Right now I'm in balmy Seattle (I don't usually think of Seattle as balmy...but I like it). Earlier this summer I bought a car, and three weeks ago I started the 6,000 mile drive from Charlottesville to Anchorage. So far it has been an amazing trip. I love exploring America. One thing that has been really fun as I've headed west is people notice my VA plates and strike up a conversation. People clearly still support the sentiment "Go west young (wo)man." I've met many cool people and learned useful information simply because I bought my car in VA.
My first stop was in Auburn Hills, MI which is just outside of Detroit. People there like to drive fast and listen to 80's metal. I haven't driven much in the past 7 years. So it was fun to discover the joys of driving 90 through a busy metropolis. It was great spending time with Chris and her family. We ate yummy food, drank tasty wine, and had some quality "girl time" (aka pedicures and shopping). It was a relaxing start to the journey. Thanks, Chris! It was great fun continuing our summer tradition.
I spent a night in Madison, WI on my way to visit Sabine on Vermillion Lake, in Minnesota. Madison was cute. I didn't really have time to see much of it, but did have dinner by whatever lake is in Madison. Vermillion Lake was COLD!!! Well, at least to me. Sabine laughed at me because I was dressed in jeans, fleeces, and boots while she went swimming in the lake and wore shorts. So we each think the other is a bit wonky in the head. We had fun walking around Ely, which is literally the end of the road...past that it's just wilderness. My favorite part was sitting around a bonfire smoking hubbly bubbly and toasting s'mores.
The next visit was with Leon and Elaine in Brandon, Manitoba...canola farmland. Prior to that I had never really thought about the fact that canola oil comes from a plant that looks a lot like mustard. Adventures in Brandon included being chased by a herd of Canadian geese, steak and pint night, and learning the difference between Russian and Mennonite perogies...oh, and shopping. The exciting news though was that Leon's dad qualified for the finals of the blind Canadian equivalent of American Idol. Yay, Peter!
Then I headed south, back into the US. I stopped in Miles City MT, Butte MT, and Spokane, WA. I loved driving through Montana. The eastern part of the state was desolate yet beautiful. There were canyons somewhere in the middle of the state. That gradually changed into mountains and pine trees...It was like driving through a Bob Ross painting. I really liked Missoula, MT. I only had lunch there, but it was a very cute little frontier-esque kind of town. A kind of funny thing happened in Spokane. I was about due for an oil change, so after checking into my hotel I called the Honda dealership to see if I could get that done the next day. They very patiently explained to me that it was Saturday, which meant that the next day was Sunday, which meant the service department would be closed. It took entirely too long for me to grasp that...and then I had to laugh at myself...it was then that I realized that I had absolutely no idea what day it was. It's quite humbling to realize that you are completely detached from normal reality.
Anyway, then I headed to Seattle to visit Julie and David. It's always awesome to hang out with them. Julie manages three apartment buildings, so for the past two summers I've stayed in an empty studio apt just downstairs from theirs. I don't know what I'll do if someone is actually living in MY apt when I come to visit J & D. Highlights have been gorgeously balmy weather (balmy Seattle???), awesome sushi, amazing Thai food, beer beer beer, and looking up city mottos. San Francisco's is "Gold in peace; iron in war." When you contrast this with Anchorage's motto: "Big wildlife." you get the sense that Alaskans may be a bit dim and prone to chasing shiny things on the highway. I should fit in nicely. :)
After a few days with Julie and David, Kent flew in from Charlottesville. We had a grand time in the northern part of the Olympic peninsula. It was fun bopping around to different eateries in Port Angeles and hiking in different parts of the national park. All of it was beautiful, but I have to say that the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean on Cape Flattery absolutely took my breath away. Yesterday we took the ferry back to Seattle and embarked on an appetizer hopping spree downtown. Seattle isn't exactly a cafe society, but there are enough bars, restaurants, and bistros that you can walk for a bit then stop for a drink and a snack, walk a bit more, and repeat as necessary. It's a very satisfying way to experience downtown Seattle.
Today I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up "Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Northwest" and "The Milepost," which is the definitive map book for Alaska highways and highways leading to Alaska. Tomorrow I start the last northbound leg of my journey...across British Columbia and the Yukon into Alaska. I figure it will take about five days. It's a fairly remote route, but I think that between my two purchases I'll be ready for some good times and hopefully some warm water. I'm really hoping that I get into Alaska by Saturday so that I can hear my friend Kliff's band play in Albert(?) which is just outside of Fairbanks. Somehow that seems like an outstanding way to start my life in this state.
After that I'll have about a week, a bit more than a week, to find an apartment before school starts. That may seem rushed, but apartments seem to be plentiful, and "moving in" will only require emptying the contents of my car. One very cool thing is I have a contact in Anchorage. This couple was introduced to me by someone I worked with in Dhaka (thanks, Karrie!). They have been so welcoming and have offered to let me stay with them until I find an apartment. It just seems like everything is clicking into place beautifully. It's really cool when the world is right as rain.
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