Portland! and the start of the west coast adventures

The Photo Trail

I'm in Portland! I just got here from Missoula MT where I spent some time with some great folks!

Abi and Dietrich hosted me both my first and last nights there and were lots of fun and great hosts. Evidently Missoula is the second largest city in Montana and is home to an extraordinary number of non-profits/ community organizations. Abi and Dietrich both work at what sound like very good places. Abi at the YWCA and Dietrich at somewhere that I can't remember right now.

Good ol' Will.

And here's another picture of when the sky finally opened up on thursday and let us see the majestic mountains.

I'm sorry there aren't more. My dinky little camera phone hardly even makes it worth trying. I've pretty much just given up trying to catch the awesomeness.

Montana and Sunshine

And by 'Sunshine' I don't mean:

 This kind is just as good and loves ice way more:

Right now I'm at Will's house in Whitefish MT. Despite the Northerlyness of it here its actually not as cold as it was in Wyoming. 

But first I think I'll just say a few words of where I've been. I must admit that the last post was a bit premature. Directly after writing I went off to watch a play on Hesston's campus. 'Green Card' is a moving play about the melting pot of America. It emphasized the incredible hardships that many people have gone through in order to come to this country and the subsequent hardships faced once they arrive.  I'd like to write more on the matter as it was a moving show that covered a wide variety of people's experiences.

Leaving Hesston and my good friend and great host Solomon, I then traveled north and west until I met up with Doug Henderson in Fort Collins CO. Luckily I arrived earlier than expected and managed to squeeze in a quick hike before dinner. Despite the subfreezing temperatures I still had a great time. Beautiful scenery combined with interesting conversation about being Ramblin Men, politics, and the nature of college town and demographics. The chance to stretch my legs after 8 long hours of driving was also quite nice.

That night I drove till I began to get drowsy. Sleeping in the back of the car was a bit different than the first time around. Seeing as I was bedding down in the middle of nowhere Wyoming the winds were particularly rough and the cold was quite biting. I didn't dare open a door to take my bike out so we just got cozy. 

The rest of the driving adventure was quite adventurous. The first signs of snow were incredibly beautiful and was the cause of much picture taking.

 

As I continued, however, I only continued to see increasingly mindblowing landscapes and beauty. I don't think the web is big enough to hold all the pictures I took so I'll only put a few of the highlights.

At points the roads also began to get a bit treacherous. 

Between ice on the roads and winds whipping across the path I at times thought I was going to slide right off. but never did. 

I finally arrived in Missoula MT where I met up with Abi and Dietrich, had a great dinner and fun evening over Rummy. 

The next day the car finally left my hands and I was back to biking. 

Good ol' Will then picked me and we cruised on up to Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp, where Will worked for several years. Hanging out with some camp buddies and then going kayaking on the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi was a great way to spend an afternoon and could've only been topped by a film festival! Some of my faves were: Last of the Great Unknown, The Wide Boyz, and finally The First Afghan Ski Competition in which some skiers went to a pristine Afghan village and taught some local folks to ski. In the end they managed to start a ski rental and there are hopes of getting a legit ski industry going!

Well, I think that covers all the interesting things of my past four days, more to come!

Hesston KS

Hesston College has a cool interactive way to look up alum. Here's my old man:

What a stud.

Austin TX

Kansas is dusty!

Well dear readers, I must apologize for the current lack of content. Driving has been, like previously mentioned, a drastic change of pace. Last night I slept in the back of the car. It wasn't even half bad!

I spent a lot of time calling folk and chatting. Also, pushing the scan button on the radio...
Hesston is flat. Not much for mtn biking. And empty. Not much for activities. 

In other news, its a sad day. Tessa's homemade granola bars and now done.  :-( 

A major change in pace!

Hitchhiking is soo last week. I'm driving now!

I've got wheels!

Thanks again to Gary in Houston for his hospitality! I ended up having to stay there in Houston another night and Gary was entirely helpful through feeding me and taking me to the dealership where I picked up the car.

