saw the film first. So naturally I knew the twist, but I care more about Crazy Amazing Amy. I love a good villain. I like a smart villain. I like a practical, careful, meticulous, realistic villain. There’s no point if the baddie leaves fingerprints in the blood or dumps the gun in the alley or buys a bus ticket with the victims’ credit card. I want them to be as smart as possible. They don’t always need to be caught either. I like the reality of letting them slip through your fingers. Amy was insane, but she was organized. You could say part of her warped view stemmed from her upbringing, but that gives her idiotic parents a little too much credit. She feeds off being needed and wanted. She loves winning your affection, but once it’s won, it no longer interests her. I needed to read it to get inside her head. And yikes.

After Wisconsin, I went back down to Columbus for a bit, but it just wasn’t doing it for me like last time. Luckily, my friend Kelly had just had a baby! She lived a not-so-short bus ride (try 9 hours) up to Michigan, so I thought, heck why not.

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Book #4 Angels & Demons written by Dan Brown

I started this book hoping to hear the rest of Robert Langdon’s romantic adventures with Sophie. I was bitterly disappointed. Contrary to what Hollywood would have me think, this is not a sequel to The Davinci Code, it is a prequel. Awesome.

The book was good, but I couldn’t commit to the story line, because I was invested in the future one.

I thought I would hate riding the bus with complete strangers for 9 hours, but it wasn’t that bad. I talked to a nice lady going home to see her kids who had the boldest mustache I’ve ever seen.

Finally in Michigan (near the thumb crease), I got to meet this handsome little munchkin!!

He was two weeks early, which clearly means he couldn’t wait any longer to meet me. (ok, and his parents)

He graciously lent me his nursery too. What a gentleman.

It was great to meet Kelly’s man and her little man! We bonded over bloody marys and s’mores. (both of which ended up all over me)

After five freezing days in Michigan, I took the bus back down to Ohio to stay in a hotel for a night. They had a continental dinner people. This needs to catch on EVERYWHERE!!!

I finished my book and I believe in passing on good literature (and keeping my air cargo light), so I left it for the housekeeper to enjoy.

After driving to Ohio, to Wisconsin, back to Ohio, up to Michigan, back down to Ohio….I finally got to get on a plane.

I was on my way to Oregon!

1989 Mother Tour Comes to a Close

We finally made it!! Our beloved home State of Oregon!!!

Yes, I did screech my tires, pull over and run up to the sign and hug it.
We had fun in California, but nothing quite compares to the ocean air, the fresh water, the incredibly nice people…

Almost as soon as we crossed over the border, I stopped at Dutch Bros. I couldn’t wait to get an Iced Kicker! As I finished paying, the teenage girl handed me my coffee and said, “How are you doing today?”

I almost started crying. I missed this! People actually caring about others. She was considerate and polite and didn’t even realize how rare of a find she was in this country, let alone her age group. Once again, Oregon proves its worth.

My Mom loves the old bridges in Oregon, so she decided to sketch one out to paint later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was going to be our last day traveling. We left Arcata that morning and ran through the redwood forest. All that was left now was to enjoy the Oregon Coast line on the way up to Florence. There was no way I would be driving to Oregon and not getting a bowl of Mo’s Chowder…but that comes later.

What I had initially planned, months before this whole trip, was to visit as many light houses as possible on the California/Oregon coast. I failed miserably at this. I overbooked myself, thinking I could do a zillion things, but driving eats up so much of the day!

We did manage to see one, Cape Blanco Light house, located just outside Port Orford, Oregon.

It’s part of Cape Blanco State Park, home to the windiest, steepest, gravelliest roads ever.

Another attempt at watercolors, this looks almost identical to one I did…when I was seven.

As we climbed further north, my Dad kept calling, asking when we would be home. He was getting very impatient since we were a day behind schedule (thanks a lot San Francisco).

But we couldn’t help pulling over to soak up as much of this gorgeous coastline as we could!!

I’ve always loved how outrageously graphic Oregon warning signs are.

We even stopped at a bookstore in Gold Beach, Oregon. It was a dollar sale, how could we resist?? We ended up buying a book on tape to keep us awake. BEST IDEA EVER. I can’t believe we hadn’t been doing this the whole time instead of playing the alphabet game a billion times (and Taylor’s 1989 album of course).

Driving through trees and misty corners gets a little creepier when you’re listening to Stephen King’s book Salem’s Lot read to you in very convincing voices. (it’s about vampires)

Luckily, we escaped from King’s creepy clutches by reaching Mo’s!!

We’ve been going to Mo’s for over twenty years, because it’s that good. The clam chowder is the reason you come; the service, atmosphere and clam strips are why you stay.

Because we are the nicest people ever, we brought a case of chowder base home for my Dad.

After a very long day of driving, we finally made it home to Central Oregon. I was so happy to see my Dad and my brother again!

