The Backeaster Day 9: Home at Last

After over 4,500 miles over 9 days, this was a sight for sore eyes:

In some strange way, it feels like I never left. It feels a little odd to be home, but it doesn't feel like it's been over 5 months since I've seen PA. That's a good thing.

I made it. And now I feel like I want to do it again. Not tomorrow, of course. It's time to relax, regroup, enjoy family and friends and then start preparing for the next adventure, whatever that may be...

Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Backeaster Day 8: 95 Still Sucks

It feels very weird to be back on the East Coast...I avoided 95 as much as possible today, opting to take coastal routes during daylight hours. I think it's seriously the most boring road in America.
I haven't made it home yet because of that, and also because I delayed leaving South Carolina to go to the beach for a bit. Though cloudy, it was warm enough to be enjoyable, and who knows the next time I'll get there? So yea, no rush. A much shorter drive (and home) awaits tomorrow. :)

Also today, I had my first Lager since July! Woohooooo

The Backeaster Days 5, 6 and 7: South by Southeast

I awoke somewhere in the middle of the painted desert in Arizona on Friday morning (no pic right now...the camera is somewhere in my bookbag). OK, I was at a rest stop, but I'm not sure where it was.

I rolled out of my car (no literally, I slept in my car) and fired up the stove again to make coffee, oatmeal and some scrambled eggs for breakfast. Again, some folks walked by and were impressed. It amazes me that people are amazed that I cook for myself while I'm on the road.

I set out to explore part of old Route 66, which was eerily charming considering that vast expanses of it are remnants of a once-thriving roadside economy:

Again, many more pictures, but I don't feel like digging out the camera. I finished that night somewhere in Texas and awoke to this:

Yea, never imagined north Texas would get that cold! The rest of Saturday was pretty forgetful: lots of rain and one bright spot from a generous gentleman at a truck stop in Mississippi (which will get a future entry to itself, promise), but that's about it.

This has been my typical morning for the last few days:

I guess it is pretty badass. I've spent less than $100 on things other than gas this entire trip, including food. Cook your own. It's worth it.

This happened this evening:

And so I wound up at a friend's place in Charleston, SC, 2 blocks from the beach in a palatial estate (OK not literally, but it feels like one). The road is a glorious place, but a nice warm bed (and some beautiful weather) are a wonderful change of pace.

Throughout this adventure, I never seem to get tired until I stop to rest at the end of the night. And with that, my head is spinning, literally, right now, so it's time for bed. On to PA tomorrow!

The Backeaster Days 3 and 4: In the 'Zona

Joshua Tree National Park was exhilarating, mostly because I took a 1.5 mile hike that climbed 1,000 feet in less than 40 minutes. Whew! It was strangely pretty, too. I definitely didn't expect to be so awed by a desert.

By design, I swung southward on this trip. Ya know, to avoid snow. No such luck, however, as I found out it snows quite regularly in the Grand Canyon. Despite the cold, it was beautiful.

I even impressed some passersby when I pulled out my little stove and French press (thanks Tom) to make coffee and soup for lunch. Simple things...New Mexico tomorrow!

The Backeaster Days 1 and 2: California is a Really Long State

Doing this again? I actually think I could get used to it:

After 2 solid days of driving 10+ hours and STILL being in California (not that it's a problem), it's been a nice random occurrence that 2 friends who have been stranded in Joshua Tree National Park for 5 days called me up and had an extra bed in their hotel room. Oh the things that happen on a road trip...lovely things...

The Journey is Never Over

Today, I'm leaving Aprovecho, the place that I've called home for the past 4 1/2 months, and heading back to PA. While I'm super excited to head back out on the road again and excited to see my family and my PA friends again, I'm really going to miss this place too. Cheers, Oregon. It's been real.

So that means it's over, right? Whatever "it" is.

Not by a long shot. The journey will never be over.

This wasn't really about seeing national parks and learning natural building (OK, part of it was). This wasn't about "finding myself," whatever that means. I already know who I am. Much like every move I've made in life, I came or went to wherever I was going in hope of finding some answers to complex life questions that I won't go in to here. This was no different.

Just as in the past, I've found answers, but just as often, I've found more questions. And that's the way my life goes and will keep going. I'm constantly going to have questions about me, about you, about life...and seeking the answers to them is my ongoing journey.

So, what have I gotten out of this?

How do you quantify an experience? I certainly can't. I've spent a good chunk of change, but I've seen and lived through so many things that are worth so much more than any piece(s) of paper. I've lost my mind (at times), but I've learned so much. I've traveled thousands upon thousands of miles and seemingly gotten nowhere but yet so far at the same time.

What have I gotten out of this? An experience...and for that, I'm thankful.

And so the journey continues...

The Million Dollar Question

"What would you do if you had a million dollars?"

I'd drive. For no reason at all.

When I was in the Redwoods National Park a few months ago, someone spotted my license plate and said "Boy, you're a long way from home." I instantly responded, "Nah, I'm at home on the road." And I meant it.

Because I'm still looking for something.

