Crellim Creative

Moving On – The Next Chapter

Crellim January 13, 2015

My road trip really became a defining moment for me in 2014. When I started the journey, I had hoped it would change me. I was honestly worried I wouldn’t grow as much since my Dad was crashing the journey. However, I was so totally wrong. I grew in ways I am just starting to understand.

I know it’s easy to say that there is so much more to life than just your job, but a road trip really drives that point home. I saw where the mountains stretch out into prairies, where grand rivers come to life, GMO corn that even the crows won’t touch. I met fabulous people from all over the country who were always supportive. They would always say, “I would love to do that some day, to see the world.” My response was always to do it, it’s worth every penny. But now I’ve gotten at taste that there is something so much more out there and bigger than me in this world.

The journey opened me up to my creative nature which I had been suppressing since I was young child. The freedom of the journey, being able to write about the experience, to take photographs of all the amazing things I was seeing just exploded out of me.

But I’m also not ready to stop traveling and exploring. I caught a nasty bug on the trip, I caught the travel bug. Now, you might think I already had it, but not I just liked traveling. The journey made travel become part of who I am. It is of my essence of how I see the world and want to explore. Sitting in Oakland, I crave the journey and wanting to discover something new. I still wander here, but it’s not the same. I definitely have wanderlust.

The third thing I felt on the journey was that I just let life flow and I allowed myself to experience the trip. I wasn’t worried about money, the next project I needed to complete, the food I needed to nourish myself, the exercises I needed to get just to manage the stress, and the loneliness from living alone in a big city. I could take all that energy and just put it into the enjoyment of my travels.

The journey was spurred by me being laid off after 10 years at SAP. I had a wonderful run at SAP where I got to see the world and work with absolutely incredible people. But it was also a huge amount of work. I was almost always on the edge of burnout. The stress even made me sick with an illness that still has not been defined but can cause me much grief.

I have absolutely no issue with losing my job. Things run their course and business is business, but the major change and the road trip really gave me an opportunity to really examine my values and what I wanted in life. I’ve already written about my next chapter in my 2014 review so I won’t bore you with the details here.

I came back to Oakland after the holidays enjoying a wonderful time with my family and friends. I thought I was really ready to get back to the grind a find a new job. I had planned to work in Oakland for two more years so I could use the money to take acting and art classes. But I honestly started to look at my reprioritized values. Should I really stay here just to work and make money and delay the start of going after my dreams? Honestly, just affording to live in the Bay Area is stress enough. I would need to work just to making living here remain possible. But I quickly discovered that I’m still burnt out and not managing stress well. I don’t really feel read to go back to the corporate world I left.

I’m also really grateful for my life and all I get to do and have accomplished. However, just like the studies on Facebook say, my life is not always as rosey as what it might see if you only see my travels. I definitely don’t want any pity, this is just a moment of me sharing what makes me vulnerable.

When I left Utah 10 years ago, I had hopes of living the big life, having a great job, hanging with fantastic friends, and finding a great boyfriend. I honestly left Ogden with only the skills to have great job. I did not have any real social skills moving here, and I was leaving behind all that I knew and understood. I was just going to fight through and figure out how to fit in. Let’s just say I made a huge amount of progress in that 10 years. However, I’ve remained single the entire time and never really started to build roots.

I came out here to make it on my own and I did. I was strong and independent. Yes, I had support and friends but nothing like what I had left in Utah, and I really never was able to build that same level of support. For example, who did I have to help me financially when I got sick if I had to stop working. No one but me. It’s way too expensive here for me to ask my parents for help. So yes, I’ve been really lonely, I’ve worried if I could do it on my own, and I’ve carried that burden on my shoulders. I didn’t mind for many years, I’m stubborn and good at fighting. However, the road trip showed me how nice it was not to fight. I felt supported.

So now I’m the cliff about to jump into my next adventure. An adventure to explore my creativity and see if I can make those dreams happen. These are dreams that I’ve denied for years with thoughts like you can’t make money, you can’t take care of yourself, you need to have a powerful career, you need to be focused on science, you need to prove to all those damn sexist mormons that you can do anything. Wow, I’ve done great living up to those expectations and exceeding them, but honestly I don’t want to do it anymore.

Its time for me to dream big and see what I’m really capable of doing. But to do that, I need to stop being strapped by expenses of living in the Bay Area and I need a support system with a bit more depth than what I’ve built here. So good bye to that Bay Area chapter of my life. I’m so content with my life and grateful for the growth and experience you’ve brought me. However, I’m moving on.

Moving on in a way I thought never possible. My goals remain the same that I will move to Portland within the next two years to become a working artist and actor. However, I’m taking a little detour and moving back to Utah until I can get my parents to move to Portland. This hasn’t been the easiest decision especially since I said I could never live in Utah again. But with new priorities, being with my parents and some of my closest lifelong friends I have a support group to help me grow to the next stage. Plus, I can get a dog!

So Ogden friends, this is my announcement, I’m coming back to join you. For my Bay Area friends, I love you! I will miss you, but damn it I could visit monthly for less than I pay in rent. But my journey would not have been what it was with out you and for this I’m so grateful.

If you want to know about timing, I’m not one to move slow when I make decisions. There are still a few details to work out, but this change is going to happen very fast. But the craziest part of this all, is that I would never be writing this blog without my road trip. For that, I’m unbelievable grateful!

Thoughts

2014 – It Was Epic!

Crellim January 1, 2015

Wow, I’m almost a bit is shock that 2014 is over since the year went by so fast. I’m also stunned by what all happened last year. To really understand the impact, I want to go back to my New Year’s post from last year.

“I cannot think about what I plan for 2014, without going back to 2004. 2004 was the year that changed everything and sent me down the path to bring me to today. My gratefulness for 2004 is beyond words.

In 2004, I decided not to pursue a PhD, completed my masters, packed my bags and moved to California, started to work at SAP on TechEd and SCN, and threw off all the small town girl projections to overcome all the fears of making it on my own!

In the last decade, I have thrown away so much baggage just to become a world traveler. I don’t do resolutions, but I’m so excited about what I will make 2014 become!” January 2, 2014

I guess in my heart I was really expecting big things in 2014 since I had just completed a pretty mind-boggling decade in California. But it took making a ton of changes in 2004 to create that next decade of growth. Even when I wrote that post, I think I knew big changes were on their way. I just had no idea how big 2014 was going to turn out to be.

