zekesroadtrip

[zekesroadtrip]

Day 8: Savannah, GA

Man. Am I tired. 

Sorry for taking a few days to write the last blog post. Getting settled in over the weekend was more tiring than I thought it would be, and I wanted to make sure I was ready to process the last day of traveling well before I wrote anything.

Driving to Savannah today only took about 6 hours but I kept noticing myself nodding off at random points so it’s a good thing I’m finally here! Thanks y’all for going on this quick trip with me. I hope I was able to articulate my thoughts well this last week. 

My first night (last Thursday 5/17)  I tried to unpack as much as I could and then headed straight to downtown for dinner. I ate at Churchill Pub on their rooftop patio. It was delightful with the warm breeze and guitarist wooing everyone with his music. I visited the famous river street which has a waterfront area to watch the sunset. Being exhausted I went back home for an early night’s rest. 

Over the weekend I got to explore Savannah and the surrounding area, eat and drink a lot of good food and beverages, get a *lot* of shopping done for my place, and meet some of my cool new coworkers. I even booked most of my airbnbs for the trip back! Had to really, since I expect July to be a busy month for traveling. If you don’t know this about me, I tend to get restless very quickly and like to think about what I’m going to do next. That being said, on the way back I’ll be driving through Nashville, Chicago, Minneapolis, Mt. Rushmore, Missoula, and the great city of Spokane, WA before getting back home on July 21st. 

It was a little lonely these past few days at some points. I know I sometimes (aka most of the times or all of the times) romanticize and idealize what I think an experience will actually be like. Thus when I’m hit with the reality of the situation, like the very boring parts of the drive, or shopping for apartment necessities, it tends to be a huge bummer. But looking back on both the boring and exciting moments makes me appreciate them more in light of and not in the absence of each other. 

I just finished driving over 3100 miles to get here. Now that I’m here, I on some level can’t wait to get back home and see friends and family again. But I know it’s normal to be homesick and miss my people right after leaving. I’ll be back before I know it. In the meantime, I have a lot of books I brought with me to read, work to do, and new places to explore! I hope to visit Washington D.C. & Florida while I’m here at the very least. Might as well, right? Gotta get those starbucks “you are here” mugs after all. 

I probably won’t be writing until my trip back on July 13th or 14th (haven’t decided if I want to get some driving done on Friday the 13th) but I’ll keep you posted. :-) Until then, look forward to updates on Instagram! 

Please enjoy these last two songs that have been on my mind this weekend. 

Rivers and Roads by The Head and The Heart. 

Safe by The Airborne Toxic Event. 

Peace. 

[zekesroadtrip]

Day 7: Montgomery, AL

Wow! Can’t believe I’ve been on the road for 7 days…and that my trip will be over tomorrow. After leaving the lovely New Orleans I headed straight for Montgomery. I could have not stopped here and made my trip shorter, but I’ve always wanted to visit it ever since senior year of college. 

In 2016 spring semester of senior year  I took two pretty impactful classes with two amazing professors: Communication Across Barriers with Jeff KG & Rhetoric of Social Justice with Dr. Bohn Lattin. I don’t recall everything I learned in those two classes (sorry profs) but I do remember two key memories. In KG’s class we learned about the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which is a first-of-its-kind memorial that recently opened last month and has been in the works since 2010. As described on its website, it’s “ the nation’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people, people terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow, and people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police violence.”  We saw a short video detailing the vision for the memorial and what it would look like and since then I knew I would visit it someday. 

In Lattin’s class we reviewed the civil rights movement and I got to review a lot of incredible events such as Rosa Parks’ arrest & the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Selma to Montgomery March, and Dr. Martin Luther King’s life there. That made me want to visit Montgomery myself even more. 

Unfortunately I arrived in Montgomery with only enough time to visit the National Memorial for Peace & Justice, but I know I’ll visit again someday to fully appreciate all of the sites and give them the time they deserve to be explored. 

