So my journey has officially begun.
I'm homeless, unemployed, without a car or a bike and will be for at least the next six months.
I have my health, my sanity, lots of good music, great friends, a wonderful partner and a free spirit-at least for now.
I think the word is joy.
Let the games begin.

First stop, Bristol. Joey and I took off Friday September 18th around 1:00 pm. Straight from the job site, excuse me, the former job site.We arrived in Bristol TN/VA just in time for volunteer check-in. Perfect place for Joey and I. Truly the closest thing to us both being in out native states. So close in fact that we could walk down the street holding hands while in ourrespective states-awwww how adorable? What a goat show? It was nuts, we got assigned to ticket sales right by the main stage. Met Justin Townes Earle. Listened to lots of good music, escaped the volunteer booth and started dancin'. First night on the road we slept in Leonardo (my blue Subaru wagon).
(music of the day: Sam Quinn + Japan Ten, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Trampled by Turtles

Day two-mission for coffee and potent booze tea ingredients. Music in the a.m., volunteered 4-

8p.m. simultaneously to getting absolutely tanked. After all, we are on extended vacation. Ran into some friends that day. Lots of drinking and great music, o I need not forget to mention-

dancing.(music of the day: Mayehm Stringband, Justin Townes Earle, Folk Soul Revival, Roane Mountain Hilltoppers, Scythian

Day three, more great music. Drove to see Bennett in Johnson City. Got lost in Elizabethton. Made dinner with Bennett from veggies out of the jardin. Takes me back to the good ole days. Good to see Bennett-he is so happy and totally engaged WOAH! Drove home, snoozed.
(music of the day: Pokey Lafarge, Rum Drum Ramblers*there were so so many more amazing acts not to mention amazing acts that we missed while working/watching others-go check out the Rhythm and Roots Bristol website!
Crazy day of moving and temporary good byes. Chelsea and Joey helped me move back into mom's ALL day. Joey made awesome dinner for Mom Steve and I. Off to Nashville.

Early wake up. Dropped Joey off. Wait, wait, wait, fly, fly again. YAY! HELLO PORTLAND OREGON! Joey picked me up. We rode into town and I got to meet Jesse (one of Joey's closest friends from middle school). We rode bikes to the store and got food to make dinner and beers! Yay bikes in Portland. Lauren (Jesse's wife and also a very close friend of Joey's) came home. Ross (my oldest brother), who also lives in Portland, came over and we all had dinner.

Wednesday September 23rd. Rode with Jesse to the Gorge and hiked Angels' Rest Trail. Beautiful. We also saw Horsetail falls and Multnomah falls. Came back and relaxed, got ready and met up with Ross for Ethiopian food, yum!

Went to a really cool bar, the Pied Cow. Neat old Victorian house with a huge yard to drink in. Big bottled beers, hooka and dessert-weird. Then off to Ross' for sleep. Mmm sleep.

Thursday September 24th. VODOO doughnuts to go and ate them down by the river, that's right vegan doughnuts. Need I say that Portland is vegan heaven? Time to get the house situated. When I say the house I mean the o so beautiful deep red 1990 Toyota pickup who prefers to be called Jolene. Sweet set up- camper shell on top, we use the truck bed for storage and on top of the storage space are wood panels that are hinged and open upwards so that we can access our stuff (or we can access it via the tail gate) and on top of that we have thermorests and a small memory foam mattress topper so that Joey and I are on the same surface, same height. Really neat, I'll include a picture. Anyway, we had to organize things-clothes, food, gear, etc. Then we rode bikes all around the city. We met up with Ross and Clayton-yet another of Joey's nearest and dearest friends from VCU whom also lives in Portland.

We went to Powell's-largest independent bookstore in the world (awesome rare books room with books printed in the early 1700s and some priced over $10,000), then to a cool elephant statue, music shop to get me a new harmonica at Old Towne Music!, and Portland's famous food carts for felafel. Then we rode on the trail called Springwater Corridor Trail, it goes all around the city limits down by the water-gorgeous. By then it was happy hour so we went to Kelly's Olympian and got $5.00 black and blues (Double shot of Jack and tallboy PBR) X2. From there we (Joey, Ross, Lauren and Clayton) rode back to Jesse and Lauren's and got ready to go out to last Thursdays. SO fun, awesome music, art, food, street performers etc.

Then to a house party. Then home where Joey and I decided to spend out first night in the truck!

Friday September 25th. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIKKI!!! I love you. Woke up rested. Spent the morning seeking coffee and bike parts with Jesse and Joey. Went to four bike shops. All unique. City bikes=way good. Packed up an overnight bag. Ross came to fetch me and take me to what is honestly the best place I have ever been to eat in my entire life. LITERALLY. Vita Cafe on Alberta-check it out. I got a vegan Philly cheese steak comprised of vegan cheese and seitan with awesome red and green peppers on french bread! The choices blew my mind literally every food in the world that I love and all VEGAN. Got dropped off at the train station and I am now on the train. Next stop Bellingham Washington! Brad King and Amber Wilson here I come. (Joey is coming up tomorrow. It's crazy he has few people he truly loves in this world and however crazy, Vince, one of the chosen ones, is on his way into Portland tonight. So, naturally he wanted to hang out one more night with Jesse, Lauren, and Clayton and to await Vince's arrival. I wanted to meet Vince too but my love, my wife Amber was calling!!!!) So here I sit on the train.

Personal note: So far so good. This is great. Very exhilarating. I feel the stress melting away and the mountain of possible is growing before my eyes. Joey and I are very happy. I think I need this sort of wide openness in my life. Days and months with little if any plans in sight. Bring it on.

I'll write again soon. Love to all. Write me and let me know what is going on with you!!