I'm doing 20 things
What you take away from a roadie is threefold – the places you see, the people you meet, and the enrichment the experience brings to your soul. You can see what I saw along the 101 in photos. I will tell you about who I met right now. But as far as enhancing my soul goes, well, you can see it in my eyes.
Caryn was my travel companion, my best friend from Salt Lake. We are quite the quirky pair! Such opposites that it should cause conflict, yet so alike that we just accept each other for who we are and have a lot of laughs along the way. Our goal was to take the 101 from end to end in 5 days and surf along the way. Right from the start it occurred to me that there are two types of people – those who dig the journey and those that dig the destination. This is where our differences were most prominent – I’m all about the journey and Caryn’s all about the destination. It proved to be a good balance, though, and we kept each other in line.
I always keep a pen and paper in my bag to jot down things that interest me. I may just write a sentence or two, but it captures the memory well enough. Here are my notes.
Day 1 – Washington. Surf destination: La Push. Lake Crescent was the deepest blue I’ve ever seen in a lake. Must come back to do this loop justice. Ate spam on ciabatta roll and strolled through Port Angeles. Stopped at flea market and was told to surf Neah Bay, to avoid “Kookport”. Take ferry out of Edmonds, 3-day weekend. Surf was flat at La Push and conditions too cold with onshore winds, so we drank beer on beach and watched a beautiful sunset. Camped at Mara…so-so. Camp on the beach next time. Pitched tent on slight incline and woke up with my head wedged in the corner and wicked headache : P Drove 6 hours.
Day 2 – Oregon. Surf destination: Florence. Stopped in Astoria because of Goonies and wanted to climb the Astoria Column but it was closed, bummer. Drove Caryn crazy by stopping every 10 minutes along the coast to get pictures. Found a hidden view of the shore that was breathtaking. Foggy the entire drive, but cool, eerie fog. Must go back and surf Lincoln City. Picked up Mandy and Jessie, 2 hippie chicks from Sioux City hitching down the 101. They called Portland “Bum Vegas” and had crazy munchies. Cool kids. Ate grilled cheeze sammie at the Tillamook factory. Couldn’t find beach in Florence and it got dark too fast. Caryn said she had it too built up in her mind and she was disappointed, and this opinion made me sad. People are either all about the journey or the destination. Camped at Honeyman and listened to campfire stories. Made my first fire. Feeling totally grungy and loving it! Drove 8 hours. Spent entire drive pondering what it means to adventure.
Day 3 – San Francisco.Surf destination: Ocean Beach. Dropped Caryn off in Eureka and she ran for an hour while I changed the oil and ate Orange Chicken and compared tats with Teresa. She had a hummingbird holding a mustard seed – faith and joy. She dug my sould and fire. Experienceing way wierd deja vu. Flew a kite with Curtis and ate fantastic bacon cheeseburger. We spilt a bottle of vino and soul searched until the wee hours. Drove 9 hours. Pondered why Seattle isn’t doing it for me.
Day 4 – Los Angeles. Surfed Morro Bay. Got in the water! Freaked the fuck out by fins but soon realized that I was surrounded by dolphins : D Caryn was happy. Didn’t get pictures of me surfing – I think it’s like eavesdropping on a person praying. Ate at brew pub. Bought kite, grass mats, bracelets, and was given a coffee cup by Stewart. Dug the French hot dog I had for lunch. Hit the 1 and it was AMAZING! Totally disappointed we passed up Monterey – feeling the pressure from Caryn to make LA. Dug Santa Cruz – I could easily live there. Go back to camp Big Sur and Los Padres. Stayed at Best Western and had margaritas at Hermosa Beach, for Caryn’s last night. Drove 9 hours. Pondered what it means to love and be loved.
Day 5 – San Diego. Surfed Huntington Beach. Caryn flew out at 5 am. Caught decent swell at Sunset Beach. Melissa and Geraldine gave me tips. A woman on the beach wouldn’t let me give up. Lynette gave me a blessing and recommended I find Jesus. Met Coco at Surf Diva!! For the first time ever a random thought that occurred to me actually happened! Drove to Mexican border and got in wrong line, but made it across 9 lanes to last US exit : P Gorgeous Eastern European man took my pic at the border and ate gorditas for lunch. Peter bought me a few Guinesses. Hazin took me on a rickshaw drive through San Diego. Did some yoga. Dave told me to look into GAP Adventures. Lost track of the hours driving. Realized how tired I am of grey skies.
Day 6 – Patterson. Surfed La Jolla. Surfed the waves I learned on this morning – best day of surfing on the trip. Wanted to take I-15 out of LA to surprise my dad for his birthday but missed the fucking turn. I’m not feeling LA. FUCKING HOT stretch of freeway! Had Scoobie Snack martinis with Mustafa and talked about his son and why people shouldn’t judge by appearance. Totally digging the KFC I had for dinner. Celebrated la luna completo ; ) Drove only 6 hours, totally feeling tuckered. Pondered downtown versus small town living.
Day 7 – Seattle. No more surfing for Nemah this week. I’m feeling Oregon big time. This wierd deja vu continues. Ate at Denny’s and was asked if I was on MTV. Who knows? Kept company by text messages : ) Drove 12 grueling hours. Had to roll down windows and sing along to Good Charlotte to stay awake. Pulled into Seattle and felt mixed feelings. Stoked to snuggle with Einie. Appropriate that I should end my trip as the moon wanes ; ) Perplexed about the next steps. A few things are for certain, though – interview for this new company, start running again, be true to my heart, and quit smoking. God, do I love roadies. Amazing how you can live years in a single week.
2349 miles and well worth it ; D