And sometimes through searching I find a place where everything is peaceful. And suddenly everything makes sense. It's time to go home.

Snow Problem at All

We received about 6 inches of snow out here on Friday! I woke up to that pleasant surprise and felt that giddy little kid feeling for about 15 minutes. I always get super excited for the first snow of the season, and especially this time because I'm told that this is a rare occasion around these parts. No matter where or when, I'm always amazed at how beautiful snow appears to me:

More pee writing:

I wish I had gotten more pics of the covered bridge in the lower left of this picture:

It snowed pretty much all morning and was gray and overcast the remainder of the day. We did some sledding and snowball fighting and the like as big kids like us do and partied well into the evening. The power went out at some point and of course we weren't even the slightest bit phased. Actually, I love when the power goes out. It makes you truly appreciate modern conveniences and also I think of it as a test of survival skills or something like that. Plus, playing cards by candlelight is much more epic. Anyway...it was a BEEEEEautiful sunny day on Saturday:

Those of you from the northeast know what a crisp, winter day feels like. This was one of those days, and they're apparently rare around here, so I'm glad I took advantage of it. I know this looks and sounds a lot like typical PA weather, but something about this just feels...different. I can't quite explain it. It's just...awesome.

Addendum: our well froze on Sunday morning, and we've been without running water since. It's been a surprisingly rewarding adventure having to bring buckets of snow indoors and warm them on the stove to have drinking/dishwashing water. I tend to love survival situations for some strange reason. Anyway, I learned a little bit about plumbing today while fixing the well, and hopefully it worked. Peeps are starting to STINK around here!

Addendum to the Addendum: the fix worked. However, we discovered another leak, which some others fixed today. That worked as well, but the pipes are frozen somewhere else leading into the dormitory, so we're using a hose directly from the well to get drinking and dishwashing water, which is working fine, but I haven't showered since Saturday...

Doughnut Day

I've started writing or attempted to continue writing posts about 5 times in the last week and been distracted or fallen asleep every time. In a vain effort to feel productive, something totally random that will take no concentration whatsoever: my friend Tom attempting the Tex-ass Doughnut Challenge at Voodoo Doughnut in Eugene!

That doughnut is approximately 4 times the size of a normal one, and I didn't think to check the nutritional information, but I'd assume it's packed with way more than the recommended daily allowance of sugar. You're given 80 seconds to attempt to devour it, with the timer starting as soon as you take your first bite. Dig in!

The moose antlers were for power. Unfortunately, he almost choked partway through:

How sensitive of me to take a picture rather than being ready to administer the Heimlich maneuver. He finished approximately 75% of the doughnut, still rather impressive and much more than I would have in that time...

We then proceeded to excavate about 5,000 pounds of dirt in 35-degree weather by pick and shovel (of course, for cash). Actually, it wasn't bad, but that's probably because I didn't eat one of those doughnuts.

"Life is a Journey, Not a Race."

I remember a long time ago, second grade specifically, my teacher had a sign outside of her classroom that read "Life is a journey, not a race." That line seems to be coming up frequently in my thought processes and my discussions with others these days...

With my 30th birthday looming about a month away, I've been feeling a lot of unintentional pressure lately and feeling like I'm not living up to others' expectations, like I'm "falling behind" so to speak. To that I pose a serious question: do you measure success by pieces of paper, things that you own, finding a partner, having children, etc? Why do humans get to decide the value of "things" and "measure success?" Despite the fact that I have very few of these things, I'd still consider my life a success to this point. I'm living, breathing and learning new things every single day and I've had some incredible experiences along the way.

By "normal" standards, I've also come pretty far. I went to high school, college, got a degree and a job just like I was "supposed to." So the next steps were to find a mate, buy a house, get married, have kids and continue on with the American lifestyle, working a 9-5 job for the rest of my adult life until retirement, right? At least, that's what I feel was expected of me. I've known for a while that that's just not what I'm looking for.

This doesn't mean I'm totally at peace with this feeling. I'm actually a little insecure about it. I don't know exactly where I "fit in," if I fit in at all, but I keep telling myself that's alright. I'd like to have children some day, but to try to schedule my entire life seems foolish. That's never been the way I've worked best. Things happen and plans get derailed, and just as often amazing things happen as well. Life is supposed to be organic.

What I'm really looking for is peace of mind, and to think that's going to be found in an office or a school or doing what others say I "should" be doing operating on anyone else's timetable but my own just doesn't make any sense to me. I'm going to find it and I'm going to find it naturally at my own pace. Life is a journey, not a race, and I'm not in any hurry right now.

That's the Stuff-ing!

When you live and work trade at a sustainable living skills center, food becomes an extremely important and meaningful part of your life. We grow a lot of vegetables in our ample garden space and cook for upwards of 10 people on the daily. Thanksgiving might as well be every day here. But anyway...