Even way back at that early point in the year, I already new my career was up in the air. I had a good sense that the team I was on had no idea what to do with my skills and talents. At first this scared the shit out of me, but really what it did was give me a lot of time to think. And thinking was exactly what I needed to explore what the next stage of my life would be.

2004 was a time that I set new goals. I was going to start a corporate career, I wanted to travel, and I wanted to live in San Francisco. By 2014 I had accomplished all quite successfully. Honestly, I’d been so busy in that decade, I really hadn’t had any time to come up with new goals. I was just living life and absolutely enjoying the ride.

But after a decade, it was probably time to come up with some new goals and life plans. Thank goodness, 2014 provided me the time to soul search and plan, so I now have new goals to help drive the next decade of my life.

Even with all that time for thinking, 2014 was a huge year for me. Most of you who’ve read my blog all ready know about the road trip, so I don’t want to spend all the time on the details. However, here is my list 2014 major life events.

Go to Germany to pass on the battalion of my old position. Get to spend time to the team I’ve spent my last 10 years working with and honor that they’ve become friends rather than just colleagues.

Start write poetry again which I hadn’t really done since I was an undergrad.

Do my first audition since high school with San Francisco Neo-Futurists.

I did my first live poetry reading.

Explore southern Utah National Parks Bryce Canyon and Zion with my Dad.

Go flyfishing twice on the Madison River in Montana and visit Yellowstone National Park. Also fall in love with Ennis, Montana.

Rediscover my love of painting and drawing at a wine and painting class at a farewell for my colleague Erica

I traveled and spent time with the people I love that don’t live near.

After living in San Francisco for three years, I’ve satisfied my dream of living in San Francisco and it’s time to say goodbye. I move to Oakland and my cost of living drops significantly, which was a huge blessing for what was about to come.

I get laid off from SAP after 10 years. It’s the only job I’ve had since I finished my masters and moved to California. So absolutely guaranteed, big changes are happening. This is a blessing in disguise and I’m not really unsettled by it, since I already had plenty of time to think and plan 🙂

Within 2 days of being laid off, I know for sure that I am going on a cross-country road trip.

Linda and I go on our freedom camping trip to Yosemite. But I extend and do my first ever solo camping trip in Mammouth Mountain.

I keep painting and drawing and writing.

I prep for the cross-country road trip, which includes planning how I’m going to use the trip as a creative journey.

I start my blog crellim.com

I drive by myself across Nevada to get to my parents house to start the road trip.

The Road Trip – Crellim’s Cross-Country Adventure: 3 months of traveling across the country. 47 days camping in the car, 4 days in a hotel, and 22 days staying with family and friends not including my parents house.

I get home to Oakland having only been there for 2 months out of the 6 I’ve lived there. I decompress the trip by going through all my photos.

I start to look for a new job for 2015

I return to Utah to spend the holidays with my family.

Yup, I don’t ever use this word, but I definitely think 2014 was an EPIC year for me. Crazy that with such a full year, I was still able to come with the goals for the next decade of my life.

There is one thing that I really learned about myself and it will now drive my life going forward. My whole life I’ve been suppressing my creative urges and needs. I had chosen a path were I focused on spreadsheets and emails. But honestly I doubted I could be creative enough. When I was young I would always say, I love to paint and draw, but I just don’t know what I should paint and draw. I wanted to be an actor but I can’t sing, so I didn’t go after it. So it was my own mental block that kept me from going after my creative goals.

My creativity would crack through to remind me it was hiding there, but this year with all the change it just exploded out of me. I also came to the realization, that I don’t need as much material goods in my life as others. I’m not married, I don’t have kids, I don’t own a house. I don’t have others I have to take care of. So maybe I could go after my creative dreams because I don’t need as much money to survive.

So here are the goals that I’m striving for in the next stage!

Only work in the corporate world for 2-3 more years so I can save money
Taking acting and painting classes
Move to Portland
Buy a house with my parents
Get two dogs (not random, absolutely critical to my success)
Keep painting and writing
Sell paintings and photography
Become a working actor

I’m so happy of what I’ve accomplished from 2004 – 2014. I’m completely grateful that 2014 set the stage for what I want to become in the next decade of my life. I’m ready to jump right in and live this life completely!

The Bean, Chicago: I’m in Love!

Crellim December 30, 2014

I love art in all its forms. I’ve studied the arguments about what makes fine art versus mass art, and I think they are all a bunch of hogwash. I’ve loved art that the person next to me is saying “you call that art”. Art is so damn subjective, I’m going to leave it at I love all art and try to avoid the conversation of what really constitutes as art.

Even though I’m avoiding this art argument, I am going to make an argument for my favorite kind of art and why it makes my heart sing.

The Bean! (Cloud Gate, Anish Kapoor)

Now, I’m not from Chicago. I don’t know the overall impact that the “Cloud Gate” created by Anish Kapoor with it’s endearing Bean nickname has left on Chicago. But on my road trip, the Bean completely changed my relationship with art and how I think about it. So let’s get my view on the Bean straight out in the open. I’m in love with the Bean. It is the epitome for art that I will hope to strive.

I’m sure one of you reading this right now, especially my San Francisco friends who disdain anything touristy, are questioning my sanity. The Bean is tourist trap numero uno for Chicago, and I join those tourists in their chorus of praise. Luckily for me, in Utah or in NorCal, I could give a rats ass about trying to make sure that I like the right things to fit in, and I won’t ever be ashamed of my love of touristy things.

Back to the Bean – on the day my Dad and I visited, it had been raining all morning and the sky was still cloudy. However, that did not keep the visitors away. The platform the Bean rests upon was crowded with families, couples, and kids from all over the world. Almost everyone out their had their phones out and were taking selfies with the Bean. Oh crap, art that makes you want to take a selfie with it! I’m reading my Facebook feed now and see friends complaining about the lameness of the selfie. Shit, double negative whammy for the Bean – tourist trap and selfie magnet. Yet, my love still burns so very bright for this magical Bean.

Dad and I joined right in with the pictures and seeing what kind of reflections we could get from the Bean. We didn’t act any better than anyone else out there, and didn’t let the nature of the tourist trap keep us from truly enjoying the Bean. But I would say this also allowed us to experience the Bean’s true nature, the reason it wrapped itself around my heart, and made me fall in love.

Even before experiencing the Bean, my relationship with art has been focused more on experiencing art rather than just a passive voyeur consuming art. Art even in sculpture, painting, photography, is a performance that tells a story. This story will always place art where it fits into culture and society. The Bean has perfected this performance of art.

