Grit City

I tried my hardest to get a post up last night, but my internet connection was going to have none of it. It was probably for the best because I was feeling very much under the weather, so instead I read a book and went to sleep.

It was bittersweet leaving Tacoma. I loved being there making new friends and being with old ones, but it feels really great to be continuing on the journey. I've started realizing that I really am loving just going where the wind blows me and not having to be anywhere. It's almost started stressing me out, knowing that I have to meet up with someone in a certain place, haha!

On my last day in Tacoma I rode bikes downtown with my friend Dan's roommate (and my new friend!) Ben. We got some tea at Mad Hat Tea Company, rode around town and checked out the Chihuly Bridge of Glass before cruising on up to Berts- the ubiquitous Tacoma hang out spot.

That night I went over to a friend's house with Dan and Ben to play some poker. I was flitting about talking to people, drinking beer, and hanging out with Little Bit, so I didn't join in on the poker itself, but it turned out alright since Dan won!

(^ Look at that poker face. Clearly a champion)

After all the poker festivities were done we rolled home and spent some time in the Winne chillin' and playing some tunes. I tried kidnapping Dan and Ben, but we all ended up falling asleep instead. I blame the PBR.

Tacoma was a good launching point for the rest of my trip. Being there kind of kick-started a lot of introspection and I was really inspired in many ways. The rest of my trip will be much richer for having spent that week in Tacoma. For the past year I've spent much of my energy avoiding feeling much emotion, trying to uphold some semblance of "having it together" when in fact the only reason I had my life together was because it really wasn't that much of a life. Not that I was unhappy with my life, but it was very ... safe. I blogged, I worked, I hung out with my family. There wasn't much room for anything that would be uncomfortable or emotionally dangerous. I'm coming out of that now and realizing that while I'm not as able to "handle" my emotions, I would rather live life fully and maybe end up bawling now and then randomly- or maybe not so randomly- than to cage myself into this box of appearing to have everything together. I frankly do not have everything together, and I'm much less capable of controlling my emotions (I fear because I avoided them altogether for so long), but at least I am living, eh? Being and feeling alive is uncomfortable at times, but- so it goes.

This photo is merely to prove that road trips have some sort of mystical powers which make you want to eat junk food. I don't know when the last time was that I willingly walked into a McDonalds for a burger. The Winne made me do it! Ugh, but it was so delicious... is there a better road trip food than fries? I say nay!

Further proof: my grocery basket this afternoon was full of 3 bags of chips, orange soda, cheese, grapes and avocados. Okay, well, the fruit/cheese kinda makes it seem healthy, but trust me, if you'd have seen my basket you would've laughed. It was like 90% junk food.

photos of me by Daniel