The next morning, like the night before, was a bit sad. Goodbyes are always something that produce an odd struggle in your heart. We geared up our car and uhaul and got on the road before the sun rose. Amy, Brit's mom. was in charge of driving the uhaul for most of the way. Brit and I would be switching with whoever needed a break. That morning, I started out driving for our adventure, for an adventure it was from the very start.
As we started off, Illinois waved goodbye in furious gusts of wind and rain. The roads were still dark and treacherous, and around DeKalb we almost had to pull over because of blinding rain and hail. As we pushed on, the clouds began to part with the rising sun and the doors of change opened clear ahead.
We were on the road for about 15 hours the first day. We felt invigorated by the native spirit of the plains and beginning foothills. For the most part, the weather was warm and beautiful. We took turns driving, and I even managed to swerve the uhaul down the road for a short while. Eventually, though, good tunes grew as long as the road and our bodies ached for some rested relief. We pulled off the road somewhere in Cheyenne, Wyoming; which just so happened to be one of the busiest places in the world at the time. Not only was the hotel that we tried first booked, but so was every single hotel in town was as well.
We were at a Comfort Inn. The receptionist, Kalissa, proved sly. She was very pleasant, insisting that she would try to find a hotel for us. As we looked too, we asked her about the local Holiday Inn. She was very adamant that it was one of the oldest, most decrepit buildings in town and she wouldn't think of us lodging there. Eventually, though, it remained the only one with a room available. We thanked her for her time, calling her an angel for how sweet and helpful she had been, and headed off to some back alley shack doomed and infested with plague.
When we arrived, we entered through a semi-fancy hotel restaurant. This opened into a huge lobby room, infinitely bigger, grander, and more elaborate than Kalissa's single couch waiting room. As we approached the main desk, a smooth business suit greeted us, providing us with complementary toothbrushes and information. All around us was decorated like a first class wedding. People in full cowboy/girl attire swarmed the area. Eventually, I had to ask. As a long mustached gunslinger strode past me, I stopped him. "Excuse me. Are you a real cowboy or just awesome?" I inquired. With a tinkle in his eye, he told me all about the largest Midwest rodeo in the nation. It was being held in Cheyenne the following weekend and everyone was gearing up for a good time. He was a genuinely nice guy, chatted with us for a few, and then gave us a pin to wear if we should come back for the festivities. Later that night, we dined, talked to our waitress about buffalo style, and retired for the evening.
In the morning, we awoke refreshed, having stayed in a fantastic room, laughing at Kalissa for her obvious vendetta about this Holiday Inn. After a standard breakfast, we hit the road once again. This day, the road seemed decidedly longer, growing heavy under the scorched earth's sun. Brit was with her mom in the uhaul, when all of a sudden their emergency flashers went on and they pulled over to the side of the road. A sense of panic ran through me, ranging in reason on many levels. I got out and ran to the passenger window to find Brit and her mom getting ready to get out and take a picture. I guess I missed a guy on his bike about a mile back. He had a sign that said he was riding across the country, and they were going to get a picture with him.
He approached as a speck on the horizon of the road. After a few minutes, it was clear that he was older and had a little lap dog with him on the front basket of his bike. We waved and he slowed to meet us. His name was Tim, which he pronounced Tiam. He was 58 and unemployed. He lost his job as a truck driver a few years back and had a hard time getting a new one on account of his age. However, he decided to do one thing that he had wanted to do since he was a little boy: ride across the country. So, one day, with ten dollars in his pocket and to his name, he decided to ride his bike from southern Florida to coastside Oregon. So far he had been riding for 11 weeks. We were about 130 miles from Rock Springs, Wyoming, his hopeful destination. Milo, his dog, was not to messed with, he warned. He bites. After Amy gave him some money, we learned that he credited his entire journey to God, stating that God had blessed him with the necessary funds for survival through people such as herself. It was beautiful, but he still had quite a ways to go so we got back into our cars and reflected silently atop the speeding road.
That day we didn't drive as far. After about 10-12 hours, we decided to hit up another Holiday Inn in Winnemucca, Nevada. This one was classier in other ways. For example, this one had a casino, which I later lost $30.00 to promising slots. It was a night of learning, fun, and Clash. Our night was pretty short. We were getting excited to enter California the next day, which wasn't far outside of Reno. If Reno was about 150 miles away, we would be there in a few hours. That night I slept soundly, winded from the road, losing even more money in my dreams.
The next day happened quick. We saw similar places to when Brit and I went on Van Trip. The Outside of Reno Outlaw was nowhere to be seen, but he probably had his camp based on the other side of the mountain. Even though gambling is standard in Reno, we sped through, and eventually came upon fruit and fauna border patrol when entering California. The patrol was lenient, more of a precautionary measure it seemed. After smuggling in a fern and a cactus, we burst forth onto California soil. Instantly, the mountains surrounded us. Acre upon acre of evergreen filled the entire landscape. I had heard that California was having a drought, but it was some time before I saw signs of such poverty.
Moving across the state, the land grew progressively golden, becoming nothing but golden grass and hills starting in Sacramento. It looks like a bit of heaven until you realize that it is probably very dry and sick to the soil. Since being here, I've heard word that it hasn't rained for various periods anywhere from 6 years, 2 years, 6 months, or a few weeks. No one really seems to know much about the drought, but it is a topic that arises often in conversation so far. Pretty quickly, we arrived in San Jose, California, Brit's and my new home. Our check-in date wasn't until the next day, so we got the fanciest Holiday Inn yet and went off to go sort out our nerves.
