Longest end-of-year-post EVAR (Part 1)
So, I started writing a recap of 2005, but its gotten so long that I’m going to have to break it up into multiple parts. Otherwise, either I’d never finish writing it or no one would ever read the whole thing. If reading this doesn’t interest you, too bad- I’ve had a great year and I love telling stories, so that’s what I’m going to do.
Ah, ’tis the season for year-end blog posts. A lot has happened in my life this year, so please indulge me as a recap the year.
On January 4th, 2005, my Dad and I got in my car and left for California. It was to be a three day drive from Kansas City to San Francisco.
Initially, we’d planned on taking a northern route (I-35, I-80), but due to bad weather over the Rockies, we had to take a southern route (I-35, I-40, I-5). Fine by me- it meant adding a couple of hours driving time to our already thirty-hour drive, but at least I’d get to see some country I’d never seen.
So, early on the morning of January 4th, we packed my car about as full as possible and headed out. That day, we drove through Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and into New Mexico, through some of the most flat and open land I’ve ever seen. I’d seen most of this area before, since when I lived in Oklahoma, I took a skiing trip to Taos. Still, the open, barren desolation of the plains in winter is an intriguing site. When looking out the window of the car, it appeared that the world was flat, if I lived in west Texas, I think I could believe that the world is flat.
The next day, we left Tucumcari, New Mexico and rolled on, continuing westward through New Mexico and Arizona. At this point we were getting up into the mountains, so it began to get cold and snowy (and my car started struggling a bit with all the climbing).
Still, I was in awe of just how much open space there is in the American West. I get the same feeling every time I fly from SF back to KC- there’s so much empty space in between that its hard to imagine that this all one country. Seeing signs that say “Next Gas 120 miles,” makes you change the way you thinking about traveling by car.
After coming down out of the mountains of Arizona, we took a slight detour to Vegas for the night (its not like there was anywhere else to stay on the way :D) and after driving over Hoover Dam, we checked into the Tropicana Hotel (’cause that’s how we roll, ya know). The picture to the right, while it wasn’t executed well, was my attempt at trying to capture the unbelieveable sight that is Las Vegas at night. The picture’s blurry, but I blame that on Vegas.
After eating, drinking and playing some low-stakes blackjack, we crashed.
The next day was to be a bit shorter. We’d driven about thirteen hours each of the first two days, leaving us about an eight hour drive on the last day.
For me, the most epic part of the drive was coming down into the dessert out of the mountains surrounding Las Vegas and being able to see the vastness of the desert, with but a pair of lines, the interstate, bisecting it. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of this, because I was driving during this part of the journey.
We headed north up the 5, now in warm weather, after having spent a couple of days driving through snow and slush. Ah, California.
After spending a couple of days helping me move in (including the obligatory Ikea trip (dude you gotta check out this song about Idea and the lyrics)), Dad headed back home.
About a week after I moved here, I took a trip up to see my friend Cari in Eugene, Oregon. Why’d I do this only a week after I’d moved here? I’m not sure, but I think its a combination of “because I could” and “it was the only time I would be able to go visit her”– either way it was more time on the road, but on my own this time. There’s nothing like a solo road trip to clear your mind.
Then, on January 22nd, I went to a WordPress meetup, where I met Nicole, Matt, Glenda, Scott and Chris (and others), all of whom are good friends now. Its weird to remember how I felt going to that meetup, not quite sure what I was getting myself into.
A couple of weeks later, on January 22nd I had a scary experience her in SF. I won’t go into it here, as I’ve desribed in in depth before.
The next Monday, started class at USF.
Ok, so I’ve spent Part 1 covering the first month of the year. I promise I won’t be this verbose on the rest of 2005.
