I can’t say the last day of my trip was all that eventful. I left Chicago so late that I ended up with a 12 hour drive on my last day. So, not many pictures, and a whole lot of day dreaming.

The further I drove east, the more I realized how much I missed the landscapes I’d left. The huge mountains and richly colored rocks and the soft, painted sunsets. Someone told me that the driving on the east coast would be the worst, and it’s true. From western Texas through New Mexico and Arizona, I got the first feelings of awe in a way that makes me question whether or not I really belong in a city. It continued on the drive up the coast and through the hills between LA and San Francisco, and the winding roads through wineries and hills in Calistoga begged me to stay. I felt it fading already as I started driving back from Boise. There was a brief reprise in North Dakota, but it only made me long for the things from which I was driving away. It quickly became green, rolling hills and farms as I got to Minnesota, lasting almost the entire way back to Boston. Beautiful, yes, but they didn’t DO anything to me like the mountains DID THINGS to me.

So that’s it, I guess. I got home Sunday night, crawled into bed with the cats, and snuggled like my life depended on it.

Today: Get a massage. Apply for jobs. Daydream about getting back in my car.

***

Morale: Melancholicky

Food Rations: Russian River beer is pretty much the only thing in the fridge

Soundtrack: Songs that got me through 135+ hours of driving

So much appreciation for everyone who helped me out this month, giving me places to stay, suggestions of things to do, lips to kiss, a camera to model for, stories to tell, checking in to make sure I wasn’t dead somewhere, humoring me, encouraging me, keeping me awake and entertained on long drives. Matt, Mo, Justin, Tony, Brian, Eric, Brent, John, Kristin, Karyn, Damian, Pete, Jeremy, Jefferson, Spencer, Jamie, Jake, Jordan, David, Amanda, Phil — whenever anyone would comment on how brave/ballsy/stupid/awesome driving around the country by myself was, I’d think about how so many people, no matter how briefly I actually interacted with them, impacted and helped me and how completely not-alone I was on this entire trip.

It’s also worth noting that Adam put up with not only not seeing me for a month, but a near-constant fear that I was going to end up dead somewhere. Dating me isn’t easy when I’m home and hiding in bed, so it’s got to be pretty difficult when I’m running around the country causing trouble. I’m very glad he’s one of the three hair-covered animals I get to come home to.

I’ve been playing around with the idea if selling prints of photos I’ve shot. If I were selling, would you be buying? Trying decide if it’s worth it. Look I made a poll.