I then met up with Lauren in San Marcos TX where she has a great little apartment and an even better yellow lab named Peakaboo (boo for short). San Marcos is a great little university town with some lovely parks where we walked the dog and hung out by a river! Best of all though was getting a chance to catch up with Lauren and swap OE memories and stories about how our friends are doing and where they've traveled.

So, after saying good bye and eating at this cute little breakfast taco place I took off only to find that the coolant reserve tank was busted and leaking coolant! oh no! major set back! ... Nope!

Surprisingly, it couldn't have turned out better! The next visit on my itinerary is Solomon and Judy in Hesston, then Doug Henderson in Fort Collins, CO, then Patrick (a dude from couch surfing) in Sheridan WY, and then Missoula MT where I'll visit Abi and Dietrich and then visiting Will in Whitefish! aand... in the meantime I'm thinking about catching a ride with someone from craigslist and going to portland! why not! Ben and Morgan will be there!!!

So yeah, its an exciting time, from waiting on the side of the road for someone to take me a couple more miles down the road, to hurriedly calling friends and checking craigslist for rides, my life has take a drastic change for the busier. 

I don't even know where to begin.

Its been awhile, I know. And that really makes things difficult for us. Where to begin? If I try for chronology, I'll run out of time. If I got by best stories, I'll pass over so much. Well anyway, I'll try and get my thoughts down succinctly.

First of all, I'm about to go to Montana. Yes yes, I know, its cold there. And yes yes, you don't have to remind me, I dont like the cold. But! I'm going to be driving a car there! I'll be able to visit several people on my way, (Lauren Bull, Solomon Rudy, and finally Will Erikson) And then the kicker... I'll be getting free fare back down to the warmth of the south. And, if luck is on my side it just might be a plane ticket.  :-)   

So from that, maybe you can better understand the overwhelming sense of excitement that makes it difficult to type and share the stories of the past several days. But I'll try.

Right now, I'm typing from the computer of one Gary the kayaking instructor. He picked me up back in Tuscaloosa Alabama. He was on his home to Houston from the Smoky Mountains of N.Carolina where he was working for the summer at Nantahala Outdoor Center as boating instructor. Although his vehicle was loaded to the brim he managed to work in a spot for me and we managed to strap my bike to the front of his trailer. 

He had a full ride.

When we arrived in Houston he offered to let me stay in the guest room, take a shower and do laundry. A good nights sleep was well needed as was some cleanlyness. For the remainder of the day (we got into Houston around 9:30) he gave me a short bike tour of the city, through parks and bike ways leading all over. When he then went to vote I took off back to the park and went tearing around the mountain biking trails that they have right there in downtown. Harrisonburgers, think of Hillandale on the Texas scale. It was a blast.

Now a few words of thanks and recognition to those who've helped move me along:

From Charlotte NC I got a ride with PJ Davis to Columbia SC where I biked on over to I20.

PJ Davis

There I got a ride with Kickaboo to the west side of Atlanta. Special thanks to him for going out his way to drop me at a good spot. 

Kickaboo. Sorry about the bad lighting.

From Atlanta I rode with Marcus to just east of Birmingham Alabama. He is a very cool dude and those of you in the Pell City area should totally sign up for his CSA. He is doing great stuff there on his one-man farm like building a green house out of old windshields, making a grey water system that will feed a bog of lushness, and building an aquaponics system. We all wish him the best in his endeavors. 

Marcus

Next up is Jack who took me from Pell City to the ring road 459 that goes around Birmingham. 

Jack

After that I got a ride with Dave Childers who went way out of his way to drop me off at a well traveled location. He also gave me $40, despite my insistence that I didn't need it. I plan to pass it along to those who do.

Dave and his work truck

From the other side of Birmingham I got a ride with Chris the music teacher. He is a friendly jeep driver and despite the small vehicle we managed to get the bike in!