I don’t think it’s possible to just go see the Bean and look at it. The Bean calls you in, and it enters into a relationship with you. The Bean reflects yourself right back at you, but in a very different way. When playing around the Bean, even when taking all those selfies, it is really a dance with the Bean.

I still haven’t explained why I love the Bean. I’ve so far just hinted at it. It’s not just that the Bean creates a relationship with you when you visit and you become part of the art. It’s that this relationship creates joy and happiness. Visiting the Bean was one of the most happy stops on our trip. I loved watching all the people interacting with the Bean and taking photos. Everyone was laughing, and making silly poses and faces. The Bean is a piece of art that makes the viewer or participant experience joy. The Bean makes the people visiting it play! Not just with the sculpture but also with each other. It is this ability of The Bean that makes people play and feel joyous is the reason I’m absolutely in love with it. It’s also now what I hope to create with my art.

I’ll be honest that I haven’t seen many sculptures, paintings, or fixed art objects that have had this ability to create the interactive relationship of the Bean that then creates joy and makes people want to play. Art definitely creates an emotional reaction, and my preference is for art that makes me feel good. And I do understand the power of art that makes you feel other things. But typically it is only emotion that is stirred, at most maybe I’ve cried. For joy and play, it usually comes from music, performance art, and improvisation theater. The Bean creates interaction and relationship that is performed on that platform. It is not merely a static sculpture. The Bean is constantly in change and morphing as each different person is reflected in it’s metallic skin. The people playing with the Bean become part of the art.

I could have sat at the Bean for hours watching all the visitors play with the Bean. It was such an amazing experience to see all that joy and play. So now as I start exploring my creative path, the Bean is shaping my experience and my hopes for my art. Luckily, the Bean was not the only encounter of this type of art on my journey.

In the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City, I found a street art mural of angel wings called What Lifts You from Kelsey Montague. People will posing in front of the wings and taking photos. Again, people were laughing and interacting with the art. It was the way the wings were painted that called people in and invited them to pose. I wanted my photo in front of the wings but my Dad was too impatient for me to wait in line that long. But once again the piece got me thinking about my art; how do I create art that invites people to interact with it and find joy?

What Lifts You, Kelsey Montague

I’m just beginning again on my creative journey, and exploring how I can translate my vision of the world into art. However, I’m grateful that I’ve already found such a tenet to guide the development of my artistic vision. I admit I’m overwhelmed about how I will create art that brings joy and makes people play. But I’m so happy this type of art already exists and is spreading it’s joy.

On one last note, I’m also reminded by a photo instructor that recommend to never try to take the perfect shot of a place when traveling and don’t worry about the people in the picture. Rather, embrace the people, embrace your travel companions, and embrace yourself in the picture. What makes travel photos unique and special is to include yourself or your companions in the photo. I think this advice is true for all art. The museum experience seems to keep you distanced from the art with it hung on walls high up with wires or steps keeping you from getting close. But you can find that perfect picture already take online or in a book. Isn’t it better to throw yourself into the mix and interact with the art? From now on, I will remember that sometimes art like the Bean just calls me in to play, but other art that’s a bit more static requires me to step up my game and be the one to initiate the play.

2015 National Park Calendar

Crellim December 30, 2014

So the month after returning home from my road trip, I spent editing photos from the trip to create Christmas presents. The journey was such a huge part of my life this year, that I wanted to share a piece of that journey with the people I love.

However, I know there are many of you who’ve said they would also like to get some of my photos from the journey. I’ve made a calendar from my photos taken at National Parks across the country. I have about 10 calendars left after Christmas, which I’m hoping to sell. The calendars are printed in think card stock and are 8.5 x 10 images. I’m selling the calendars for $25.00 each which includes shipping or delivery. If you’d like to buy a calendar, please comment on this blog with your email and I’ll send you the details on how to pay with PayPal.

Here are the images that are included in the calendar:

Many Glaciers, Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park, Montana

Devil’s Tower National Monument, Wyoming

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, Maine

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Tennessee

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

The Photos Taken on My Camera – Cross-Country Adventure

Crellim December 15, 2014

Yes, I know this has taken me a while, but here are the photos that I took with my camera. First, I went through the 3,500 plus photos and limited it down to about 650 I liked. Then I reviewed again and picked out my favorites and whittled it down to the 280 photos I published.

For the next week and half, I edited the photos using Lightroom for the very first time. So my learning curve definitely slowed me down. However, I had learned some great tricks by the time I started to reach the end of the photos.

Since I was so picky, I only went for photos I really liked and not ones that covered the entire cross-country adventure. I had done a great job already covering the whole journey with my iPhone photos anyway.

http://crellim.smugmug.com/Travel/Cross-Country-Journey

The next steps are for me to pick my absolute favorite images from the journey both iPhone and Camera to feature on my photo site, print, make Christmas presents with, and hopefully have the opportunity to show these images. So I’m still not done, and really behind for my Christmas planning 🙂

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these photos I took with my camera as well. If you like, leave a comment on the photo 😉

All the Photos taken with My iPhone on My Cross-Country Adventure

Crellim December 7, 2014

I’ve spent the last week going through the photos I took with my iPhone to organize and publish them on my photosite. The task is finally done. So if you want to check out the photos from journey without reading the blogs, this is the short cut!

http://crellim.smugmug.com/Journey-Iphonagraphy-2014

I still have not got to the 3,500 photos on my camera. Next week’s fun will be to select which photos from camera I want to keep and then do the post processing. As soon as I’ve published those photos, I’ll share the link as well.

Once the photos are all finalized I’m planning on making 2015 Calendars and greeting cards, so still a lot of work with these photos need to be done. But I hope you enjoy!

US Road Trip

Home! Home? Home!

Crellim December 3, 2014

Home! Home! Home! Holy shit! After three months, I am home! This is Oakland; this is the bay area. Life moves super quickly here. What’s changed? What’s stayed the same? The good news was my apartment was in the same condition as I left it, well, with a bit of dust. My plant had survived three months of no water (all aloes). Pepe was a kick ass house sitter! But even though I was home, my journey wasn’t done.

Yes, that last drive was a bit overwhelming. I really did think about what all might have changed while I was away. I did a pretty horrible job of keeping in touch with any of my friends while I was away. Facebook and Instagram where about the only contact I had with anyone. The only one I called was my Mom on Round 1 and my Dad on Round 2. My brother was lucky and did get a couple of calls. I admit it, the trip took all my focus and concentration. I had time for nothing else. But what a treat, I just took three months to explore the US and see the crazy amazing country I live in.