This was an incredible trip. I wouldn’t have changed a thing about it. Although we had some hang ups and wished we could’ve stayed longer in places, every moment spent in that car with my Mom was wonderful. We hadn’t spent 15 days straight with each other for almost ten years! Not only did our mother-daughter relationship survive, but I think our friendship as two women really grew.

Travelling together really tests a relationship. You experience a lot of discomfort and discover new things that may annoy you about a person. It can also show you how they handle a crisis, what kind of music gets them in a good mood, and it reveals the goofiness that exhaustion brings, creating the best jokes on the planet.

So choose your co-pilots wisely. Make sure your personalities will compliment each other. If you are a planner, and your friend likes to wing it, communicate before you start driving what kind of schedule you’d like to keep. If you’re on a budget, but they want to wine & dine the whole way, that needs to be addressed as well. It can all go swimmingly as long as you both communicate everything you expect from the trip.

Beginner’s Road Trip Checklist:

• killer mixtape (books on tape highly recommended)
• good co-pilot (must be willing to chat it up when it’s dark)
• road snacks (nothing smelly or crumbly)
• water water water
• general plan of where you wanna go. (this can be wibbly wobbley)
• Zero Expectations, just a goal to HAVE FUN!!!

The Trees Are Actually Quite Lovely

Social Media has a sneaky way of telling you how behind you are in life. Well, society’s idea of what life should be like. Let me be a little less cryptic.

I feel like one of my friends gets engaged, married, or is having a baby every week. While I am happy for them, it’s a strange, “glad I’m not you” kind of happy. It’s complicated. I’ll explain later*

It was the upcoming wedding of an old neighbor/high school buddy that launched a road trip long ago, unlike any I’ve taken since. I wasn’t alone this time, and I wasn’t driving. Two things which are normally red flags in my ‘Travel Must Haves’ book. But, I let it slide since my companion was a dear friend whom I’ve shared most of my adolescence with. How bad could it be?

Well, for one. She’s a nervous driver. And two, it was icy on the pass. I distracted my white-knuckled, panicky self by photographing the white wonders outside my window.

My worries dissipated once the flurries flew away and the green trees came into view.

As we drove deeper into this moss and lichen-filled forest, we decided a detour was necessary. That’s when we saw this:

Also known as: The Fire Swamp (not officially, but I think they should consider it)

Since weddings were on the brain, my friend decided this is where her own ceremony would take place one day. Beautiful as it may be, it was a pickle navigating the twisty paths. I can’t imagine many mother-in-laws would enjoy that.
(they lucked out, she got married in Tokyo)

Being in such eerie and lovely surroundings, a quick photo shoot ensued.

She looked like she belonged there. Everything seemed to fit around her perfectly.
The wedding was short and sweet and the reception was on the highest hill I’ve ever driven on, (ok was a passenger on). But since, we didn’t know anyone in town, we had to leave early to drive back across the mountain before we lost our daylight. Nervous Driver + Ice + Nighttime = Stress on an otherwise happy friendship due to panic and annoyance and too many hours spent in too small of a car. But no worries, we survived, as did our friendship and  we were happy to see those familiar fields and great open spaces of our tiny town.

*I am excited for my engaged/married/future parental friends, but I am in no way jealous of their experiences. My timeline has much bigger gaps between life altering changes. I don’t plan to be a spinster, but I do not plan to get married anytime soon. I am simply enjoying my adventure, one day, or rather, one road trip at a time.

 

 

 

The Hermit vs. The Spirit

Living in a city with quite possibly the worst traffic and road system ever, I hardly drive at all anymore.

I can go a whole month on a single tank of gas. If I use my car, it’s only on the weekends.

It seems that I am split into two people at times. One half of me never wants to stop going, traveling, driving…
But the other half, is a homebody. I love my books, and my blankets, and my bed, and writing letters, and sketching every now and then.

This would explain my blog title I suppose. For fernweh is my spirit, but my realistic mind wants to fight the urge and gain a ‘sensible career’ and have ‘reasonable goals’.

It is an ongoing boxing match within myself with an as-of-yet to be announced champion.

But I digress.

To avoid holing up in my basement with my books on my days off, I drive forty short minutes to see my sister and her family. I love those minutes though. I get to blast my music, which in this case was ‘My Humps’. (one of the most impossible songs not to car dance to at a red light) I reflect on my week, think about what to do with my sister and enjoy the tiny town of Woodwardsville that takes all of twenty seconds to drive through.

Today’s mission? My nephew was going to have his first swinging experience. He was a little skeptical at first, but after a pep talk in the car, he seemed ready to try it.

After a few tries, he decided he liked it.

But with three adults all asking you to smile at their phones and cameras, it’s gets a little old.

By the end, he was ready to go home, but pouty face aside, he still looked cute.

It’s a nice break from the city. Like a little quiet vacation every week.