Suffice it so say, it was a quietly somber and moving experience.  Please take time to learn more about it on its website. https://museumandmemorial.eji.org

It’s a reminder that we all have a responsibility to educate ourselves about our nation’s past on racial inequality, ensure that we do our part to fight against racism, ignorance, hatred, and bigotry in whatever way we can, and treat others as they deserve to be treated: with dignity, compassion, empathy, and love. 

Peace. 

[zekesroadtrip]

Day 6: New Orleans, LA

Holy God, what a day it’s been in New Orleans. Screw talking about the drive, nothing really exciting there. Except for feeling the humidity and heat in my car while blasting the AC…and I was told that today was a mildly humid and hot day for locals. I have a lot to look forward to in a few weeks when summer really kicks in. 

Where do I even start with describing today? There’s so much energy here it’s crazy. Today was such a sensory experience, I hope I can do it justice with this post. Right now as I’m typing I hear the drizzling rain pouring and see lightning like up the sky between the blinds and hear the thunder boom every few minutes. It’s really something else. 

So knowing how little I knew about New Orleans, I was pretty excited to explore the city in the few hours I had here. I got a Lyft to the edge of the historic French Quarter, and started off with a delicious dinner at Saint Lawrence. 

After dinner, I walked to Jackson Square on the recommendation of my Lyft driver. It was so hot that my cheap $1 flip flops actually started sticking to the ground! I need to invest in some Chacos. But I digress. 

Beginning that walk brought me back to my Salzburg & Granada days. If you didn’t know, I studied abroad in college and yes it was the best time of my life thank you for asking. The drinking culture abroad is so different. 

But the main reason why I was reminded of studying abroad was the excitement of visiting a new city where everything is completely brand new to me. Around every corner is something unknown and cool and waiting to be discovered. There were psychics, street performers, drummers, and street vendors. It was awesome. 

Unlike in college, I wasn’t too interested in visiting 10 museums and cathedrals in the precious free time I had here. No, I decided to visit Bourbon Street. Someone told me I had to check it out while I was here. When I asked why, they said I’d just have to go see for myself. And right they were.

The very first step I take onto Bourbon Street and I get a guy asking me where I’m from and upon learning Portland, asking if I had any weed on me (spoiler alert: no). I walked from end to end a few times, and there was everything everywhere. Sights, sounds, smells.  People of all backgrounds strolling through the street, yelling, singing karaoke, laughing with friends, holding hands, taking selfies. I saw groups of bros, retirees, families, couples, and solo travelers like me taking it all in from both on the street and balcony patios. 

Every bar and restaurant had different music blasting from their speakers along with live bands: jazz, disco, pop, rap, Fall Out Boy’s hit #1 single Sugar We’re Goin Down, and even polka music. 

Just like the music and people, there was definitely a diversity in smells, unfortunately. Sweat, beer, that distinct smell of a Porta Potty, and that weird smell of muggy air.  But there was so much to see and hear that I kinda was able to block them all out. I could have stayed much longer, but after getting a few drinks I headed to Woldenberg Park, which is located on the Mississippi River. While walking in the park I saw storm clouds get closer and closer, along with lightning strikes every few minutes. It was awe-inspiring.

The day had to end sooner or later, so after snapping a few quick pics I decided to get a Lyft back to the airbnb to get some rest and write this post. 

Safe to say it won’t be the last time I’m here. There’s so much more to explore!

Tomorrow I’m off to Montgomery, Alabama for one last stop before I get to Savannah. Can’t wait. 

Please enjoy these energetic bops, as I think their upbeat vibe matches my mood for the day.  

Peace!

Heart To Break by Kim Petras. 

I Don’t Want It At All also by Kim Petras. 

[zekesroadtrip]

Day 5: Amarillo, TX to Dallas, TX

Today’s drive went off without a hitch, unless you count the part where I got pulled over for going 80mph on a highway with a 75 mph speed limit. I know, I know. I was playing fast and loose with danger but for once I thought I should be that girl who plays by her own rules. Who cares if I didn’t use my blinker to get into the left lane when there was nobody behind me for miles? I’m chill and relatable! 