Yes, there have been many before me who taken the journey and many more will come after, but everyone I encountered was super supportive. I was often told, “I would love to do that!” My response was always, “Do it! Take the chance! It’s been worth every second!”

I slept really well that first night back in my bed. I slept for 12 hours straight and I wanted to stay sleeping for the rest of the day if I could. But Mom was still with me and would be through Thanksgiving. Dad would be joining us before Thanksgiving, bringing me my car and later driving Mom and him back in Mom’s car.

Out of the five months I’ve lived in Oakland, I was on the journey for three of them. So I am still getting to know Oakland, exploring the neighborhoods, and finding what’s out there. Mom wanted to go boutique shopping. I’m not a big shopper, and I really hadn’t found any of the boutiques in Oakland, but I’d heard rumors of great shops on Piedmont. So that’s where we headed on my first day home. I found a few shops I really loved like the Rare Bird. I also found a great gift for my cousin’s Sweet 16, whose party we were going to later that night. Unfortunately, Mom was being picky and didn’t like the boutiques.

We then headed down to San Jose for my cousin Alexis’s 16th birthday party. This young woman lives her life to the fullest, and it was fun to celebrate! This was the family birthday party with Aunts and Uncles, so it was much tamer than the party she had with her friends. But we got to hear all about the DJ with no slow dances, the candy bar, the mocktails, and the ice-cream pops. It sounded like a fabulous party. However, the family party was also fantastic. The dining room was decorated with balloons and crape-paper flowers. A fresh pink flower centerpiece decorated the table. Alexis had made each of us place setting tags. Dinner – another amazing home cooked meal by Stephanie, Alexis’s mom anchored the party. Au gratin potatoes, green beens with pancetta and walnuts, and sausages feed us all very well. We stayed late, but finally had to head home to Oakland so I could get more much needed rest.

Sunday was another lazy day. I admit, I’m feeling a bit moody from returning from the journey. I was having the party to celebrate the end of my road trip that afternoon. People were canceling all for good reasons, but since I had not been a good friend while I was away, I got a little worried that I’d pushed everyone. This absolutely was not true, but it does demonstrate the level of moodiness I was going through. Mom and I headed to the party at Telegraph Beer Garden. We had a great visit with Cricket, Shaun, Seme, and Thu. They all got to sign my travel book and hear the stories of my journey. It ended up being a great pick-me-up to have the party and get to see everyone.

The next day, I took Mom to one of my favorite local cafes, Awaken Cafe, so I could work on my blog for a bit. Since I was home, I was feeling really behind that I didn’t have much done on Round 2 of the journey. Even though I love this cafe, the set up is really awkward and we had a table stuck in the crammed in the middle, so it wasn’t the most comfortable. After the blog writing, we headed back to my apartment so I could nap. By this time, I was becoming acutely aware of how tired I was. I had absolutely no energy and just wanted to sleep. For a large part of Round 2, I was battling a virus and even though I no longer had any outward signs of the virus, I wondered if my body was still fighting it. But the exhaustion was pretty overwhelming, I started to think it was more than being sick. Luckily, naps were helping.

With the nap, I had energy to take Mom to Chinatown in San Francisco to meet up with Stephanie and Alexis for dinner. We took BART into the city, which I think was my Mom’s first BART. It was definitely her first ride under the bay. She did very good not freaking out that we were riding the subway under the bay; I was proud of her. Mom and I then taxied up to Grant and California, where we’d meet Stephanie and Alexis since they drove in from the south Bay. We spent a great afternoon exploring the shops in Chinatown followed by a fantastic dinner at the R&G Lounge. I had always promised to take my Mom to a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, but for all the years I’ve lived in the Bay Area this was the first time I did. I think she loved it. After a fantastic San Francisco afternoon, we headed back across the bay to wait for the arrival of Dad the next day.

Dad made it to Oakland bright and early. Since I was not there to navigate for him, he used his Tom Tom GPS and made it without issue. I was proud. I had been waiting for Dad to arrive to take Mom to Brown Sugar Kitchen, which is an amazing soul-food kitchen in West Oakland and one of my favorite restaurants in the bay area. I know I had introduced Mom to chicken and waffles in Port Townsend, but now it was time for her to try the best I’ve ever had. I had the cheesy grits with poached eggs and wanted to lick the plate and Dad had the beignets. He said they were better than the ones we had at Cafe de Monde in New Orleans. This brunch was just fantastic and all of us walked away nicely sated, which also meant it was nap time.

The rest of the day, we took it really easy. Dad had just driven from Utah and was tired from the drive, and I was still just tired. So had an excellent pizza dinner at Forge followed by laughter watching Robinhood Men in Tights at home. Dad had never seen the movie, and it’s one of my favorites.

Like I said, Mom takes about 2 hours to get ready in the morning and even though we all sleep in, she usually sleeps the longest. Dad and I can be ready in about 30 minutes, so rather than sitting around waiting for Mom to get ready, we go for a walk around Lake Merritt. One of the things I love the most about my apartment is that I’m only a block away from Lake Merritt. I live in the middle of a major city, but I have easy access to nature right out my door. Many people enjoy Lake Merritt so it is great people watching as we wander around the lake, but the birds are even more showy than the people. The lake is a preserve home to gulls, geese, ducks, egrets, pelicans, and more. We make it around the lake and grab some coffee from another one of my favorite cafes, Farley’s East. A tasty cappuccino to fuel the rest of the day.

While Dad and I are walking, we talk about how tired I am. I can’t make it through the day without a nap. He thinks it’s the journey. For three months, I went, I pushed, I saw. My mind was constantly exposed to new things, we walked, and we explored. Now that I’m home, my body and mind is relaxing and recuperating. He says not to feel so bad about being tired, but I do. I want to be a good host, but honestly my brain doesn’t want to think or plan a thing. And I think my lack of energy and planning were starting to bug my Mom, who has a lot of expectations on her visits to the Bay Area.

Mom still wants to shop, so we take her to Jack London Square to explore for a while. We walk around and I take a few photos. I had been challenged to a five day black and white photo challenge by Brian, so I was looking for shots that would fill the bill. But honestly, my brain and body did not want to function. I just wanted to be at home in bed. Such a great host. Finally, we went back to my apartment and I slept again.

