Saturday, June 30, 2007

Strength for the Journey - aka Pilgrim Radio

I didn't think I was going to make it through Nevada. Let's be honest here, I'm impressed I made it out of California. What with the out later than expected friday night, the car stuffing nightmare this morning until Markell "I'm so organized I must have been adopted" and Andrew "I've got oldman strength" showed up to save me, and the gridlock traffic on I-80 the whole way--yeah, California made it pretty clear where it stood on the issue of our break-up. I should just be thankful Jake didn't slash the tires.

The drive itself has been smooth sailing otherwise. And by smooth, I mean beautiful. It had been a while since I was last in the Tahoe area, and boy was I sorry I didn't come up here more often! Amusingly, there was this wonderful rest stop at the top of Donner Pass with a ten-minute glacier trail hike past these tail pines and huge slanted boulders. I took plenty of pictures and as soon as I figure out my new camera I'll put those on here somewhere too. Very refreshing to walk around after sitting in a car for several hours, and I only hope there are more of these vista points in my future. I'm sort of a sucker for scenic turn-offs.

Nevada has also been filled with visual eye candy. Aside from the powerplants, mines, and correctional facilities with the always entertaining road signs saying "Don't pick up hitchhikers - Prison ahead," the landscape is like mountainous desert. Everything is red, including the discus-sized moon, with sweeping plains and tall peaks. It is all very inspiring. I lost cell phone reception quickly after Reno, which hasn't returned, and the NPR station that had lasted surprisingly long was crackling beyond patience. Suddenly, through the static emptiness came a voice that sounded remarkably like Kelly Clarkson. Saved at last! Only upon closer inspection, she was singing about Jesus's blood. Apparently, Since U Been Gone has a Christian remix in Nevada, only it's not actually my favorite Idol singing. So I was, quite literally, saved at last. I won't lie, the station was so good and so fitting the scenery that I ended up listening to Pilgrim Radio until it too faded into the distance a solid two hours later.

And now I sit safe (because I've barricaded my deadbolt-less room with the table and a trash can) and sound (at least we hope, did I mention the room has no deadbolt?) in a nice little motel in the town of Wells, Nevada. The good news is my already worried mother won't read this until the morning, and by then we'll all know for better or for worse how this evening turned out! Who knew Elko, Nevada would have no vacancies in all seven of its hotels? Not this tired driver that's for sure.

Exhausted,
Frances

PS - Sorry for the posting bonanza. This is the one I wanted to write and figured I couldn't start the blog without the other posts and then yeah yeah whatever you know I just love blogging already. I get it.

The Plan (ish)

Barring major changes, here's a rough outline of where I'll be over the next several months:

June 30th - Leave San Francisco (and shed many tears)
July 1st - 3rd? 4th? - Drive to Minnesota, see Mt. Rushmore, etc.
July 4th - 8th - Kick it family style in Minnesota
July 8th - 12th? - Bum off my sister in Michigan
July 13th - 16th - Dublin (fly out the 12th)
July 16th - 22nd - Moscow (finally ya vernoos)
July 22nd - August 15th - One long train to Beijing
August 15th - the next three years of my life - University of Michigan Law School (go blue!)

You know posting all of this is scary. What if my cult following in Montana decides to stalk me? I'm making it too easy--next time I'm using code names for every place I stay.

Roger that.

Welcome!

Looks like I've started my first blog. Since I'll be traveling so much this summer (and away from so many of my friends and family), I wanted to have a way for all of you to know I'm alive and well without having to send one of those giant spammy "my trip in a three page essay" emails no one ever reads anyways.

I'm not the blogging type, so I'll apologize in advance for:
1) not posting regularly,
2) not posting about stuff that interests you, and
3) not writing as eloquently or concisely as my sister Pauline who inspired me to keep a blog while traveling abroad.

But since I'm not one to be upstaged by a younger sister, or any sister for that matter in case Markell is feeling left out, I'll certainly give it my best shot.

Thanks for stopping by!
Frances