So when the officer stopped me on the road I was ready to pay the price, but thankfully he gave me a warning and let me go without a ticket. I think he felt bad for me after I told him I was driving to Georgia from Portland. #blessed 

Sidebar- another reason i’m #blessed is for my friend Jesse. I don’t know of anyone else I can be on the phone with for nearly 2 hours just talking about nothing, but it definitely made driving for 6 hours pass by much quicker. Wig. 

If you’d like to learn about this revolutionary vocabulary word “wig”, click here for its full definition. 

If you’d like to see “wig” used in a sentence or two, click here.  

Now that i’m pretty much done with grad school, I’m so looking forward to having more free time thanks to no more homework. I’ll finally be able to spend time completing goals, like being able to run more than 2 miles without feeling like everything hurts and I’m dying. I told myself after a week of celebrating the end of the semester with good food, drinks, and company, I’d start working out again and eating better. No more empty calories for this guy. 

So when I got around to seeing Shaylene, a UP coworker who is doing her internship at University of Texas in Dallas, for dinner, I knew I had to eat smart. Since I’ve never had Tex-Mex before, we went to Don Pepe’s Rancho Mexican Grill. 

Keeping in mind my vague goals of eating better (and also not being an impulsive spender), I had to make this dinner count. Before we got inside I decided to order water with a light entree. So naturally when the waiter asked me what I wanted, I said “1 jumbo-sized top shelf margarita and your biggest order of enchiladas please.” 

At least I started off with good intentions. 

I have all the willpower in the world to complete my goals until the second the thought “treat yo self, you deserve [fill in the blank]” pops into my head. I should probably work on that. Sounds like a tomorrow me problem. Speaking of tomorrow, off to New Orleans in 7 hours! 

Please enjoy the chill vibes of these two jams that made my day. 

Ribs by Lorde. 

Love by Kendrick Lamar. 

Peace! 

[zekesroadtrip]

Day 4: Gunnison, CO to Amarillo, TX

Currently writing this post at 10:49pm CDT, thinking about how I’m 2 hours ahead of folks at home. If I was back in Portland I’ll probably be getting ready to watch WestWorld, but alas, there is no TV with free HBO at this campsite. Life can be hard. 

Today’s 8 hour drive was probably my favorite so far, considering it was really the point of my journey where I’d be driving in unexplored territory. After leaving Gunnison and driving through the mountains, I took a right on highway 69 for New Mexico. 

Driving from Gunnison to Amarillo was beautiful. I passed through a diverse variety of landscapes: mountains, forests, deserts, cities, farms, busy freeways and empty streets. I drove through many small towns with aging buildings past the age of their splendor, abandoned and empty. There’s something wistful about these small communities. What kind of stories happened there? How did this once thriving area now become a ghost town? What will it be like in 10 years? 

It being Mother’s Day, I called my mom and grandma, thanking them for being the amazing mothers they are. It was tough not being home, but hey it’ll be July before we know it. 

After finally getting into Texas, I realized just how vast this state is. I mean miles and miles and hours and hours just to get to Amarillo! It’ll take me about 10 hours of straight driving just to get to Louisiana over the next two days. Definitely feeling like an outsider driving on the freeways full of pick-up trucks while I have my subaru hatchback. But so far people are pretty friendly, and I can’t wait to try Tex-Mex food tomorrow. 

Listened to a lot of Lord Huron & Sigala today. Enjoy! 

Peace. 

Say You Do by Sigala. 

La Belle Fleur Sauvage by Lord Huron. 

[zekesroadtrip]

Day 3: 24 Hours in Gunnison

What’s the best way to start off the day? A 5 mile run, 30 minute meditation session, and making a to-do list in order to be as productive as possible, of course. 

Or…we can avoid all that and instead get breakfast at the best cafe in Gunnison: The W Cafe, home of Colorado’s best breakfast burrito. 

I was looking forward to my day in Gunnison because I was curious as to how I would behave after a year away full of experiences. However, it ended up not mattering at all that I was away for a year, as I pretty much had the same personality while I was there. Surprise! 