For dinner, I took Mom and Dad to my favorite Mexican restaurant in Oakland, or the bay for that matter. Molcajete Cocina is the first restaurant that I’ve eaten at in the US that reminds of the food I ate in Mexico City. Since the food is more traditional, and not the USivised version my Mom is used to, I think she had a hard time deciding. She went with something safe – a shrimp quesadilla, but she enjoyed it. Dad had the fajitas and I had my favorite, the cochinita pibil tostadas. Yummy!

After dinner, Mom still wanted to shop. I still hadn’t really researched anymore boutiques, but I drove her over to Berkeley and back along Telegraph so she could look at the shops. We ended up doing the shopping at Target in Alameda. Yes, I’m the best ever tour guide.

One super awesome thing about how I was ending this journey was getting to spend Thanksgiving with my parents. I’ve told them, that I won’t ever go back to Utah for Thanksgiving, but if they come out here I don’t mind celebrating. Also, we are spoiled by Thanksgivings here in the Bay Area. My cousin Stephanie invites us over for Thanksgiving Dinner when my parents visit. Like I already said, Stephanie is an incredible cook.

Dad and I go for another walk to prepare for the festivities later in the day. I take Dad on a tour of some of the street art murals in downtown Oakland. There are definitely a few new murals that have been put up since I’ve been gone. There are many incredible old buildings in downtown Oakland. One of my favorites is on the corner of 17th and Webster Street. It was the showcase building for the Holden Tile Factory. The entire building’s exterior is covered in classic tiles from the 1920s. However, on the one side that is not covered, it looks like there used to be another building there that was removed for a parking lot, there is a brand new Zio Ziegler mural. Zio Ziegler is one of my favorite Bay Area street artists. His work is complex, very unique, and the speed at which he creates the pieces is astonishing. This photo has my Dad in it to demonstrate scale. Zio completed this mural in 2.5 days. Amazing!

We continue to walk around downtown Oakland looking for more murals. Since I am so new to the area, I really have not explored enough. So we walk past this incredible park in downtown, Uptown Art Park. What I loved the most was all the statues of important promoters of social justice throughout US History. This is just a few days after the Michael Brown decision to not indict. Oakland had been having large protests to support Ferguson and BlackLivesMatter. There was something so fitting about having this incredible piece of art in downtown Oakland with all that was going on, that it brought tears to my eyes. But I don’t think I was the only one, I peaked over at Dad and he was feeling the same weight and his eyes were teary.

Finally, we headed back to the apartment to pick up Mom and go to Whole Foods on Thanksgiving. Yup, that’s what I said. We went to Whole Foods on Thanksgiving. It was definitely hopping, but I wouldn’t say crazy. Plus, everyone who was working were all super nice and joyous. We grabbed some sandwiches for lunch and fresh bread for dinner and headed back to my apartment for the afternoon until we went to Stephanie, Randy, and Alexis’s house for dinner.

Dinner was fantastic. Full of incredible food, excellent conversation, lots of laughter, and gratitude that we could celebrate together. Dinner was butternut squash soup (I had two bowls) rotisserie turkey, sugar snap peas, roasted potatoes, dressing, and pumpkin pie. Wonderful! Again, the conversation continued on, and we left late or really into the next day 🙂 But that’s just a sign of a great dinner.

Friday, the day after Thanksgiving was going to be a lazy day. I woke up at noon. I was the last one awake. But still Dad and I had time to go for a walk. This time we explored Oakland Chinatown, which is now my favorite Chinatown. It is not at all touristy like San Francisco or New York. It is alive with food businesses and people crowding the streets buying their supplies.

Then Dad and I went to Awaken Cafe to grab some coffee for the day. Ended up there was an amazing pop up show at Show and Tell featuring local Black-owned artisan businesses. Like I’ve said, I’m not a fan of shopping, I don’t like rampant consumerism, I’m typically disgusted with the consumerism of Christmas, and I do all I can to avoid shopping on Black Friday. I didn’t even have my purse on me. But I fell in love with a few of the items at the pop up. They convinced me that since I was shopping local, it was making up for my consumerism sin. And honestly, if I didn’t buy it on Friday, I was coming back on Saturday. So I bought it that day. Luckily Dad had his wallet, so I could buy right then. But before he could buy, I found him getting a massage. I was jealous.

We went back to the apartment and picked up Mom to drive back to the Pop Up shops. I got a massage, and felt like a new person. I bought everything I had wanted to buy. It was quite a change from the rest of the journey. Dad and I only spent $125 per day between the both of us per day. But here I was shopping again, shopping like I still had a job 😉 Dad and I both bought new beanies to keep us warm. But Mom still did not like the pop up shops. It just wasn’t what she expected.

That night we were invited back to Stephanie, Randy, and Alexis’s for dinner and to celebrate my birthday a week early since my parents were there. I’ll be honest, I was exhausted again and just wanted to stay home and sleep, but I’m so glad I pushed through. Everyone but me enjoyed turkey sandwiches but Stephanie spoiled me with salami since she knows I’m not a fan of turkey. I had more of the butternut squash soup. Dinner was just fantastic again.

After dinner, Stephanie took us to a play at the City Lights Theater. It was extra special since she had taken me to a play at the same theater 10 years earlier for my birthday shortly after I had moved to the Bay Area. The play, Truce: A Wish from the Great World War, was a world premier performance with the writers in attendance. The play was a beautiful and touching critique of war and the toll the loss of life takes. Yes, the play made me sob. It rocked my core. It made me feel. I was so grateful of the gift to see this play. We then said our goodbyes, since this was going to be the last visit for my parents to see Stephanie, Randy, and Alexis before they returned to Utah.

We took another slow start on Saturday. First thing, my parents gave me my birthday presents early. I had asked for the Oakland book just to help me learn Oakland better. So the next time my Mom visits, I will now be more prepared. Then we went to Bicycle Roaster to get fuel for the day. This is a tiny cafe driven by a bicycle in the middle of the warehouse used for roasting. Bicycle is mainly focused on retail, but I love their cafe. Everyone who works there is friendly and unpretentious. Plus, they are focused on community, which creates a great feel.

Then we headed north into the Sonoma Wine Country. I had some wine to pick up from a group of 6 family wineries based in the Dry Creek Valley. I had joined the wine club for this winery one one of my parents visits over a year ago. I had been wine tasting on an empty stomach and ended up with more wine than I could drink and that is still true today. We were picking up two cases from the wine club, which I’d have to store in my tiny home. I also had not eaten yet on this visit, but I was much smarter this time and did not taste any wine. But autumn in wine country is beautiful so I still enjoyed the trip very much.

