Western Adventures on Greyhound and Amtrak

I had forgotten about the beauty and immensity of my own country before taking the opportunity to visit friends and family in the West. These wandering feet have taken me to more countries than states in the Union, so it seemed a fitting transition from abroad to back home in Wisconsin to check off a few more states I had been wanting to see, catching up with dear friends and family with whom I had not connected in a long while. Los Angeles LAX airport was the hub I chose for my Asian adventure, giving me a logical proximity to commence my western travels and to make my way eastward to Wisconsin. 

Immediately following my arrival to the U.S. I took an eight-hour Amtrak ride to meet up with a dear friend from high school, who has been working in Folsom, CA, for nearly three years. I have been blessed to travel to see her several times since she moved out there, and I was no less excited this time around to share a weekend together. 

 

Both loving to cook, she and I cooked some paleo/vegetarian dishes that were tantalizing and fresh tasting, appropriate considering the well-known selection of California vegetables and fruit we had at our disposal. We went to a small winery, a farmers’ market and a crepe restaurant. As in each previous time together, we passed a lovely weekend of memorable moments.

From Folsom (Sacramento was the Amtrak or Greyhound drop-off or pick-up), I took a two-hour Greyhound bus ride to San Francisco to see my “cousin” and to reconnect with some high school friends, who I had not seen since graduation or shortly thereafter. (My “cousin” is the daughter of my stepdad’s “sister” from Thailand, who stayed with his family in the 60’s. We like to joke that our history makes us cousins, so even though we look nothing alike and share no blood, we are cousins.) The day I arrived she had just finished her last round of radiation, so I did not want to tire her out and decided to treat her to a home cooked meal. I bought the ingredients and used her home! I had not seen her for nearly three years, so we had a lot to say to discuss. Even though we only had one evening together, I was so glad to have passed it with her. Hopefully it will not be another three years before I see her again. 

I stayed at my high school friends’ place. They have been a couple since high school, and I admire the fact that they have shared so many experiences together and apart and have now decided to get married. What a great time to reconnect with them! I was amazed by the time that had passed and the context in which we found ourselves. I love being able to see old high school friends, coming together once again to swap stories of travels and experiences, to reminisce about high school and to update one another on mutual friends’ lives and happenings. They generously opened their space to me, and in spite of their busy schedules, they were willing to accommodate me and to spend a couple days with me as I passed through. I am really grateful that we were able to see one another again and I look forward to the next time—definitely sooner than seven years hence!

Onward to Seattle I traveled 20 hours on multiple Greyhound buses to meet up with my mom, who flew out to Washington from Madison, and my uncle, who has been living in Washington for more than 20 years. One of the primary reasons why I chose to depart from LAX was the knowledge that I would be able to take a bus up the west coast to visit my uncle after so many years of hoping to visit him. My mom was able to take a couple days off work to make the journey with me. Not only did I get to know my uncle, but also my mom was able to meet his wife and to appreciate his life in northeastern Washington, which she had never previously done to this extent. 

 

Despite frequent rain showers, we thoroughly enjoyed our time together by seeing a local symphony orchestra with award-winning talent, by making the drive up to Mt. Baker and by cooking delicious food and drinking Washington wine. I started and began that weekend in Seattle, providing me with a stunning perspective of the Pacific Northwest. I hope to go back someday and do more hiking. I guess I will have to go in the summer!

Bryce Canyon National Park "amphitheater"

I left Seattle and traveled another 20 hours east in multiple Greyhound buses to Billings, MT, where another friend from high school picked me up to go on a grand adventure of southern Utah. He and I had not really seen much of one another in the past five years, so we took a chance in planning a weeklong camping trip together. Fortunately, the experience was delightful and the landscape awe-inspiring. I had been once to Utah, but it was in the northern mountainous region for winter skiing. Southern Utah was nothing like I had ever seen in all my travels. Landscapes stretching for miles caused me to crane my neck at every turn to watch the nuances of the rock and brush change and rise up from stark nothingness. As we drove along roads cutting pathways through the sere countryside suddenly masses of eroded rock or snow-capped mountains would rise in the distance or to the side of our vehicle with little fanfare and no warning. I was entranced. 

We went to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, staying three nights at Zion and three nights at Kodachrome Basin State Park, near Bryce Canyon. Although the nights were a little cold, the days warmed up pleasantly to the 50’s and 60’s, giving me the chance to enjoy the sun without much chance of sunburn. We hiked during the day or did some form of exercise, cooked one-pot wonders for dinner in his cast-iron skillet and chilled by the fire in the evenings. I love camping! Both Zion and Bryce pampered me with panoramas of enduring vistas and natural perspectives of the strong hand of God and the nature he has created. I gazed into the faithfulness of God as I stared into the crags of the rock formations twisted by the power of water and erosion over time. 

Zion National Park

My favorite part was catching two lake trout—not the fishing per se—but the excitement of catching food. I have never fished, and I did not think I would like fishing. I was mostly right. Honestly, I don’t think I would enjoy spending the whole day waiting for a fish to bite, and I do not like putting the worm on the hook; but I absolutely love catching fish and eating fresh fish. I loved being outside on a peaceful reservoir that we had all to ourselves on a brilliantly sunny day that made the lake sparkle. I fished for a while in the middle of the day, but my friend said we would have better luck in the evening, so I suggested we return to Bryce to go on a hike before attempting once again to get a fish. I had paid for the one-day license, and I was determined to get a fish. 

My friend stayed behind to read, so I embarked on my hike without a map or a watch: I got lost. Is that surprising? No, of course not. I was gone for nearly five hours and had only planned on being gone for a maximum of two hours. The trails were poorly marked, so, combined with my tragic sense of direction, I went down and kept trudging on a backwoods trail that would have taken me to who knows where. I prayed to see a wooden trail marker that would help me determine whether I went too far. After more than two hours I am sure, I saw a campsite post and deduced that I was not on a loop trail and needed to turn around. By the time I reached the car, I was exhausted; yet I had catching fish on the brain. I was too tired to put the worm on the hook (it stresses me out), so my friend hooked the worm, and I cast out and waited. We could see the fish biting, and after a few minutes, I had hooked a shimmering rainbow trout. It was a nice size but only good for one person, so we tried for another fish. This time after a couple of minutes of waiting, I snagged a spotted brown trout, slightly larger than the first rainbow. We could have caught more but were satisfied with one per person for the evening meal. If all fishing were instantly gratifying like that, I would fish all the time!

My first fish at the Tropic Reservoir outside of Bryce Canyon National Park

Now I am back in Wisconsin. I will start a job as a part-time nursing assistant in Jefferson while learning how to garden. I was hoping to start a 14-month internship in Florida this October, but I was not selected to begin this year. Far from being discouraged, I know that God has a plan, and I will continue to pursue it. I’m planning to reapply to that program for next year. On my to-do list is to buy books about agriculture, plant and tend a garden this summer, take some farming workshops around the country, start an on-line Bible school program, and go to Ecuador for three months to spend some time on organic farms in that part of the world. I guess my backpack will not be hung up for as long as supposed. I’m turning the leaf of a new page in a new chapter of my life’s book, and I am excited for what is coming: to deepen relationships with those who will be a part of making these upcoming adventures memorable and life changing and to initiate an extensive study of agriculture and the Bible. My feet have hit the ground running and my pen has pressed against the page writing. Onward.