Along with Joel & Jon (an RD at Western State University), I enjoyed the company of my old supervisor Paul. I got to hear all about the fun (and not so fun) stuff happening at Western, which made me think about all the ups and downs while working at UP. No institution is perfect, but it is fascinating comparing how different schools run things. 

Once we were done with breakfast, we hit up Townie Books in Crested Butte (where I bought The Refugees by Viet Than Nguyen and can’t wait to read) and walked around town. Some of my favorite shops unfortunately closed over the last year. It was a bit of a bummer to see what were once fun places to relax in now closed off, waiting for a new owner. But such is life, and it sounds like some exciting new businesses will be replacing them soon. 

After enjoying a couple of pints, Joel & I headed to the local brewery to enjoy dinner and drinks with Paul & Jon again. We ran into someone who, to put it diplomatically, I would have been completely fine with leaving in the past. But luck would have it that the one day I’m in town, they too would be visiting. I remember the challenges of working with this person in the past, and am grateful for the lessons learned about working with people very different from myself. 

If you’re ever in a group of people who work in higher education, sooner or later the conversation drifts to higher ed topics: Personal philosophies on programming, funny stories about students, perspectives on national conversations about higher education hot-button issues, the list goes on and on. That was a lot of my day hanging out with Western people. It’s great because since we are all in this field, we are the ones who really understand how to talk about it. It’s easy for us to talk only about our jobs, so I try to steer conversations to who we are outside of our roles. It’s so easy for our careers to be the sole focus of our lives, when in reality there is so much more. 

After the easy-paced day, I finalized my itinerary for the week: 

-Amarillo, Texas on Sunday. 

-Dallas, Texas, Monday. 

-New Orleans, Louisiana Tuesday. 

-Montgomery, Alabama on Wednesday. 

-Savannah, Georgia on Thursday! 

Right before bed I watched Childish Gambino’s This Is America. 10/10 you should watch it. 

Peace! 

[zekesroadtrip]

Day 2: Twin Falls, ID to Gunnison, CO.

It was pitch black when I set out today at 4am for Gunnison from Twin Falls. There’s something about sleeping on a musty couch that doesn’t make for a good night’s sleep, or a desire to stay there for longer than necessary. I knew I was in for a loooooooong day of driving. But after a few chugs of coffee, I was ready for the 12 hour trip.

You might be wondering why I’m going to Gunnison in the first place. Last year I worked there at Western State Colorado University as a Res Life intern. It was a good experience, since it developed a more comprehensive appreciation for my hometown as well as how we do residence life at UP. I learned I am definitely a city kid-I got antsy living in a town of 6,000. But I developed great relationships with the staff there and am excited to see them again.

There are 2 things I appreciate about driving outside of Oregon: I get to pump my own gas and freeway speed limits aren’t capped at 55mph. I felt like I was flying through Utah at 80-90 miles per hour!

Stopping only for the occasional stretch break, I began to remember familiar sites on the way to Gunnison. Eventually I passed by the exit to get to Arches National Park, and for a split second I was tempted to take a detour and see it again. It was fun last year camping there and hiking through a storm to see some of the incredible sandstone arches. But as one of my favorite shows says, “time’s arrow marches forward.”

Have you ever been alone with your thoughts for a long time? It can either be rewarding or debilitating. Today it was a ping-pong match of thoughts like “wow, I’m so blessed and life is great and think about all the great people you know” to “let’s relive that one moment 3 years ago when you made a fool of yourself, plus all the other million times you were inferior to everyone else you know.”

It was a long 12 hours to Gunnison, to say the least. But being tired and dehydrated doesn’t exactly set one up for success in positive self-talk, so I kept that in mind. After all, we aren’t obligated to be the same person we were in the past. We owe it to ourselves to move on and allow ourselves to grow.

Finally at 4pm I arrived at the house Joel, my co-intern from last year, is staying at while dog-sitting for a friend. Sweet Jesus, I’ve never been happier to get out of my car and stretch. As Joel came out the door, he immediately started laughing. I thought it was because I looked like a mess, but then he said “You’re wearing the same shirt you wore all the time last year!”