We enjoyed a super tasty late lunch at Barndiva in Healdsburg before walking around the shops. I knew Healdsburg would be a great place to take Mom since it is at least four blocks of boutique shops. We let Mom shop until she had worn out her legs. Then we made the trek back to Oakland.

I thought I might have finally satisfied Mom’s shopping desire for the visit, but I was wrong. When we got back to Oakland, Mom wanted to go out shopping again. Or she at least wanted to go out for desert. Even worse than knowing where to shop, is my knowing where to get desert. Desert usually triggers me getting sick, so I avoid it all cost. Plus, if I want a desert, I usually will take it in cocktail form. So I said I was all out of shopping ideas and I wasn’t sure about desert, which did not make my Mom happy. I suggested a couple of places that served tasty cocktails and might have desert, but nope. I didn’t even know where to get a frozen margarita in Oakland. I only drink mine over ice. So I was a complete failure at ideas, and Mom started to watch the Walking Dead. I still wanted my cocktail, so I headed out and Dad decided to come with me. Mom sat at home being unhappy with me for not being a good tour guide. We went to Bar 355 which is a super cute cocktail bar in downtown Oakland. It is decorated in dark wood and has an old-fashioned feel that compliments it cocktail menu.

The next day was my parents last day in the Bay Area. We met up with Thu to explore her town of Alameda. Now Dad had seen Thu’s house before and the area where Target is, so he thought that was all there was to Alameda. I told him he was very wrong. We ate lunch at La Penca Azul which was super tasty. Then we wandered around the boutiques so Mom could shop some more. Luckily, there was bead shop so Mom could take care of her bead fix, since she is an avid beader. We then headed over to the beach so my parents could see the rest of the island. They definitely like how cute of town Alameda is.

Even though we’d taken Mom to more shops, I knew she still wasn’t happy about the visit. I had to take her to San Francisco one more time. So we drove across the bridge and thankfully traffic was not bad at all. We went to Ghirardelli Square to look at the shops and see the Christmas tree that they had already lighted. Mom had really wanted to see the Christmas tree in Union Square, but with all the construction for the new BART line in the area I did not want to drive through there so this Christmas tree was going to have to work. After the shopping was done, we returned to Oakland with Mom seeming happier about her visit since she got to see San Francisco one last time. Mom and Dad packed up their bags to be ready to leave in the morning. Dad wanted to beat rush hour traffic so was trying to leave by 6 am. They made it out the door by 6:30 am and did the full drive back to Ogden in one day. After a wonderful visit with my parents, and getting to enjoy a long Thanksgiving weekend to close out my trip, I was finally back home and on my own. For the first time in three months, I was on my own again. I admit I was worried about feeling alone. Luckily, I had so much work to do after they left, that I didn’t have time to fret at all. Rather, it’s time for me to wrap up the blogs on the journey, go through all my photos, and actually take a moment to process everything I just did. Even though this is the Home blog, it’s not the last. I just need to consolidate my thoughts on what I’ve learned, so there is more to come 🙂

US Road Trip

Round 2 – California, the drive home

Crellim December 2, 2014

Portland and northern California are pretty far apart. It was going to be a rainy drive south that would take 8-9 hours. I wanted to get started early so I wouldn’t have to drive as long in the dark. I asked Mom to be ready by 9 am so we could head out with a quick stop in Portland to go to one store and grab some coffee for the journey. I was trying to get myself ready and organized so I was just sending Mom texts to see if she was ready, since I was staying in the basement and there was no response. Finally, I come up to load the car and head out at 9:15 am. Guess who is still sound asleep and at least 2 hours from being ready to go? Mom! I admit I was a bit frustrated since it was going to be such a long drive day. But that is how travel goes, never have a strict plan because it will never work.

So I load the car and try to hide my frustration, other than making fun of Mom on Facebook for it. Finally, after 2 hours, she was ready and packed to go. We went to Made Here to grab some local Portland treats, and by the time we were in Portland it was time for lunch so we grabbed some noodles so we wouldn’t have to stop for a while. I also went over to Stumptown to get one more cortado to fuel the drive. By 12:30 pm we finally hit the road.

I wanted to make it to Jerri and Marc house on this drive. I had promised that if I got too tired I would stop in Redding to sleep for the night. Jerri and Marc live in the mountains outside of Mount Lassen, so the later we got the more chance of freezing and snow. So I was pushing it hard to get there but couldn’t go nuts because of the rain the entire way. I only stopped for gas and potty breaks until we made it to Redding. We didn’t stop to explore Eugene or Ashland because of my hurry. When we made it to Redding, Mom wanted me to stop. But I didn’t feel like trying to sleep in a hotel when I could already be at Jerri’s. So we grabbed Arby’s to go (the only fast food of the trip) and continued on. We finally made it to Jerri’s after 10:30 pm. But honestly, the craziest part was when I crossed over the California state line. In a few days, I would be home, I’m back in my state.

The next day, Jerri and I went out an old barn looking for some barn owls that live there. Unfortunately, they were super well hidden so we never spotted the owls. But the sky was cloudy and trying to rain, so it was gorgeous just to explore the barn. We then headed back to pick up Mom and grabbed a tasty lunch at Carol’s Cafe.

It was time to pick up the kids from school, and it was exciting to see them since they had already been asleep by the time arrived. We went to show Mom Lake Almanor, so she also got to see some sites. Dinner was super tasty, slow cooked pulled pork sandwiches. Another home cooked meal for the journey. Plus, I was able to get a group photo with everyone!

I also got some extra time to play with Jerri and Marc’s dogs – Piper, a German Shepard and Fargus – 10 month 3 types of Mastiff mix. The dogs are gorgeous. I’ve always loved Piper, but Fargus is a total heart stealer.

The next day Mom and I were heading back to the Bay Area. But first Jerri gave a tutorial on Lightroom so I would be able to edit all my photos when I returned home. I learned so much and definitely needed the lesson. I haven’t looked at any of the photos on my camera yet, that’s a project I was saving for home. So all the photos on this blog are from my phone. But now I can edit the photos from a real camera 😉

Mom and I continued down the mountain canyon and further south into California. We had one last stop before we made it home to Oakland. I had asked if Karis and her family could meet us for dinner in Sacramento on our way home, but instead she invited us over for dinner at her house. Another home-cooked meal. I was getting so spoiled, especially since I don’t know how to cook. We had a traditional Brazilian meal with beans, rice, and tri-tip steak. It was so yummy. I think the beans and rice were some of the best I’ve ever had. It was so much fun to see Karis and enjoy dinner with her beautiful family. They are so warm and full of life! But it was getting late, and Mom and I had planned to be in Oakland that night.

