Unemployment. It has been a journey.
In early 2012, Colin and I decided that it was time to pursue our mutual dream of seeing more of this world. So, in August of last year, we quit our jobs in California, moved out of our tiny trailer-cabin in the woods, and started living through travel.
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| Atop Fairview Dome in Tuolomne Meadows |
It has been great.
It has been stressful.
It has been dirty and smelly.
It has been adventure.
It has had terrible moments.
It has been some of the best times.
It has given me many new friends and has moved me away from some of the best friends I have ever known.
It has closed a very important chapter in my life and it is opening the world to me.
I have been challenged, humbled, taught, and blessed.
So what have we been doing during our unemployment?
We started by taking a trip to one of our favorite places on earth. It has a certain charm and appeal and sentimentality that few other places hold for me. The east side of the Sierra Nevada will forever hold a special place in my heart. The moment that Mono Lake comes into view as we are coasting down Tioga Road (thanking God that our 1980 Westfalia miraculously made it over the pass) makes my heart jump.
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| Camping by some of the hot springs near Mammoth Lakes, CA |
The Mobil Mart. The bands that play there. The fish tacos. The employees that are there summer after summer. The other customers: some with the dirt, sweat, and grunge of just coming off long adventures, some simply stopping briefly to use the restroom and get gas.
Mammoth Lakes. The hot springs. The bakery. The coffee shops. The brewery. We became temporary residents of the town that has become more than just a pit stop in our East Side adventuring. Taking part in local bike races. Becoming good friends with Joe from New York and spending days climbing with him. Learning where to camp for free. Exploring areas we had never been before...different climbing crags, Devil’s Postpile, the Volkswagon auto repair.
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| Devil's Postpile National Monument |
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| A wonderful family we spent a good amount of time with in Yosemite Valley |
We spent two and a half weeks saying goodbye to the place that will beckon us back many times to California. Yosemite Valley. We shared campfires with friends, new and old. Told and heard stories. Laughed and shared meals and hiked and climbed with new friends from Israel, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Ohio.
Big Sur. The stretch of coast south of Monterey boasting majestic seaside cliffs, waterfalls, and redwood forests. After being in California for 6 years, I finally saw Big Sur. The beauty of it was astounding. I am continually amazed at the diverse beauty that is California.
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| Joshua Tree |
Joshua Tree. Finding a campsite and staking claim to that spot for the next 11 days. Welcoming other travelers to share that amazing spot...and walking away with truly amazing friends. Is it possible to develop a life long friend by spending 48 hours with someone? I am beginning to think so.
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| Becca, Megan and me in Joshua Tree |
We saw two of our good friends get married in Jackson Hole. We made apple cider in New Mexico. We slept in a barn in Idaho and realized that things really are bigger in Texas while eating at Granny’s Diner. Have you seen the size of hamburgers and water cups in Texas?!
We somehow made it back to the Midwest in our VW vanagon. We probably lost a combined 8 years off our lives through the process, but our van only broke down once. And even that became a blessing. We stayed with friends that gave both Colin and I exactly what we needed: Colin got to go climbing in a new spot for the weekend and I got to sit on a couch and be with good friends.
We bid farewell to California. I miss it more than I thought I ever could. At times I feel my heart ache for the mountains that have so clearly become my home. It is hard to leave the people that have become our family:
People that are not afraid to ask hard questions and search for what is right and true.
People that will give up a night of sleep because they heard my distress signal.
People that have shared some of the best moments in my life and that have also shared the most extreme pain I have ever felt.
People that love the earth and God and others.
Now we prepare for our next journey. Ecuador. January 31st is the day our new adventure begins. Language School. Work. Mountains. Wwoofing. Buses. Peru and perhaps Argentina and Chile.
We appreciate your friendship, prayers, encouragement. If you made it to the bottom of this post, thanks for reading. I will do my best to keep this blog up to date with our journeys and experiences.
¡Hasta luego!
