My world has been filled with so much since I last sat down to write out anything on this blog. I'll try and start from where I left off but I'm well aware that I will be leaving out huge details because there are just to many great things that have been happening since I left Montana.
I hung out in Missoula and loved every bit of it. I found it hard to get myself on the bike and motivated enough to climb up and over Lolo Pass into the state of Idaho. I've only ever known one thing about Idaho... Potatoes. And yet I saw not one potato plant the entire time I traveled through. What I did see was some of the most beautiful scenic bicycle riding I've ever experienced. And I know I've said this before and I'll probably say it again, but in that moment it really felt that way. It was a long way up to Lolo But then a gradual downhill filled with switch backs for almost the next 100 miles. I saw my first glimpse of red wood cedars, Followed rivers each day and went swimming every evening before setting up camp for the night.
Just as I started to get closer to the Idaho / Washington border the landscape started to change. Trees got smaller and fewer. Dark dirt was replaced with Rocks and cliffs and the small river I had been following opened up to a much wider stronger current. Then as I entered Washington this too all went away. and I was suddenly surrounded by nothing but rolling hills covered in wheat. I learned that this area was home to one of the largest floods in history. Long before our time the ice berg holding Missoula lake broke and water flooded the land for hundred of miles. Moving creator sized rocks from Montana all the way into Washington. Picking up the dirt of Idaho and dumping it on the land of eastern Washington. This explained the sudden landscape changes and the fact that the wheat farmers from eastern Washington had never once ever had a crop failure. Their dirt is good as gold.
Making my way south west I rode towards the Columbia river which divided Washington from Oregon. I followed a rode along the cliffs of the Washington side for a few days before crossing into Oregon and trying my best to ride east through what is known as the wind surfing and kite boarding capital of America. This area was incredibly beautiful, the further I made it west the greener things got, I was making my way out of the desert of eastern Oregon and riding further into green mossy trees with the sight of mt. hood peaking through with a snow capped top. It was great, except it wasn't great. My legs were turning to jello after just short periods of time on my bike. The wind in this area is consistent and strong. Blowing at 30mph on average from morning till night. I hit 3,956 miles on my odometer and knew it was time to just get to Portland.
With the help of Craig, a kite boarder dog lover and van dweller, I got a car ride my last day into the city of Portland. Some other cycle tourist may frown on the idea of this, but I don't. Meeting Craig was an awesome experience. I found out he once lived in Northport, Long Island. He decided he wanted to travel and kite board as much as possible and that is exactly what he is doing. We pulled over near Multnomah Falls and hiked up to the bridge for a good view. We took pictures and talked about how lucky we were to get to hang out and do this together. People are afraid of hitch hiking and I understand why. But look at what I was able to do because of it. I was able to actually sit back and enjoy the land around me rather then fight my way through the wind wishing I was somewhere else. We then got back in the van and headed to the address I had for where I'd be staying with my friend Matt.
It was August 2nd and I had made it to Portland.
I came into town with a list of a few loose connections to people I knew, but friends of mine back home know them better. But this made me feel like we'd probably all really get along well. And I was right. MK and Matt are people I know from summer time fun at best friends day in Richmond. I had hung out with MK two years in a row there and Matt just the year before, which is when we met and realized we actually have a really great mutual friend that is not connected to Richmond at all. Anyways, Matt, MK, and all of their friends welcomed me with open arms. Within a few days I felt very at home in a city so far away from where I had ever been before.
To recap on the last few weeks is a bit hard. Every day has been filled with good times, river adventures, bike riding, sushi eating, & coffee drinking. Every night has been filled with late hours, parties, shows, porch hanging, or park chilling. I can not complain about a single thing. Best year ever and Its not even close to over.
Although I've had nothing but the best time ever since being out here, there comes a time when you have to either get a job and start paying rent or move on. I'm starting to go broke and my legs are feeling restless once again. I will be leaving Portland, Oregon and all of its beautiful people in one week. But my adventure is not quite over. I'm going back east the best way I can think of doing so... slowly.
Seth, 22 year old dude who's lived here just over a year, is relocating to DC to attend a school to study Chinese medicine. He was looking for some companionship for his road trip and for some money to be pitched in on gas. We met and talked and found out he lived in a town just 5 mins from me and went to school with 2 of my cousins till the age of 13. Things clicked and fell into place, it just feels right. I'll ride with him all the way to DC stopping in a lot of areas I just recently traveled through on my bicycle, also going places I've never been but have always wanted to visit. In DC I will be meeting up with my bud Ryan, we will go to NY together for a few days before I head back south to Richmond. And there I'll be, starting over once again.
Since this has all come together I've been asked "Why?" or "has this always been the plan? to go back to Richmond?" "why not travel further?" and well, whats really the right answer... No this has never been the plan, there has never been a plan. This just feels right. I've had the experience of a life time, I've ridden my bike 4,000 miles since leaving Richmond on may13th and well, I'm ready to settle down again. For now at least...
I have lots of film photos that have yet to be developed so sometime in the future I can share all of that. For now I have only one mission, To soak up all the best things ever with all these great people around me for the next week. And then gear up for a serious road trip.
My only set plans for the next year ahead of me is to be the best man in one of my best friends weddings in San Diego sometime around May and then to be in NY for my sisters wedding in June. Life is good and the world is in the palm of my hand right now. I'm excited to settle in and gear up for whatever is next.
NO BAD DAYS. seriously.
