It was almost exactly 8 years ago that David helped me move out to Oregon. It was an exciting time for me, and David turned out to be the perfect companion for the journey. He was very patient as I went through all the emotions of heading out on my own.We had fun exploring local culture along the path--a very informative prairie dog museum, Wall Drug (of course), Mount Rushmore (not sure it was worth the fee to get in with 2 cars, but it was good to stretch our legs), and many other sights. We had fun stopping at random points to see what there was to discover.
One night we were at a campground in Billings, MT, taking in the wonder of the beautiful land, when a windstorm came through that sent us tumbling in the tent. It was kind of amazing to find myself doing a somersault with the tent. Putting his boyscout skills to use, David set out to collect large rocks for us to hold the tent down with, and was successful at keeping us on the ground for the rest of the night.
The next day we went to Butte to see if I could live there and it took about 20 minutes to decide that it probably wasn't a good fit. I'd still like to go back and see it again--maybe it would look different now that the pressure is off. Then we went on to Missoula and spent a couple days there looking at apartments and hanging out. It might have been the end of the road, but suddenly it was a bit overwhelming, so soon enough we were back on the road to Portland. We both felt a bit calmer (David because he didn't have to deal with me crying anymore). The drive between Missoula and Portland
was very beautiful, and we had a great night camping in the Columbia Gorge before making the final leg into town.As I'm sure you've guessed, things turned out a bit better in Portland. David and I caught up with Anne, and explored the area a bit. We hung out at the Lutz, drove to the coast with Anne and Gwen, and David helped me find a place to live. Shortly thereafter, David headed out to visit a friend in California and explore the West on his way home.
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to take this trip with David. It was the longest stretch of time we had ever spent together just the two of us, and I'm glad that he was a part of such a big change in my life.
Thanks, Mom, for sending me the photo of David outside Wall Drug.
Comments
And... a prairie dog museum? You up for a pilgrimage?
It's funny, but some of what you say here is very much along the lines of things I was thinking and noting down on the 15th... & especially: that David was an absolutely fantastic person to travel with (on all levels, including emotional, practical, conversational and adventure-seeking/up-for-anything).