I looked down and it was a Christie t-shirt, my first choice for whenever I’m feeling a more chill vibe. Old habits are hard to break.  

Fast forward 3 hours later, and we’re at dinner with more friends enjoying some of the best mexican food in town, swapping stories from the year. While we all had quite eventful 2017-18 academic years, it honestly felt like nothing changed while we were apart. It’s a reassuring feeling in a world where change seems to be the only constant we can rely on.

Hope you enjoy these two songs that reflect the day! Peace. 

Learn To Let Go by Kesha. 

Lost In My Mind by The Head and the Heart. 

[zekesroadtrip]

Day 1: Portland to Twin Falls, ID

No, I’m not really a girl, but if you’ve seen the New Girl opening theme song, you’ll know how catchy a phrase “Who’s that girl?” is! 

Thanks for joining me as I travel to Savannah for my summer internship. I just wrote a draft before what you are reading now, except the website crashed and didn’t save a thing. It was beautiful and eloquent, but hopefully I can recapture the spirit of it. Lesson learned, write and SAVE AS YOU GO on a word doc if you want to preserve your writings. 

In this mini-blog (why yes, I’ll preemptively accept my Pulitzer and Nobel now, thank you) I hope to reflect on my life experiences as I gallivant across the USA. 

When I told people I was driving to Georgia, I pretty much heard all the same stuff: 

“You’re DRIVING?! You’re crazy!”

“Savannah is going to be hot and humid, good luck!”

“Don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Call, text, snap, insta, facebook, and tweet me every 30 seconds so I know you’ll be ok.” 

“No, Ezequiel, cargo shorts are neither fun or fashionable.” 

However, it’s been my dream to road trip across the country since I was a kid, and since life is short dreams are worth pursuing. Growing up I was mostly stuck at home, and to me being able to drive anywhere I wanted was a sign of freedom from monotony and frankly, dysfunction at home. It’s one of the many reasons why this road trip is important to me. 

After packing up my apartment and putting stuff in storage, stuffing my car with everything I deemed essential for 2 months away, and saying tearful goodbyes to friends and family, I started my trip on the I-84. 

Before we continue, let me give a special shout-out to Nathan, my supervisor of the last two years, who is leaving for the next chapter in his life. Good luck to ya Nathan. I think Oprah can better describe how I feel about him here. 

If you haven’t driven through the Columbia Gorge, it’s gorgeous! Drive through it and spend a weekend in Joseph, OR, a beautiful town close to the Wallowa mountains.

It’s funny thinking about all the times I’ve driven to and from Portland on the I-84. Every summer in high school I went to Donnelly, ID for a mission trip and we always stopped at the same food area in Pendleton. It was delightful on this trip to see all the same sights, even though I’ve changed since high school. 

It’s funny to reflect on who we were in high school, and who we are now. I enjoy reflecting on the past, as I believe it informs a lot about who we are today. In high school, I was shy, awkward, and oblivious to my own weirdness. On the rare occasion I broke out of my metaphorical shell, I was witty, sarcastic, flamboyant, and melodramatic. Most if not all of that is still true to some extent today. While I view(ed) myself as a kind, quiet, and patient person, I of course have my faults. I can be vain, selfish, and rude from time to time, and blind to how I come off. I’m sure my personality and faults have gotten on some people’s nerves. To all the people who I’ve annoyed or wronged over the years, I’m sorry. I’m working on being a #betterperson. 

Long drives are always good for introspection. 

After a few hours of driving and listening to amazing music handpicked by yours truly, I pulled off the highway to FaceTime my friend and colleague Kelin, since it was her birthday and I wasn’t able to be present. She’s a gem, if you are ever lucky to meet her. It was during this FaceTime session that someone in the group (Keri, I think?) suggested I write about my travel, so thank her for the idea!

More to come after I arrive in Gunnison today to visit people I worked with last summer in my internship. For now, please enjoy these two songs I feel reflect the mood for the day. 

This Is Not The End by Gungor. 

The Mother We Share by CHVRCHES. 

Peace!