So we headed out for the last drive of Round 2 of the journey. As we were driving, Mom asked what I was thinking. I said I’m just a bit overwhelmed at it all. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m feeling a bit emotionally low tomorrow. Even though it’s been amazing and I’m grateful, it’s a bit like the day after Christmas feeling knowing that the journey was about to be done.

We finally make it to my apartment in Oakland, which my Mom had not yet seen since I had just moved here in June. We unloaded a few things we would need in the morning and headed in. Mom liked my apartment even though it’s small. I got Mom situated, and then quickly made my way to bed. After three months, I was finally sleeping in my own bed. I would get to dream of the journey I just completed and everything that I had done.

US Road Trip

Round 2 – Portland

Crellim December 1, 2014

Mom and I continue south through the Pacific Northwest. Next stop is my Uncle Tom and Aunt Linda’s house just outside of Vancouver, Washington. This was my first visit to the Portland/Vancouver area. But I had a lot of expectations for Portland before ever arriving. I was here to see if Portland would be a place for me to move.

As a child, I visited San Francisco and I knew I wanted to live there when I grew up. I’ve been so blessed that I was able to make that dream happen for an incredible three years. I’m definitely happy with my move to Oakland this summer and have lots of exploring that I need to do. But it was time for me to find my next dream, and the next stage I wanted my life to take place. I was hoping Portland would be the place for me.

We made it to Tom and Linda’s house by early afternoon. A beautiful warm house surrounded by lush greenery. Plus, they have two guest rooms, so I got to stay in the basement and my mom was upstairs. Super comfy. I met the animals – Analii a dachshund, Walyn a mynah, and Jack the cat. Analii was definitely a bit leery of me, but I made it my goal that she’d be my friend by the end of the visit. Let’s just say that even though she growled and bared her teeth, Analii would sleep on my lap. She tried so hard not to like me, that it pissed her off when she did!

Tom and Linda also enjoy good food and craft beer, so this was going to be a good visit. Hot toddies by the fire, while watching Portlandia which I loved. I also had the honor of introducing Tom and Linda to the third-wave coffee movement. The very first place we visited in Portland was one of the mothers of the movement, Stumptown Roasters. Linda had asked to get a drink that came with one of the fancy designs, so I got her my favorite a cortado which is 2 oz of steamed milk to 2 oz of espresso; just perfectly balanced. Tom had a latte and Mom got a hot chocolate. The drinks were divine! Masterfully pulled and poured. Plus, everyone who worked there was super friendly and lovely. Yes, I was hooked at first sight!

We then went over to Deschutes Brewery for a snack and beer. I had the saison and chili. Yummy! Portland is at no shortage for great craft beer, and the people love the beer. I loved the atmosphere in the brewery. Everyone looked like they had just been on a hike through the lush pines and came it for a post hike beer. Completely, my kind of place. After the beer, we headed back for an incredible home cooked Crab Pot dinner! Tom and Linda had even caught the crab on their own.

On Monday, Mom and I headed into Portland to do some exploring on our own. To drive into Portland, first we had to cross a bridge over the Columbia River and then to get into downtown we had to cross another bridge on the Willamette River. From the bridges, I loved how the hills rose above the city with both pine and deciduous trees. We drove into the Grand area of Portland to try another fantastic roaster, Coava. The cafe was lined in gorgeous wood and had a very minimalist monkish feel. Yeah, I loved it and the espresso was excellent.

The next stop is a required stop for all Portland visitors. I’ve only heard the legend of VD in Portland, but now it was my time to get my Voodoo on! Mom and I bought a dozen so we could bring home some donuts to share with Tom and Linda, but before we left I had the maple bacon bar. Yes! Yes! Yes!

After our delicious treat, Mom and I went to Powell’s City of Books, which is heaven on earth. We went separate ways and after two hours of browsing, Mom and I met up to make our purchases. Even though I walked out with 5 books, I pride myself with how well I did. It could have been many many more. But this meant I’d found my Portland happy place!

We headed back to Tom and Linda’s to meet up for dinner with my cousins at the White Eagle. White Eagle is one of the many McMenamins pubs and breweries in Oregon. This was an old haunted hotel converted into a fantastic bar. My cousins Josh and Sam with their kids Dylan, Piper, and Griffin joined us for dinner. It was a great time to catch up and learn how they like Portland, since I’m thinking of moving there. They definitely are enjoying it better than the bay area, which was a great sign for me. I did a beer tasting of the non-IPA beers. McMenamins definitely does it right.

Josh and Sam had to head out by 8 pm since kids weren’t allowed after that time, but Tom wanted to stay and listen to the live music. We watched the main performer set up and play one song to two his instruments. He was a folk guitarist which fit the bar perfectly. So Tom asked to stay for one song and we all agreed. However, first up was the opener which none of us were prepared for. Long black greasy hair, tight dark jeans, and white electric guitar we were about to hear from a complete rock dork! He raged his instantly made up lyrics into the microphone as he wailed the puck cords on repeat. We all look at each other wondering if this is really for real. Event the other tables were looking around. I couldn’t contain my laughter. The music was absolutely horrible, but at the same time madly brilliant. We listed to songs about tasering the slow people on the bus and crystal meth. Finally, I tipped the guy 2 dollars, and when he said thanks for the 2 dollars, I yelled “You owe me two dollars!” That got the rest of the tables laughing. But I have to be honest, if the kid wasn’t 15 years younger than me, I would have been totally in love with my nerdstar.

I had originally planned on leaving Portland the next day, but I decided this trip would not be complete without a visit to Astoria, Oregon. I was a totally Goonies fan growing up, so I had to see this town. Astoria is a small, peaceful town on the Pacific Ocean. The old houses line the hills that stretch to the Columbia River and down to the Ocean. Mom and I ate Fort George Brewery, and enjoyed another tasty meal. We drove up to the Astoria Column for the views all around. Although very quaint, Astoria was a little too sleep for my tastes.

Finally, we returned to Tom and Linda’s for dinner. Linda is a fantastic cook, and dinner was a total treat. Fillet minion, pork loin, roasted veggies, and pasta washed down with great wine; talk about spoiled! It was a fantastic way to close out my visit to Portland. Yes, I loved the town. Yes, I want to move there. I think I will fit right in. I do owe my friends who live in Portland an apology for not getting to visit with them, but when I move there I will.

