The adventure begins on Monday. Just a whisper of an idea back in September, what started as a flight to a national park trip out west has since morphed into a month-long adventure via train and car encompassing 23 states, 4 national parks, 7 major cities, San Diego Comic Con, and a slough of hostels and couches and camping, Oh My! Endless planning, emails, asking favors of various people (most of whom I’ve never met in person,) and research, so much research. Every place I’m going is new to me. While I find myself really excited and strangely at ease about solo traveling a couple thousand miles from my home, whenever I mention the trip to anyone, I’m met with a look of incredulity usually followed by, “I’m jealous. You are going to have so much fun.”
So excitement reigns as I face unpacking from an out of state move, repacking for the trip, putting together an Ikea desk (and hoping it actually looks like a desk when I’m done with it.) Although as smoothly as the planning portion went, the quirks of travel are already starting to make themselves known. A campsite in Yosemite my friend and I are scheduled to stay in is near a prescribed burn (of COURSE it is.) Every Amtrak disruption due to floods, truck collision, or general lateness is on my radar. Oh and let’s not forget the bears, Nature’s Largest Land Predator I’m Guaranteed To Run In To Simply Because I Watched “Grizzly Man” And Am Now Scared Of Them. Although maybe I should be more in fear of wacky hippies who give dangerous predators names that belong on ’80’s Saturday morning cartoon shows.
Whoa, got off track there for a second. Anyway, I’m going to do my best to update this blog regularly on my travels, mostly for me so I can keep a record of this time, but some people have expressed an interest in wanting to follow along, and since I’m not sure how feasible sending the same texts and pics to individuals and the numerous social networking sites to which I belong is going to be, I decided to make this blog. Follow along if you like and feel free to spread it around if you like it.
See you from the train.
travelswithstrangers 