The Long Drive

With the loss of Vlad, I was back at work for the first month of school.

It was a challenging time and a good reminder of why I was so keen to quit my job. While at work, I was constantly daydreaming about where I would be if I still had a car and what life would be like if my plans had been seen to completion.

I started researching different vehicle options to purchase with my insurance payout. Although Vlad had been a fun experiment (with great gas mileage and stealth capabilities for a camper), I wouldn’t want to buy another sedan for the sole purpose of road living. I’m not a small person, and a little more space would go a long way. Since I was starting all over again, a minivan seemed like a perfect option for me.

My parents were supportive and even offered to let me try out their minivan for a long-distance trip. I wouldn’t be able to construct a bed platform or shelves, but there was more than enough room to lay out my mattress and store my supplies. I requested a week and a half off work in September and began planning my route.

I initially planned to explore southern California, but I was feeling trapped in the Antelope Valley. I wanted to get as far away from my home turf as possible and decided to spend my vacation in the Pacific Northwest. I bought tickets for a concert in Seattle (Streetlight Manifesto), giving myself three days to make the long drive north. It would be followed by a week of exploring national parks and end with another show at the Gorge. I spent the last few weeks of August researching hikes I wanted to do and sights I wanted to see.

The day of the big trip finally came, and I planned on leaving as early as possible. I had toyed with the idea of doing some vlog-style documentation of my trip, but after a late start and some awkward stuttering in the park, I finally hit the road just before noon. I wouldn’t vlog the journey, but I would shoot as much video footage as I could and perhaps narrate my experiences later. The important thing was to get out there and start doing something, and I was wasting too much time.

The drive took me north of the AV, through Tehachapi and its wind farms, and then descended into Bakersfield and the rest of the Central Valley. I would eventually end up in Chico for the night, but the entire five-hour drive through the middle of California was one big blur of farms, smog, suburbs, and shopping centers. Maybe one day we’ll find something interesting to do in cities like Bakersfield, but not this trip.

Although I was far from home, things still felt remarkably similar. My only stops were for some lunch in Fresno and to fill up my gas tank in Modesto. The sun had long set by the time I pulled into a Planet Fitness parking lot in Chico, and I got some sleep after using a stationary bike to shake out the stiffness in my legs. It had been a long day of driving, and my body was feeling it.

But no matter how stiff my legs were, I was more than eager to resume my adventure the next morning.