US Road Trip

Round 2 – Washington

Crellim November 25, 2014

Road trip round two is a very different road trip from round one. Round one was minimal supplies and low budget with no shopping and lots of walking. Round two is bringing way too much stuff, no car camping, lots of boutique shopping, and exploring by car. I can simply sum up the difference – mom versus dad.

I love my Mom, but low maintenance is not a good description for her. I take 30 mins to get ready in the morning and it takes her two hours. So there was not going to be much get up and go on round two. Just a leisurely drive across the Pacific Northwest. But honestly, I was super excited to get back on the road. After two months of exploring, I didn’t know what to do with myself when I made it to Utah. Plus, Rocky was coming along for the ride!

We had to wait a few days for my Dad to finish working on Mom’s car. (Yeah, always waiting on Dad to finish something to start these journeys!) Which took him so long that we then had to rush to beat a storm coming out of Alaska. We finally headed out on a very chilly 25 degree Wednesday. It was never going to make it above freezing, so we had to make it to Washington before that cold joined with a moisture mass. This made for a big push on that first day.

First stop was visiting my brother, Mike, and his family in Twin Falls just like on round one, but we only stayed for an early dinner. It is always great to see my brother and the kids. But extra special this time was my brother’s new boxer-mix puppy, Pogo. Talk about a cutie! He’s all black with a little white speck on his chin and his chest. Total heart stealer!

After dinner, we continued on for another 6 hours of driving so we could make it over the first pass of the Cascades before it started to snow. We pulled into Pendleton, Oregon and stayed the night at the Hampton Inn. Like I said, this journey was a lot more posh than round one. We didn’t make it there until 11 pm at night, and we needed to start early the next morning in hopes of beating the snow. It wasn’t supposed to snow until around 10 am.

We pulled out of the hotel by 7 am in freezing 12 degree temperatures and headed north towards the Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle. Before I left, I had been arguing with Dad over the best way to go to Washington to miss the storm. He kept telling me I needed to go through Portland and turn north. Thank goodness I didn’t listen to him. Just as my weather apps had predicted, Portland got slammed by snow and Seattle and Snoqualmie pass stayed clear. We made it over the second pass of the Cascades, and I could confirm it wasn’t going to snow so we pulled over in a small town for me to take a nap. Unlike Dad, I can’t drive long periods of time without getting tired. I’ve fallen asleep driving with my parents in the car before, so it’s better for me just to take that nap rather than push it.

After an hour power nap, Mom and I continued on over the final Cascade Pass at Snoqualmie. It was cold but sunny and dry. Unfortunately, that did not keep a big rig from flipping over on the pass and backing the traffic for miles. Why is it when stuck in bad traffic jams, that my bladder goes crazy? Thank goodness we made it to an exit before I had to go out there in the middle of traffic.

We made it to Tacoma in late afternoon on Thursday. We drove downtown to grab some soup for lunch. The street art in the area was incredible. Mom wanted a diet coke and wanted to go to the McDonalds that we had just passed. I told her I didn’t want to support McDonalds with any money, so I drove around for 15 minutes looking for another place for her to buy a drink. I totally lost this battle when we ended up back at McDonalds for her to get a drink. 😦 Finally, we headed down to the water front to enjoy our lunch. We sat in front of the marina and one of the Tacoma lift bridges. It was a fantastic place to stop for lunch.

We then headed over to Gig Harbor where we were staying with my dear friends David and Jeremy. Gig Harbor is an adorable town on the Puget Sound with small boutique shops and restaurants all along the water. I drove Mom around town so she could see all the houses and the shops. We stopped for coffee at the Java & Clay Cafe to drink tea and warm ourselves by the fire while waiting for Jeremy and David to get home from work.

Finally, we headed over to Jeremy and David’s gorgeous log home where we would stay the next two days. This house is so relaxing. My mom got the guest room downstairs, and I stayed in the guest room upstairs. The upstairs guest room is typically a nest built in a loft, but I was too chicken to climb up the ladder to the loft. So they were really kind to move the futon mattress down to the floor for me where I was very comfortable. Mom also got to meet David and Jeremy’s super awesome dogs, Sam and Bailey.

We then went to dinner at the Blazing Onion, which was awesome. I had the mac & cheese and chili which was super tasty! Mom, David, and Jeremy all enjoyed burgers. We headed back to the house, and everyone headed to sleep. I was worn out from a day of driving. David and Jeremy have to go to work well before the sun rises, so it was definitely not a late night.

The next day, Mom and I drove up to Port Townsend which is a gorgeous Victorian Town on the north side of Puget Sound. We went to Auntie Mays for lunch which is a fantastic soul food restaurant, and Mom had her first ever chicken and waffles. She loved it! So now that we were well fueled, we toured the boutique shops. All of round one, I had avoided shopping and buying anything but magnets and post cards. Round two, I allowed myself to shop. I bought a few thank you gifts for others, and a unicorn for myself. Mom also did some holiday shopping. Mom did fantastic exploring Port Townsend, we made it to all shops up and down the main street.

After, shopping I drove mom around the Victorian houses in the town. We found deer grazing and running through the houses. Mom was really surprised to see so many deer in town. I was surprised that they were mule deer, which typically avoid town. We continued over to Fort Worden, where an “Officer and a Gentleman” was filmed to see the lighthouse. Fort Worden is now a state park with incredible beach access and walking trails. Even though we didn’t get out of the car to explore, it is one of my favorite sites in Washington.

Finally, we returned South to meet David and Jeremy at the Clearwater Casino on the Suquamish Indian Reservation. Mom just like David and Jeremy has a bit of love for gambling, so I wanted to make sure she got her chance. I’m not a huge gambler and usually avoid it. However, since the money does support the reservation, I didn’t feel so bad about gambling. David and Jeremy walked away ahead, for the first time ever I broke even, and poor Mom lost. But it was a super fun night!

The next morning before Mom and I continued our journey, we went to brunch with David and his mom, Sandi. Unfortunately, Jeremy has to work on Saturdays and couldn’t join us. Breakfast was at Devoted Kiss Cafe which is right on the water. They make a mean breakfast burrito and the coffee is tasty. It was great to have a little extra time so Mom could meet Sandi as well. So we had good food and wonderful conversation.

After breakfast Mom and I continued on our journey driving south on I5 towards Portland. Mom had been very nervous about staying with people she didn’t know, but she loved David and Jeremy and she felt so comfortable at their house. This was great so we could stay with my friends and family the rest of the journey and didn’t need to stay at anymore hotels.

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