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| Passing by Lake Albert in Oregon after leaving the PCT |
It's been a month since I decided to get off of the Pacific Crest Trail. What a wild month it has been! Here's what I've been up to:
First, I surprised my boyfriend. Instead of surfing, I rode a bus, hitch hiked, drove 10 hours, and followed him home in a rental car laughing hysterically over the phone and him not knowing what in the world I was doing. When he saw me get out of the car, his jaw dropped and he started laughing hysterically out of pure excitement and confusion. He so willingly gave me a giant hug and kiss, before expressing his confession that I really needed a shower! It was quite the exciting, stinky, dirty, lovable moment.
After my shower, he took me shopping for a complete outfit that wasn't perma-stenched from 1300 miles of dirt, grime, and sweat. Every new piece of clothing on my skin felt smoothly addictive. This was the one time in my life that I've enjoyed the act of shopping, since it is not my forte and I always find better things to do. In that moment, it was enjoyably sensational!
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| I turned 26 very happily! |
Wet suits, flippers, masks, and outdoor camping gear made a great 26th birthday. What a cold weekend for the end of June! We swam across Lake Jubilee in our gear, exploring the underwater world, and came out looking almost translucent with ice headaches from the chilly water! We knew we were crazy, but we do have our limits. Instead of swimming, we decided hobbling barefoot back to camp was a better idea. Introducing him to the infamous hiker hobble commonly seen on the PCT when your body suddenly feels like it's 90 years old.
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| Before the PCT, I always brought more gear than him. Not this time! :) |
Lake Chelan for the 4th of July was quite wild. We strapped our kayaks to the top of Rob's car using pool noodles. A 4 hour car ride with the radiant hum of the noodles left us with ears on the verge of falling off.
This gigantic lake mimicked the ocean with its 2 to 3 foot waves for some fun paddling!
As the sun rose and the winds calmed, we soon found ourselves on a pristine glassy lake. We parked our kayaks along the shoreline and dove to the world below us. Wow! It was gorgeous! It's amazing what water does to the perception of our surroundings, making it a new world.
The next week, I decided to make a surprise visit to my parents. This involved scaring my mom at work and jumping at my dad's vehicle window. They'd expect nothing less from me. :) I had a great time on the farm and doing various things. A few of these activities involved:
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| Bowling with the Bullers |
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| Floating the Bosie river with my sister and her dog Juneau. |
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| Stuffing all of my belongings into a car and being happy that this is all I own. |
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| Watching the sunset on the trampoline with my parents. |
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| Watching another sunset on the farm. |
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| Watching a plane spray ridiculous amounts of chemicals on a field. Bleck! |
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| Having a fun evening of slushies and pizza with my parents! |
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Making delicious salsa that I would have DIED for on the PCT.
Swimming- I'm obsessed with water now.
Meeting up with some of my favorite trail trash in Portland, OR. Sheriff Woody & Caughee.
AND...
Most of all, job hunting! I'll be getting my first Dental Hygiene job, and I'm so excited! My mind is flowing with endless ideas and excitement about the freedom of life! Inspired beyond my wildest dreams! That's the great thing about life. Stories keep on going, and it is up to each individual to create them.
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