Tuesday, April 1, 2008

my 7 state trip

well, i made it to spokane okay.
around 1800 miles, and everything is still in one piece.

the trip wasn't as bad as i thought it would be.
if i had not gotten gps though,
i would probably be lost in the middle of nowhere.
kansas and eastern colorado were really boring.
i stayed the night in a hotel near estes park, colorado.
but it snowed over night...
so when i went to estes park,
i didn't see much because i didn't wanna risk going up a mountain too far on icy roads.

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i have come to the conclusion no one really lives in wyoming or montana.
billings, montana was the most lively place i had seen in about 200 miles.
oh, and there ARE speed limits in montana despite popular belief.
although, i only saw 3 police officers in my 7 state trip.
i decided to not get a hotel when i was in montana over night.
silly me, i wanted to save money.
so i froze my ass off in my car.
and then i idiotically drove in the dark during a snow storm.
i was very lucky to have not had a wreck.
i couldn't really see anything.
but i made it to another rest area okay...
where i proceeded to freeze in my car some more.
montana's elevation made my ears pop constantly though.
which was highly annoying.
the first time my ears popped,
i thought my car had died or something, because i could no longer hear it.
montana has to be the most beautiful state i have ever visited though.
and, i almost hit a coyote (thanks brook).

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the portion of idaho i drove through was nice as well.
luckily, i live close enough to montana and idaho now that i will be able to go back when i want to.
brandy was excellent through the trip.
i figured she'd be throwing up all over the place...
but she just slept a lot.

the studio is really tiny.

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but it has a kitchen and closet.
i didn't think it was going to have either.
my dwelling is right next to one of the doors to the building...
so it's kind of annoying when people slam it all of the time.
this keeps brandy barking too much.
luckily, i can move into a different apartment in about a month.
i will be counting down the days until then.
and the apartment manager didn't end up charging me a higher deposit after all and i got my first month's rent free!
so i just saved a shitload of money.
the building in pretty nice.

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and the neighborhood is to die for.
i can finally feel like i can walk or ride my bike without being assaulted.
i met a few neighbors in the neighborhood already.
they seem pretty friendly.
a lot better than those crackheads.
i walked my dog around a few blocked this morning and was not harassed once!

to see more pictures of my road trip and new city (and there ARE a lot) go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/darksidesunny/ and click through the pages.

i am considering not going back to work right away.
i have a nice stockpile of money saved... especially since the move was cheaper than expected.
i think i will go to seattle this weekend after i get my car tuned up.
but i don't know... it's just a thought.
i need to go get enrolled in school first.
see if i can get housing included in my student loan.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Aw, shit! I wish I hadn't jinxed your trip with my coyote story. Well, at least you didn't mess up your car like I did mine!

Free rent for a month?! That's awesome! I mean, I know the place is small, but you can't beat free. Good luck to you. Have fun and stay warm!