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Published: January 14th 2014
Greetings from Carlsbad, California!!
It's no longer a secret- my newest adventure is within the US (crazy, I know). I moved in with my friend from Rollins, Bri, and her fiancé Trevor. Oh, and their cat, Ted. I made the decision to move out here after I visited in November; not only is the weather generally some of the best in the country year round, but also living 2 blocks from the ocean provides plenty of opportunities from Marine Biology work. I already miss family and friends back home, but my gypsy soul needs a new horizon. I am toying with the idea of starting a "career", or at the very least gaining some useful experience to bulk up my resume.
So let me back up and tell you about my epic journey through 18 states, covering 3,437 miles, all to reach the West coast...
On December 28th, after having a wonderful New England Christmas, I packed up my little black Civic and said goodbye to Walpole. I made my way south, stopping in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey to visit friends from high school. My first day of travels didn't cover much distance but
it was filled with reminiscing and laughter and lots of warm hugs. From Jersey, I continued south to Maryland, to visit with my dad's side of the family. I spent two nights visiting with my god parents and cousins, including the newest addition to the family (see picture).
On New Year's Eve, I swerved my way through the hilly roads of West Virginia, to Snowshoe Mountain Resort to meet up with my college friend, Tessa (the same one from my Italy trip!). I enjoyed a very silly, snowy New Year's with some very friendly strangers and we danced our way into 2014. After shaking the hangover the following morning, Tessa, her friend Abbey, and I went for a beautiful hike in the serene, silent woods. Our second evening was spent playing cards and sharing stimulating conversation.
January 2nd came and I returned to the road. After a slight detour (aka getting 30 minutes down the mountain only to realize I forgot my purse at the resort and having to fight the snow to get back up the mountain), I cruised through the country back roads of West Virginia into the slightly flatter Kentucky. Unlucky for me, the Polar
Country roads
West VirginiaVortex could not hold off, so I was reduced to driving 40 mph on the highway. Mentally exhausted, but safe, I finally arrived in Louisville to stay with another college buddy. Since I wasn't much company the first night, I decided to hang around a second night for a movie, followed by dinner and drinks at the funky little Troll Pub.
The visit was short and sweet as I wanted to continue south and west to avoid the imposing arctic blast. Due to a slight oversight in planning, I realized at the last minute that I needed to add an impromptu stop in Missouri to my itinerary. The morning of my departure from Louisville, my ever resourceful brain had a brilliant idea- couchsurfing! While I have surfed all over Asia, Europe, and Australia, as well as hosted my fair share in Phuket, I had never before couchsurfed in the US. Despite my last minute request, two very lovely friends, Zach and Maggie, came to my rescue and agreed to take me in. And what a delightful experience it was! They fed me hand-rolled sushi, provided entertainment in the form of card games, and picked my brain for cool travel
stories. The next morning, a mob of friends rolled in, even in 6 inches of freshly fallen snow, to attend a pot luck brunch in my honor. It was an overwhelmingly wonderful and comforting stay.
From Missouri, I braved the snow and powered onward to Oklahoma, to reunite with my cousin and his wife and daughter (almost 8 and it was my first time meeting her!). We had dinner and caught up on the past 10 years since I've seen them. Sadly, again, I had to keep moving West, so the next morning I was off to New Mexico. It's a long, desert drive, but at least I was out of the snow! My mom's mother, three sisters, and respective uncles and cousins all live out in Albuquerque, so I spent three days to make sure I got time to visit with everybody. This involved lots of eating and lots of deep conversations, all of which was much needed.
I left happy, rested, and somewhat antsy to reach my destination, but not before a final stop in Phoenix to visit another friend from high school. I haven't seen her since she graduated in '08, so there was plenty
Carlsbad sunset
2 blocks from my house...not a bad life! to recap. It was yet another night of food, beer, and heart-warming moments. On the morning of Friday, January 9th, I got into my car for one last, long haul to the West coast. I saw sand dunes, wind farms, border patrol officers, and a car accident, but at 3 PM I had reached the end of my journey. I stopped by Bri's work (the friend I am moving in with) to say hi, grab lunch, and steal the apartment key. I left just in time to catch the sunset from the 101 as I made my way to my new home.
The past 72 hours have been crazy, but wonderful, and I am starting to settle in nicely. I am loving life out here already, now all I need to do is secure the job I want- and then I couldn't ask for more! Updates and good news coming soon....
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Virginia
non-member comment
Lovely
It was a condensed version for sure, but I'm glad you wrote it all down. You have accomplished so much in such a short time. Everything will sort itself out somehow! Love you!