Home on the Range

This past week, I spent 2100 miles on the road…by myself. 5 states and 4 days later I’m finished. Yes friends, I am back in Wisconsin.

FOR GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT! 

As excited as I am to have a job, I am really REALLY going to miss living in the Pacific Northwest. It’s hard to explain, but out west there is an entirely different mentality when it comes to work/life balance. Yes you still have your workaholics, but you also have a huge number of people who can’t wait to get their 40+ mile bike ride in on the weekend, attend an avant-garde art opening, kite board the Columbia River, listen to a killer local band, check out the pow pow on Mt. Bachelor or walk the beach on the windy Oregon Coast.

Biggest thing I’m going to miss: mountains. Like this these:

I know Madison is where I need to be at this point in my life. Is it what I had planned? No. I had this romantic notion that I was going to live somewhere completely new once I finished grad school. While that didn’t happen, I know it will someday.  I’ll be back out West sooner rather than later.

For now, I’m content to be living in a city I adore. I am closer to my family and longtime friends. I can revel in the success that is Wisconsin sports right now first hand. And I can actually start my career!

I’m looking at this chapter in my life as a building process. I have a job that is actually relevant to my career path. It’s with an arts organization. It’s a nonprofit. It does great things for the community.

All western-withdrawal symptoms aside, I win.

Here are some fun photos from my trip: 

Columbia River Gorge and its foggy awesomeness.

This set up was quite stressful across SD & MN.
As if 45mph wind gusts aren't strong enough, try it with a bike on the back of your car. 

Eastern WA.

Idaho.

First time pumping my own gas in 2 years. Still got it, to the exact dollar, BAM.

More eastern, WA.

Mountains outside Bozeman, MT.

Eastern MT. My favorite photo of the trip.

More MT.

North Dakota.

I saw 3 different people driving 4-wheelers on the road. Apparently common in ND.

ND, still.

Weary traveler.

WISCONSIN!

More WI. 

There are no photos of Minnesota. It's not that I didn't appreciate the view, it's that I had both hands white-knuckled on my steering wheel.


Land of 10,000 Lakes was really "land of winds that want to whip your car like a pinball."