On this day, we've all decided to make a dish for the group. I chose to make something near and dear to my heart: stuffing (or filling as some of my family calls it). I've baked stuffing before and helped out with others' recipes, but this is the first time I've actually baked the bread that I was going to use:

Actually, this is the first time I've ever baked my own bread. Having done it, I can't believe I haven't done it sooner. It's so unbelievably simple! It's so empowering! Think about it: mix some flour, yeast, salt and water and watch the dough rise before your very eyes. How awesome is that? And then you bake it and it tastes so amazing that you hesitate to cube it and put it into a casserole, instead wanting to just eat the entire loaf right there. But I digress...

This is also the first time I've attempted to make vegan stuffing. To add a little thickness and protein, I chose to marinate some cubed tempeh (fermented soy beans and grains) in tamari and ginger, and then fry/glaze it. This is the before pic as I forgot to take an after pic. Trust me when I say it was awesome:

Using the same pan with all of the juicy tempeh goodness still lingering inside, I sauteed some onions, garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms with a little bit of parsley. I mixed them in with the tempeh, made a casserole with that mix and the cubed bread and baked for an hour at 350. The squash are added for effect:

I haven't tried the final product as of this writing, but it smelled amazing!

On that note, I'm going to help out others in the kitchen to get the rest of this meal on the table. Wherever you are and whatever you're doing today, much love and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Yauna Take a Sauna?

Since the Shelter Series ended, those of us who have stayed here at Aprovecho were given the opportunity to work on independent projects. Mine, as you're probably aware, have been focused on woodworking. Yesterday, I completed my most recent endeavor into designing and building my own benches to fit the Yurt Sauna that my friends were building, better known as the Yauna:

You can see it overlooking the pond in the background. A closer view:

It's obviously not complete, but it is in working order and DAMN it works well. It's about an 8 foot diameter structure made primarily out of cinder blocks, bamboo, straw clay, cob and - believe it or not - a satellite dish frame for a roof! For many reasons, I'm really happy to see this building standing. For one, taking a sauna is very relaxing, and if you've never taken one, I highly recommend it. Two, it's made of natural and recycled materials and because of its simplicity, it only took a month and a half to construct. Three, it's a project that everyone here has helped with on some level, just like in the Shelter Series.

I mentioned in the bench post I wrote a few weeks ago that I was given an idea and told to do with it what I please. I chose to custom design three benches to fit into the space inside so that the back edges would follow the contour of the interior wall, and if I do say so myself, they turned out to be pretty amazing:

They're very sturdy, smooth for the comfort of your naked ass, and as I found out, they can survive a fall from a moving vehicle! I can't tell you enough how happy I am with how this worked out. I was able to work on things to strengthen my amateur skill set. Because I made three of them, I was able to develop a system and perfect it. I was able to work at my own pace without pressure. Most importantly, the design worked and these benches will also be beneficial for many others for many years to come.

By the way, Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be posting another entry later today that's more holiday-themed.

Milestones

My car went over the 100,000 mile mark yesterday as I was on my way to visit my new favorite place, the Oregon Coast. I often celebrate when my car reaches a certain mileage. It tells a story of sorts and reminds me of where I was at certain times in my life.

I don't have a picture, but I remember my car crossing 10,000 on Interstate 95 in Florida in 2008. I know he's probably reading this and he has a picture somewhere, so Dad, help me out if you can find that one.

20,000-40,000 are pretty forgettable. I know a lot of cool stuff happened in there...beach trips, bachelor parties, college reunions and I even left the country for a few days. But alas I don't have pictures and I don't remember the experiences, so I'm guessing I was probably driving to or from work on said occasions.

Anyway, 50,000 was one of my favorites. I was on my way to the Outer Banks, having left after work on a Friday night. I drove until I was too tired to continue and stopped at a rest stop to sleep for a few hours. I awoke the next morning to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel:

What a beautiful day. What a wonderful feeling. Of course, later that day my windshield was smashed by a golf-ball-sized rock, but that's another story.

At 60,000, a friend and I were driving through a snow storm to see the Flyers play in New Jersey.

Note the traction control light, which was on NOT because I was skidding but because of a computer malfunction. I kept driving anyway. I had a hockey game to catch! We won, by the way. Go Flyers.

6 months later, I had taken on a new job, moved to Maryland and was on the Capital Beltway. I don't actually have a picture of the Beltway or the exact mile mark. Strangely enough, I was cruising on it when it WASN'T jammed full of traffic. I remember there was a lot on my mind that day, so understandably my focus was other places, but I DID take a picture just after the fact. Close enough, right?

At 80,000, I was on the Beltway in the morning. Eh...anything to keep my mind off the traffic jam, I suppose:

Best moment ever, when your odometer spells "BOOBS" and you almost don't mind being stuck in Beltway traffic. ALMOST:

I don't have a pic of 90,000. I know I was in South Dakota and I wasn't driving at the time. I know the driver pretty well, so hunting it down SHOULD be easy...

And lastly, but certainly not leastly, 100fuckingthousand, about to enter a tunnel in the Coast Range:

Not the best weather inland, but the coast was beautiful as it always is.

Over 100,000 miles, 2 countries, up and down the East Coast and across the country. So, where to next?