Day 26 - PA, MD, and VA - Home Sweet Home

A long and gnawing drive awaited me, much of it without crucial rest stops. I powered through the rest of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland before finally making it home. I encountered more mountains and rain which at this point were traumatizing.

When I was closing in on home and became most eager, of course I ran into the metro DC traffic I have grown to despise so much. I endured an extra hour of driving before I got home. Honestly, it was pretty miserable, but I finally arrived home to my family and my dog, with all my souvenirs intact, and my mother's requested cacti alive and well.

Looking back, the trip was without hesitation the best experience of my life. Doing something of this epic magnitude and taking the leaps beforehand to make it happen became the ultimate empowerment. This trip truly showed me that life is nothing but a product of the choices we make, and that our choices define how we live, in spite of the circumstances that we endure. I now really feel like I'm in control of my own life, and my choices and decisions really do fuel the outcomes and determine my happiness.

Before I left, the trip seemed overwhelming, but now, it seems like just a matter of hopping in the car and going for a drive. To live my life a little bit. I feel like I can accomplish anything I want. I feel like even if I have a bad time somewhere, or even a bad (entire) day, it is only temporary, and soon I will be back in my enlightened little life of liberation. Any anxiety or depression or feelings of being overwhelmed will pretty much melt away.

I learned what it meant to be truly alive, and more importantly, I took away that our happiness and freedom are literally within our reach, and all we have to do is take a deep breath, reach out and grab it, and open our eyes to the reality we desire.

I am alive. I am free. And I am happy. And these truths, much like the memories of my trip, are only one decision away.

Until my next adventure, I wish you all happiness. May you find your freedom and elevate above whatever is holding you down. This life was meant for us to experience absolutely, and I hope you all choose to take it up on its offer.

"And this is only a little of what I've been given,
Still can't believe that it's only the beginning."
- Black Milk

"My destiny found me, it was clear why the struggle was so painful,
Metamorphosis, this is what I changed to,
God, Im so thankful."
- Nas

"Today is different...I must be happy today,
I must have chased the dark clouds away."
-Evidence

"Until they kill me,
I'll be living this life, I know you feel me."
- Tupac Shakur

Day 25 - Illinois, Indiana, Ohio

After trying to outrun the outrageous thunderstorms that had been beating up the Midwest, I finally found some peace in Illinois. Pushing myself harder than ever, I caught up to Eastern Standard Time after crossing the Mississippi river again, though under different circumstances.

The only interesting thing my experience in Indiana yielded was that as I tried to exit the toll road in South Bend to find a restroom, I accidentally ended up in Michigan for about 30 seconds. That was a pleasant surprise considering my American roots lie there.

Driving through the country roads in Ohio was brutal, but I was determined to make it to my friend David's house. I thought I could get there by 8 p.m. but I didn't stroll in till 11. And I was beat.

Thankfully, he had a delicious dinner of meat and meat ready for me. Pork tenderloin and Kielbasa. Holy thunder. We then took to the basement bar to catch up and I drank way too much whiskey and Canadian beer, in a throwback to our partying moments that spanned the globe. You see, we met in Rome, and he has been to VA to visit me, and I had not only seen him in Ohio, but we made a trip to Canada with our friend Tom to visit our friend Pedro. Labatt Blue is our soundtrack.

Of course we toasted vodka before we got started, so when I woke up the next morning to my 9 hour drive and his two boisterous kids (who were present out of the three available) I was not feeling great. Nonetheless, it was awesome to hang out and catch up, and see his children firsthand.

One last push and I would be home!

Days 23-24 Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa

Wyoming was rather uneventful, although it did have some wonderful views; both the High Plains and the people were very attractive. There's something to be said about the corn-feeding in the Midwest.

The people in Wyoming and Nebraska were well put together, even if they were a bit ugly at times. It was uncanny. Wyoming had lovely mountains, bright plains, and a neverending horizon.

I pushed hard into Nebraska, but the now norm of apocalyptic thunderstorms with white squalls of sheeting rain pounding the slim, curvy, and unsecured mountain roads made me stop a bit early for the night.

A wet morning followed, and I drove across Nebraska, desperately seeking the sun. I finally found some relief outside of Omaha, where I stopped for steak. I found a well-reviewed steakhouse which was half high-end restaurant and half dive bar. I headed to the bar partition, where an incredibly obese woman was singing and playing guitar with her family. The steak, much like most of the food I sampled, was weak. Usually I don't complain about bacon, but my prime rib's au jus tasted like bacon, which was too unexpected.

Don't ask me how, but I powered through to Des Moines that night, where I cajoled the night manager into letting me soak in the hot tub before crashing, though it was after hours. Home was starting to sound marvelous at this point, and I was eager to see my family and my dog.

