Day 101 - Beginnings
I got “the hell out of Dodge” and headed south to Northern California, and as I drove, I felt about ten pounds lighter. There is something liberating about leaving your burdens, even for a short time, and I felt great.
I began this long weekend on a Wednesday. One nice thing about being self-employed and/or unemployed is having the flexibility to make your schedule as you want to. I headed southward a day earlier than originally planned to make time to visit new friends in Modesto.
The drive down was uneventful and adequately fast (with the exception of hitting traffic in Sacramento). I haven’t seen Mt. Shasta with so little snow, and that was interesting. It was warm enough during the drive that I eventually shucked the shirt and even turned on the air conditioning a few times (something I try to avoid to maximize my mileage - I handle warm temperatures better than gas prices).I arrived in Modesto in good shape, though slightly road weary, and received a pleasant welcome. I had met Joe through my dear friend Paul some weeks before when Joe was visiting Portland. Now I got to meet his partner Dave. Dave works from home, and was able to keep in touch throughout the day, so I could keep them informed of my timing. What a great couple - warm, accommodating, generous, fun - the adjectives abound for these guys, and I look forward to visiting with them again when they come back to Portland for another visit in November.
I thought about this the next morning - not only had I begun what was to be a wonderful vacation, but I also started what may be a wonderful friendship with two of the most open, engaging men I’ve met in awhile. Life can be good even in a bad economy. I look forward to what will come next.
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