Chris

 And after the ride with Chris I met Gary and now I'm here.

So thats it as far as rides go, but now I want to say a few words about the other people I've met.

This is Steve.

 Steve is traveling to Phoenix AZ. I forget from where. Like me he is traveling. Unlike me, however, he needs much more help than I do. All the kind words of encouragement people gave me, the rides and snacks. The hospitality, showers and a chance to do laundry. Those are all things that Steve needs way more than I. He needed help. This guy is 63 years old. He's traveling on a scooter carrying, as you can see all his stuff in plastic bags strapped together haphazardly. Some of the bags are duct taped and tied. On the back of his bike was his dead pet squirrel. It was evening when I first met him and because I didn't get a ride I saw him the next day. He had bought a mirror for the scooter and when I saw him the next morning he was struggling with the small nuts and bolts to get it on. He was a determined man and eventually figured it out despite my offers to help. Although I don't know his full story he clearly has had a hard life. Despite all this, God's love still shone through him. When I mentioned that I had lost a bungee cord with one of my past rides he gave me one. He even asked if I had enough to eat and probably would have been willing to share!
Reflecting back on my interactions with Steve I find my self frustrated with how I dealt with him. I started this trip planning to meet 'the real church' and receive from others generosity and trust. Now I find that learning about love is about way more than receiving. I must also remember to pass it on.

Day 1

Phew, I'm glad the first is over and that I'm not still in VA. Right now I'm just north of Charlotte NC. I'm about to start day two and had a great little chat with an active duty marine who said I was going to do great and that he could've traveled more when he was my age.
Last night I slept behind a food lion, and lost my bungee cord on the roof of my last ride.
I spent most of yesterday right outside of Staunton and had to bike just to get outa there.
Special thanks to Jamie who at one point came back to get me when I wanted to go to a better hitching spot. He placed sixth in a cyclocross race in Charlottesville that morning. Good job Jamie.
The picture is of where I slept. I'm sorry I haven't done a good job of remembering to get pictures of my rides. :-(

So it begins.

Tomorrow I'll be somewhere between an elephant and a rhinoceros. I'm heading south. I'm headed to Tucson. I'm headed for warmer climes. At least that's what my itinerary says.
But this trip is about more than where I'll be. It's about adventure. It's about hitting the road and letting myself follow the currents of life. And that's the just the thrill of travel.
It's also about hitch hiking. Its about trusting the good will of humanity. It's about trusting God to work through that good will and allow others to help me along. It's about learning humility.
It's also about meeting strangers. About listening to other people's life story, learning from theirs and sharing my own. It's about learning to be respectful when discussing differences while sharing my own perspective.
It's also about helping people overcome fear of trust. I've met too many who say that the risk of helping another out weighs their desire to helpful. I've heard people say that the government must do more to lift those among us who are suffering. On the other hand I've heard people say that the government is inherently unfit for the job as it is a power corrupted by the evils of the world, and that the burden of caring for the poor and needy lies with the church. I have come to realize, however, that real church lies not in MCUSA, or MCC or EMM or CWS or WV, or any of the other church institutions that I can't think of right now. The Church lies in the people who help others. The Church lies in the people who take the time to be a friendly and loving presence to those who are in the greatest need of love. To those who are (in an obvious way or not) alone or suffering and need to be reminded that love is indeed real.
And so this trip is also going to be about putting myself out there in an obvious way and finding some members of the Church.
Stay tuned to vicariously meet these great people!

Switching tones now in a drastic way... I want to say a few words about practicalities for those who might be curious.
Some highlights from my packing list include:

• My mountain bike!

Some highlights from my itinerary include:

• South!
• and then to Tucson.
• and then... elsewhere!

And lastly I just want to say thanks to all my great friends here in Harrisonburg. Thank you for making my time here such a great one! Although it doesn't make it easier to leave, having such great relationships and connection in H'burg means that life's been good and I look forward to returning!