Day 22 - Utah Revisited

Nothing should surprise me anymore. The western half of Utah bore no resemblance to its eastern counterpart. I started off driving through mountains, moved into desert and flat plains (that looked like salt rather than sand) and ended up in a city that looked like it was right outside of a beach.

The Utah desert had many stretches of white sand, and the winds picked it up quite easily. Dust storms plagued Arizona, but the sandstorms I saw in Utah were so huge and complex I wasn't sure what I was observing.

Another interesting thing about Utah is that each town had its initial painted onto a prominent mountain to identify location from the air. It was a helpful device in passing the time and gauging distance.

Salt Lake City was interesting, but nowhere near as captivating as the lake itself. The city is set against a backdrop of enormous snowy mountains, and it is far more developed and lively than presumed, though everything dies down fairly early. Most famous for the Mormon Temple, this part of the city is very aesthetically impressive. However, the lake dwarfs the architecture easily. Driving towards the Great Salt Lake transports you to the Mediterranean, with salt in the air, mist covering the water, and rock jutting out of the dark lake. One minute you're in the desert, the next you feel you're at the beach and you're truly in a whole different world. Before you have a chance to grasp what you're seeing, you enter a city in the mountains.

My determination was impeccable. Even taking an hour to explore the Mormon history, I stepped foot in three states that day. I made it to Wyoming, braving pitch black curving roads in the angry rain.

See pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/cyprian.mendelius

Day 21 - Nevada

I drove all the way from Monterey to Nevada through the Sierra. I again saw snowcapped mountains and spectacular forests. This is where the roads began to get insane. Single lane roads with no guard rails through the winding mountains, half the time at night, and half of that time in the rain and bellowing thunder.

Taking a bit of a break, I spent a few hours in Reno, which was fun. I kept pushing on to Winnemucca, which was also full of casinos. And apparently hookers. As I was complaining about the shoddy wireless internet at the front desk the next morning, a fellow patron told me that the best wireless was at the brothels. They weren't kidding when they said you learn something new every day.

Days 17-20 California

Leaving the Grand Canyon was difficult, but it did feel triumphant. I drove for about 4 hours as the sun was setting to Scottsdale. Yes three weeks later I was back! It brought back great memories.

The next morning I hit the hot tub before breakfast and then hit the road to California. Driving through Scottsdale made me feel very important among the expensive cars and gorgeous people. That part of Arizona was beautiful, and then I hit more desert and sand dunes. I drove through the infamous Yuma and arrived in California finally.

Most annoying about this leg of the trip was the vast amount of border patrol checkpoints, even though I never left the country.

I drove through the mountains the rest of the day and arrived in San Diego, and to my disbelief it was rainy. I settled in and made my way to the Gaslamp before turning in for the night, missing my friend Deb I was hoping to see.

The next day I went to Coronado for some beaching, but again it was nasty outside. I sampled some local cuisine, which was oddly disappointing, then took off for more adventure. I experienced the awful LA traffic and stopped in Sherman Oaks on Ventura Blvd. It was shocking to see so many plastic people.

I drove on Highway 1 all the way to Santa Maria. Seeing the Pacific Ocean at dusk from the ridge of the highway was cinematic to say the least. The next day I arrived in Monterey, which my father had always raved about. I went to the harbor and ate some more (disappointing) fish. It was wonderful watching the sun set on the water in one of my father's favorite places. Here I finally felt the accomplishment of driving from one coast to another.

Deciding to take in the moment, I stayed the night in Monterey before driving through Silicon Valley, Castroville (the artichoke capital of the world) and Sacramento, towards Nevada.

From here on out, it was a race to get back home, and I had to alter my original plans to see much of the northern states. I took it in stride and enjoyed the majestic drive across the continent.

See more pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/cyprian.mendelius

Day 16 - Grand Canyon

Well, the moment has finally arrived. The Grand Canyon was my grand prize. And there really aren't words to describe it, so I'll keep this one short on words and heavy on pictures.

I spent all day there, eating and drinking like a horse, taking as many pictures as humanly possible. It was slightly overcast and it rained in patches, but I still was able to get some spectacular views. I came in from the South Rim, and went all the way east to Desert View, taking pictures all along the way.

One point of interest was the Tusayan Ruins, which weren't much to look at, but full of history about the forgotten community that once inhabited them. There were lots of snakes(!) which I avoided but also a thornbush called the crucifixion thorn. The park is at the same latitude as Biblical Jerusalem, thus with apparently a similar climate, and this thornbush that grows in the park is believed to be the same kind of bush that lent itself to Christ's crown of thorns. Intriguing.

The Grand Canyon is breathtaking. At one unnamed lookout, a few minutes east of Grandview Point, the view was so incredible, so magnetic, that in my inability to walk away, I felt an urge to jump out into the canyon. Not because I felt I had no more living to do, but because the scene was so divine, I literally felt like I could fly.

Photographs