Yet for the foreseeable near future, it will be one for me!! My girlfriend joined the United States Coast Guard and is stationed along the Olympic Peninsula. Never would I have thought that I'd have to worry about OPSEC issues and this blog, yet here we are.
Last Friday I played hookie from work, catching a stomach bug from Roomie's mom, a kindergarten teacher. The best lies are ones that weave in bits of truth, and knowing my stammering ass, I needed to make sure I had my story down pat for the inevitable interrogation from HR. Of course, this interrogation would never take place, but I feel more secure when I think through these things. Thursday evening I made sure to make a scene about needing to run out to the car for some pepto bismol for an upset stomach. I think I put on a pretty good act, my coworker offered me some dramamine in case I was feeling nauseous.
After my shift let out I got on the road right away, no sense in not getting a head start if I wasn't going to be sleeping for the next few hours anyway. I plugged in the closer of the two possible rest stops I was planning on staying at that night, one a half an hour south of Redding. I assumed Google Maps would be smart enough to route me to the more direct of the two paths, but was sorely mistaken. I assumed it would have me loop back a bit on I-80 west, putting me on Highway 50 west for a few exits, before I could get on I-5 North and have a straight shot.
But No!!
I understand why it took me on this route, it's still fairly direct and would require zero back tracking, however what the bots did not account for was the horrible fog. I'm unsure if along the same stretch of I-5 it was just as foggy, but I lean towards no. The visibility was so poor that for sections I had to be moving at <30 mph, well bellow my target velocity to truly shave off time this night. Eventually Google provided a detour that added 15 minutes to the trip, but put me along my desired route, and boy am I glad I took it. As soon as I got on it the fog immediately cleared up and before I knew it I was on I-5 with its 70 mph speed limits. I continued on for a little over an hour before the clock switched over to 01:00 and the lingerings of tiredness started to make themselves known. Fortunately the rest stop I was aiming for was only 15 more minutes down the road.
The Mazda 3 hatchback is not generally considered a good car for road-tripping, but I found it to be plenty comfortable for the night's stay. My camping air mattress always leaks over the course of a few hours and has a tendency for slipping out from beneath me in the night. I had gotten some foam tiles from home depot, the kind you see at gyms or elementary schools. I have to say for $25 it was the best purchase of the trip. Although firm, they were comfortable to fall asleep on and insulating enough to keep me warm; I've had worse nights of sleep on real beds. I had the rear seats laid flat and my head facing the rear of the car, with my feet resting on the center console between the front seats. Not a lot of wiggle room, but didn't require contorting myself or the stiff neck I get whenever I sleep in the front seats.
Before bed, I drafted out the text I would send to my supervisor the next morning, telling him how I wasn't able to keep anything down and didn't get a lick of sleep between trips to the bathroom to hurl. It's a busy time at work and a little head cold wouldn't cut it, nor could I request this time off. After setting my alarms and my head hit the pillow, I quickly slipped into sleep.
Friday morning I awoke, sent the text, called my folks letting them know I was ok, and hit the road. Nothing of note really happened, besides a pleasant interaction with a pump attendant shortly over the Oregon border. I made good time, having purchased all the snacks and drinks I would need ahead of time. I made it onto US-101 (Hood Canal Highway) before sundown and made it to her home around 20:00.
Her beautiful, smiling face was a sight for sore eyes. Even though it was only a few weeks since I had seen her last in person, it felt like it had been ages. We had a wonderful weekend together, she led me through some of the most beautiful landscapes, showing me all the spots she had discovered over with her brief time there so far. It was magical. While I have some commitments I have to wrap up in Sacramento, The gentle whisper of the call of the North has become a beckoning cry.
Saturday evening, we watched the sunset on the beach, the chilly wind biting at our extremities. The beach was right along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating us from our Canadian neighbors. As someone who has lived smack dab in the center (latitudinally speaking) of the U.S. for all of my life, being surrounded for hundreds of miles of Californian authority on all sides, crossing into other states feels weird. Being able to look over the narrow strait to another sovereign land was truly peculiar, it made the hair on my neck stand; Not out of fear, just an alien experience. A bald eagle flew over our heads as a reminder of which side we were on, though the raptor held no allegiance to the border as she sailed aloft above the brine and stone.
My tear-filled departure Sunday night was a hard one. Every fiber of my body begged me to stay, and if it weren't for work, I would have. What I would give to be free of the ties to Sacramento I hold, to spend every night with her. Soon this day will come, but for now it will have to be made up for long weekends together.
I made great time through Washington, by 23:00 I was in Oregon, not needing to deal with the traffic through Portland was a godsend. 45 minutes later, It was time for a refuelling stop. As soon as I stepped out the tiredness hit me like a freight train. With only 15 minutes down the interstate past the gas station, I was already longingly looking at the rest stop signs. I know the dangers of tired driving and didn't want to add to the statistics. I passed the first rest stop I saw, but ended 30 minutes shy of the stop I was aiming for.
This night was colder and I was all the more desperate to make it to bed, I layered up and assumed my sleeping position, but the cold night air burned my sinuses and left me with a pounding headache. Once the residual heat of the car's HVAC wisped itself away, it left me in an icebox. What I didn't realise in the dark of the night is that the sleeping bag I was under was inside out, my desperate half-awake attempts to zip it up were futile and I laid there cold; not cold enough to jolt me awake, but not warm enough to sleep through either. At 04:30, I had had enough and forced myself awake so I could fix the sleeping bag and get at least a couple hours of good, restful sleep. I managed to turn it rightside-in and got it halfway zipped up. I slumped back into position and before I knew it, the blare of my phones alarm broke through the deep slumber. In hindsight, I wish I slept one more hour, but at the time I thought I had work in 10 hours with an 8.5 hour drive ahead of me; I was told I we were working on MLK day. My boss who told me was mistaken. 🙄
I started the car and had the heat on high blast as I sipped at my energy drink, shaking away the tiredness of the less-than-restful previous night. Soon the frost that had settled on every surface of the car started to melt away and I was feeling awake enough to hold the car within the lines and let cruise control take care of the rest before the caffeine took hold.
I made it home by 14:30, averaging 26.5 mpg during the trip, a pleasant surprise, and a number that could be brought higher if I didn't joy ride up the winding passes as fast as I did. I really enjoyed the trip and am eagerly planning out my next one. Fortunately, this last semester is going to be purely online, so I only have to contend with work in order to spend time up there.
I regularly check my email, If I don't respond quickly, send me a poke:
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