Blue Skies!

Last week I drove to Mt. Hood. Drove all around it, in fact, but never saw it. Lots of trees and clouds, but no mountain. The thing about Oregon is that it rains. A lot. I’d forgotten what that’s like. It actually never occurred to me that it might be raining in July. I’ve been in LA too long.

Yesterday morning, I saw blue sky so I jumped in the car and headed to the mountain. Its about a half hour to Mt Hood from where I’m staying. I must be getting ready to leave here because the drive felt way too short. I really wanted to keep going. Doesn’t really matter where to, I just love a good road trip. Always have. The day after I got my driver’s license, my friend Tristen and I took off on a road trip to the top of California to see my sister. I think our bags were packed before I even took the test. We were gone in less than 24 hours.

I think I need to drive across the U.S.

Some random thoughts/observations/ little stories for the day:

In California, if you see a big truck with monster wheels, you can be pretty certain that there is a bumper sticker on the back window that says “No Fear” or “Bad Boyz” (so clever!—See? it’s a Z not an S). In Oregon, especially in the southern part of the state, the sticker will say “ Get R Done”. They too are clever, so they flip the R backwards. Or maybe its an homage to Toys R Us.

People in Oregon actually say hi when they pass you on the street. They make eye contact too. Sometimes they even start a conversation. They’re weird that way.

When they ask how you’re doing, they actually wait for an answer.

It’s a little different though if you are in a car with California plates. I was pulled off to the side of a dirt road somewhere near Mt. Hood when a guy pulled over. I think he assumed I was lost or needed help (logical enough). He didn’t fully believe that I knew where I was because he insisted I take his map. The second or third question he asked in the natural chit chat was “Yeah, I noticed you have California plates…You’re not going to stay here are you?” He was dead serious...and sincerely wanted to know. It reminded me of the bumper stickers that were very popular a decade or so ago: “Welcome to California. Now GO HOME!” Regardless, it was nice of him to stop.