Once I arrived in Jackson, it was evident immediately that I was no longer in San Francisco. The first person that I crossed paths with greeted me warmly with a "Howdy." To which I replied, "How's it going!", and thought to myself, "I've arrived in cowboy country!"
Since stepping foot in town, I've been decompressing and enjoying time by myself. In the past few months, I didn't fully recognize how focused and stressed out I've been during this time. Putting myself in a smart position and making sure that everything worked out as planned has been draining on me. It was only until I got here that I felt a big relief and a load off of my shoulders. Now, I find myself often thinking, "I'm finally living the dream", with a big sigh.
Today, I received another warm introduction to mountain town life when a deer ran into my car. I was driving on the main town road, as this poor deer crossed two-lanes of traffic at just the right time that I never saw him and never had the chance to save him. It was so unexpected that I thought no one in their right mind would've expected something like this to happen during the daytime and on a road that had a steady stream of traffic in both directions. It didn't take very long to realize that I was wrong in my thinking. While talking with a Police officer over the accident report, he told me (and made me aware of) that "This is Wyoming. This kind of stuff happens all of the time... Welcome to Wyoming!"
Thankfully, I can drive my car to tomorrow's Opening Day at Jackson Hole Ski Resort. It's amazing to think of all that I've been through to make tomorrow a reality. Because of this long and winding road, I'll appreciate every moment. T - 14 hours to the first turns of the season...
My adventure to live out a dream -- live in a ski town for a winter season -- has begun.
After fully packing my wagon yesterday, I made the trip to Jackson, WY from San Francisco, CA and pulled into my new apartment complex this morning at 5:30 am local time, or 4:30 am PST. It took 14.5 hours of constant driving to drive the 970 miles. Overall, the road trip was a good one, as the miles went by quickly, the weather cooperated with me, and there were few people on the road.
Along the way, I took notice of interesting events. They included:
- My Favorite Town Names:
- Contact, NV (I took note of this town name because this small town is literally in the middle of nowhere)
- Winnemucca, NV (How often do you think the town's people get asked for the spelling of it?)
- My Biggest Temptations:
- Playing a slot machine in Jackpot, NV, which is just south of the Idaho border
- Buying cheap (and legal) fireworks in Battle Mountain, NV
- Total Cost of Gas: $106.21
- No. of Stops: 4 (in the 14.5 hours!)
- Music Playlist: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors, David Bowie, Phish, Hot Chip, The Killers, Sigur Ros
- Missed Turns: 1 (the people just south of Twin Falls, ID failed me with their hard to read highway signs)
- Percentage of Dropped Calls: 66% (Thanks, Verizon)
- Best Roadtrip Feature: CRUISE CONTROL!
- Next Camping Trip Destination: Massacre Rocks State Park, ID (sign me up!)
- Things to Never Underestimate: Rolling tumbleweeds that unexpectedly attack your car at nighttime
- The Best Omen: Waking up in my new apartment to a snowstorm
It's been a long and great day. Stay tuned for more details.
Today, I received another warm introduction to mountain town life when a deer ran into my car. I was driving on the main town road, as this poor deer crossed two-lanes of traffic at just the right time that I never saw him and never had the chance to save him. It was so unexpected that I thought no one in their right mind would've expected something like this to happen during the daytime and on a road that had a steady stream of traffic in both directions. It didn't take very long to realize that I was wrong in my thinking. While talking with a Police officer over the accident report, he told me (and made me aware of) that "This is Wyoming. This kind of stuff happens all of the time... Welcome to Wyoming!"
