So hungover and reluctant to start my day reminiscing in bed about the prior night with my friends in the Lower East Side. If I don’t get up and get going I am just delaying my inevitable journey to my destination so I crawl out of bed. I haven’t packed yet! I don’t want to believe that I am actually going on this journey. I deny it and reject the assertion I am leaving! Regardless I quickly rustle together everything and load everything into my SUV at a frantic pace.
My journey begins and get on the road but I need to see one of my friends again. Even though it detours me 20 minutes I can’t help myself I head over to her bakery Sweet and Flour. I walk into the back to the surprise of my good friend of many years. I go up to her and give her a big strong hug because I don’t know when I will see her next! Certainly, an emotional moment I will never forget! The skyline of New York City in the background the most amazing city that is truly amazing silhouetting this moment in my mind forever. A moment where I didn’t want to accept my ultimate destiny.
The beautiful Shenandoah Valley
I make my way through the beautiful Shenandoah Valley the sun is setting in the valley creating beautiful red skies across the horizon. I wonder what is going to happen in my life and how much it will change from this big journey I am making. I am afraid and try to distract myself by putting YouTube on during my drive. I can’t escape it my whole life is going to change and I am not sure how I feel about it. I have 6 more hours to get to Asheville my first destination. I fly down the hills above Asheville so I can make it in time to the hotel to get some sleep so I can complete my journey before Monday.
I try to sleep but I stay awake with my eyes wide awake feeling a deep feeling of loss. I don’t know yet why I feel this way when really I should be excited. Things will be getting better for me in general as I transition in my new life. Finally I doze away to get some sleep in this beautiful star filled place. I feel like I am islanded in a stream of stars when I look up at the sky from this amazing little valley.
My alarm goes off with an annoying tone I have grown to fucking hate with a passion over time. I stumble out of bed and into the warm shower. I have done most of the drive ahead of me in my past adventures already so I am bored until I hit Memphis and get to the roaring Mississippi river! She’s legendary and majestic! I tried to see it in 2014 but unfortunately could only make it to the Land between the Lakes. I
have been waiting a long time to experience this! I know I am getting closer to my destination but I am still hours and hours away!
Crossing into Texarkana getting closer and closer to my destination. I stop at a McDonalds in this strange place I find myself in for a quick meal before blasting my stereo and burning rubber! The girl at the window is really cute but asks me to hold her hands as she prays for my safe journey to my destination. My first weird experience in this odd place and certainly not the last. I finally arrive to my destination in 105 degree heat! Dallas! I wonder in my first night at my apartment what does this strange place hold in store for me? Will I like it? Will I hate it? Will I ever forget about New York and the people I left behind?
I am not a writer nor do I pretend to be a writer. My good friend Christian Vela and I had falling out and he and I originally started this blog to document the adventures we went on! He was the writer and I was generally the photographer and planner of adventures which is my forte! After this move to Dallas I felt the need to reignite the flame into this blog. My mission is to open up the minds of everyone that comes across this blog to adventure and open mindedness. The quest to discover new things and experiences in life! The passion for being wild that seems to be going extinct! By the way, I wrote this piece while being totally fucking hammered at the Ihop Bar in DFW airport on my first trip back to NYC. This moment was highly emotional for me the highlight of my first two months in Dallas.