The feeling of leaving everything once known is a difficult pill to swallow. Thoughts of family, friends, jobs, and future are all concerning, as the unknown looms before you. However, Brittany and I set our worries aside as best as we could and set out for a nice dinner in town. After some time, we found a sushi restaurant and feasted on some Japanese cuisine. That night, we rolled into the room and comatosed to silly sitcoms. The next day was going to be the end of something old and the beginning of something new. As with all transitions, it was going to be a long difficult day, begging to be filled with optimism and energetic spirit.
Unloading the uhaul took the majority of the day. Mostly, it was heavy boxes up to the top floor, briefly leveled with awkward couches and a hutch. I was amazed at how well Brit and her mom did. We were animals and got it done in like three or four hours.
Only once everything was in our apartment did we realize how large it was. We have a vaulted ceiling that makes the rooms look double their size. Our balcony is one of the biggest I've seen for an apartment. Just outside a huge sliding glass door, our lookout is warmly grated with an alternating 2x4 railing. Having been just past midday, it was clear that it would spend the majority of the day in sun. It was hot and continues to be almost every day. Miles off into the distance, in a clear unimpeded point of view, is a surrounding sea of mountains. So far their magnificence continues to be overwhelming. I hope to never grow accustomed to such a sight.
The past week we have been unpacking the endless boxes that filled our home. It took a while to decide where things should go in rough estimate. Brit and I have done a good job, though. Yesterday, we finished putting everything in its place and our apartment feels really good. There are different areas: Eastern culture, animals, spiritual, and self. We have been taking care of other matters too. The process of switching an Illinois teaching license to California is a drawn out process. It hasn't been too difficult, thanks to Brittany, but still nearly consumes entire days sometimes. On that note, I signed a contract to be a 7th/8th grade ELA intervention teacher this upcoming school year! I feel really blessed and look forward to this shift in education.
We have been orienting ourselves around town and the surrounding area. Our apartment complex seems super chill and quiet. Everyone seems really nice and our neighbor, Charity, gave us half a watermelon last night. We have friends :) We have heard of a couple balcony robberies on various first floors making it seem dangerous, but generally our community is filled with new families and older couples. On the other hand, the general people of the San Jose public come off as kind of grouchy (maybe they are "in the zone"?) and rarely talk to each other. I hope I'm wrong about that. We have been spreading positivity in large waves so it's bound to change. Those who we have spoken with have been really nice once that initial barrier has been broken.
The other night, Brittany and I went to the store to buy some ice cream. We had a simple question, I forget what exactly, but it was about the price differences between our current store and a Walmart. In deterministic fashion, I turned to the first man standing next to me in the isle and asked him if he knew the differences in prices. It turned out that he knew almost everything that could be known about the price differences and everything about icecream as well. Spencer was his name and he was thoroughly excited to answer any question we might have about prices, icecream, or San Jose in general. Later, he helped us find caramel, hunting us down from another isle, jogging toward us with an excited grin. He ended up going into the check out line with us so that we could talk further. Eventually, it was found that we were all in education in some way. To this, an older couple behind Spencer said they were in education too. Spencer didn't say much more. He gave us his number to call if we ever need help in the San Jose area.
The older couple chatted with us for a while longer. The man was jolly and had a long white ponytail. The woman was extremely animated, with a masklike face. I asked what this man did and he said that he was a Professor of Genesis and ancient biblical history. I asked him about the Nephlim and Annunaki, giants and fallen angels of long ago. He wasn't too sure what to say aside from whoever figures out what is going on with that story will be very well recognized. The woman was a professor of espionage. I asked her what the definition of a spy is and she said someone that thinks about their surroundings and situations in a constantly reflective manner (or something like that). After a moment of silence, I looked her in the eyes and told her that I might be a spy. She agreed and became a spy herself. It didn't ruin the mood though, it was too subtle. The vibe was light and enjoyable for all parties. As we left the parking lot, we saw them getting onto a motorcycle with a sidecar passenger seat; two spies growling off into the night.
Our nights have been very enjoyable here. Several times, we went to the nearby pool. There are several in the complex, but this one is closest to our building. The pool is huge, surrounded by palm trees, and has a proportionate hot tub. On two separate occasions, we met a 34 year old ex college football player named Ron Jon and a guy who I might play soccer with, Jose. They both were really cool and seemed like chill gentlemen. We have been forcing ourselves to cook our own food. It turns out amazing and delicious every single time; way better than a restaurant. Why do I never remember how good and cheap home cook is?
Overall, though, the temperature is cool in the mornings and gets cool again starting around 8:30 in the evening. Aside from that, it's hot. It's really progressive here. In the working world, people are consumed by consumerism and technology. Apps and app development are huge and are what the business world is talking about. They have apps that have a person go pick up whatever you want and bring it to you. This is used for anything from food delivery (including steak dinners at the nicest of restaurants and all your groceries) to having someone pick up a shoe that you left at a friend's house and deliver it to wherever you are. People also use a similar service to get picked up and driven anywhere by another person who uses their own car. The taxi cabs are in an uproar, but I haven't seen one yet.
At home, our balcony is a great place to hang out. The view is amazing and our newly added plant friends, Medusa and Athena, joined Ferny the other day. Medusa and Athena are related, they came from the same pot. Brittany has been practicing her horticulture skills and the plants are loving it. Ferny got a prune and is lovin life under his canopy, while Big Mamma Tabatha Gertrude Ruiz and Big Pappa Hernesto Miguel Ruiz stand guard over the porch. After we finish up all our paperwork for our jobs, we plan to explore the surrounding area a lot more. Tomorrow, we plan go to the beach in Santa Cruz. This weekend, Gilroy is hosting its annual Garlic Festival! I am going to smell like garlic for a month. Brittany and I have been doing really well. We have been feeling out what its like to live with one another and have been taking time to care for each other and ourselves. It's sad being away from home, but everything has kept us so busy that the days just seem to fly by.
