I am home in Bellingham. The trip was amazing and although shorter than planned, I got to all the places I set out to. Thank you all for taking an interest in my journey and for all your comments and messages as they kept me company in the land of Aus! I am planning to go to the U.K. as soon as I can afford to. The only thing I would like to add is a call to Sarah Lamont who is a friend I met in Australia and who is trying to contact me. To Sarah: I have received all [View Full Entry]

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We went on a ferry from Lopez back to Seattle where we couch surfed at a guy i met when i came through seattle a few years ago. Then we headed to Vashon and got to stay with Adrian and Simon, my hobo friends from Alaska, and their baby girl OMI FINCH. so great to spend time with them. I worked on writing my essay to Berea and got to have great socializing at night. and Simons job doing outdoor maintenance and trail building seems like a dream. I also got to see my aunt Julie for a night and meet [View Full Entry]

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Hi everybody, Here are some more stories from the far West. Things have been looking up. My lower back seems to have healed somewhat with a decrease in pain flares and general uncomfortableness (wow, what a word!). Of course, it took me some opium-based pain killers and a period of withdrawal to get there... but, oh well . I got back my MRI results in the mean time. Amazingly, they show nothing! So, the question remains... What the hell is causing me to have such pains? What's causing the weakness in my legs, the loss of sensation and control over my [View Full Entry]

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Happy 28th Anniversary to us! After breakfast and packing up, we headed out for another rain forest hike on the trails adjacent to Lake Quinault. We covered similar terrain as yesterday, but since many of the old growth trees were downed in a wind storm a few years ago, the feel was different. Fewer trees means more light, which changes everything considerably--from the plant life to the ambiance. The hiking areas were also closer to the road and seasonal cabins. It was enjoyable, but not as awe-inspiring as yesterday's hike on the Hoh River trail. We made sure to stop at [View Full Entry]

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Day 2 was awesome. We started at the Brouwers. An apparently world renound brew pup featuring 60 different beers on tap, 3 nitro, and 3 cask conditioned beer. I started with a black cherry stout that was excellent, but blew the tap so no mor fo u pretty lady. Pete had the Boundary Bay Oak Aged Cabin fever. My next was the Elysian Haleakala Sour. I love sour beer. This was ok. Not really all that sour for my liking but good all the same. Pete finished up with the Red Hook Tripel. It just so happened last weekend was the [View Full Entry]

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We are very tired. It's 7:15 for crying out loud. I just sent Pete out for a store run. That big king sized overstuffed bed is starting to look pretty good. If you open up the blinds and turn off all the lights, the view of the city at night is absolutely spectacular! Nighty night..... [View Full Entry]

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Are you a Nazi?... Erm, I've never been asked that before but this was on my visa application and I'm pretty sure it isn't a trick question so I chose 'no'. God only knows what happens if you choose 'yes' but you're not a Nazi... you're a bloody stupid Nazi. This is the United States of America, a nation that apparently spends more money per year on porn than the whole Sub-Saharian African debt. God bless 'em. We arrived here from Rarotonga, the largest of a group of 15 islands collectively known as the Cook Islands and absolutely nothing happens there [View Full Entry]

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Up at 3:30 this morning. Gawd that's early. We arrived in Seattle about 10:30 this morning. Raining cats and dogs. It's beautiful here. I forgot what fall looks like. All the bright colors of the leaves. The smell of rain. Really a nice day. Our flight was without drama, as was picking up the car at the rental. We were able to check into our hotel early and did you check out that view? We are on the 32nd floor. Really nice, except for the letter left by the hotel that said "The towers of the Westin Seattle are designed to [View Full Entry]

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Day 2 in the Capitol, time to hunt for our second hostel (Washington International Hostel). We got on a bus which was full of crazies, fresh from Sunday service, an experience!! We stayed in a place called 'Adams Morgan' really retro place with a huge selection of eclectric restaurants and bars. We began tourist duties with 'The Pentagon', very big and not very pentagonal from close up, no photos allowed with armed guards surveilling an stroking the trigger of their insanely large riffles!!!!! Back on the Metro to the Washington Monument, (The Needle), WWII Memorial, Reflecting Pool and the [View Full Entry]

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I am beyond counting down the days before I leave on my trip. It is no longer six, or five, or one month-it is three days! My last day of work was yesterday and I couldn't wait to get out of there (no offense to my co-workers). I requested this time off nearly a full year ago and I tried to pick a time that would make the smallest impact on staffing (and be the least intrusive) and-be located somewhere where the weather was agreeable-our winter would be their summer. I have already gathered any necessary VISAs, gathered some of the [View Full Entry]

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