The Western Trek Journal
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Epilogue

Day 4 & 5

There is no worthy sight in Eastern Oregon or Eastern Washington.  Return to the Western Texas page for visual aid.
Now fully disgusted with driving through mile after mile of dry plains, I went as fast as I could through Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington.  Both were just a version of West Texas except with a lot more hills.  I didn't find any interesting landmarks along the way, so I decided to just keep going until the end of the day.  I headed out from the rest area northeast of Pocatella, ID, and went south on I-15, turning west onto I-86 once I reached Pocatella.  I-86 continued west for half the state, and then joined with I-84, which I continued on to the northwest until I reached Oregon.  Here I stopped at the Oregon Welcome Station for a quick photo and then headed out once more.

Welcome Station for Oregon

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, WA
After I passed through the far northeastern corner of Oregon, I briefly took rural 395 north from Stanfield, OR, and then quickly turned onto I-82, following it all the way to Seattle.  I remember very little about the trip along I-82 through eastern Washington, but I did stop in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest for a photo.  At last the scenery had changed!  These forests continued on for the entire drive to Anacortes, except for the brief drive through Seattle.  It was in Seattle that I got my first taste of heavy Washington rain, which began pouring down in huge sheets, sometimes blinding me for several danergerous seconds, even with the wipers going at full speed.

the familiar Seattle rain

home at last
I took I-5 north from Seattle and then turned west on highway 20, until at last I reached the city limits of Anacortes.  I paused for a moment here at the entrance to my home and stared up at the sign which displayed the phrase I had longed for so long.  I can admit that I wept openly when I got here.  It was several moments before I was able to get back on the road and drive the last few miles to my new home.  Once I got to the condo I unpacked, cleaned up, and took a few photos of my new place.

my new home

view from the condo
You can see to the right a partial view of what can be seen from the rooftop of the condo.  A cool onshore breeze is often felt from here, bringing the briny smell of the sea with it.  After unpacking, and taking a few final photos, I was completely wiped.  After two previous night of sleeping in a car barely large enough to fit me and a four day road trip across the United States, I was ready for a long siesta.  This was pretty much all I did for the next day and a half. 

Epilogue

 
I began writing a journal at the end of the first day of the trip, a record of my experiences over the many hours on and off the road.  This is what was transcribed directly from my journal.  Any changes done to the text are for grammatical purposes only and are marked with brackets: [ ].
May 31, 2001    09:25 PM PST
   Too tired to write.  Maybe in the morning.
June 01, 2001    11:05 PM PST 6/1/01
   I mised a day's wrth of writing, but as nothing happened that day, I'm not worried.  Eastern WA and Eastern OR are both dry, arid climates very similar to New Mexico.  But once the mountains were crossed, WOW!  Pine trees for as far as the eye can see, huge rolling rivers, and deer at nearly every rest area.  Such a beautiful spot.
   I have made it to Anacortes and unpacked.  I am now hit by the understanding that I have moved here.  I have no friends or family [here], and for the first time in my life, I feel alone.  I am consumed with worry that I have made a poor decision and want to simply pack my things and run back to Texas.  But I know that this is just anxiety from being in an unfamiliar place.  I'm sure that if I look around town I'll feel better.  I still need to: a) get a phone, b) get DSL, c)get cable TV, d)get my DL & car registration updated, and e)learn to freakin' relax!  Unpacking everything and stocking up on food has really worn me out.
   Perhaps tomorrow will be easier to enjoy.
-Ty, home at last

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All material on this page is copyright 2001 by Tylan Watts.  Permission is given for reproduction in part or in whole provided proper credit is given to the author.