Back on the hitchhiking path!

       After our epic night on Jersey island we woke up, had a proper english breakfast.

This was just what I needed that morning!  Yum yum!! 

We packed up our belongings and said good bye to our amazing view!

   It was a warm sunny day in Jersey.  I just couldn't get over how blue the water and sky were.  It was a nice change from the November weather in Roydon.  I was beginning to forget what the sun felt like.   We explored the island for a little bit, had a cup of tea and jetted back to the airport to catch our flight back home. 

    
         I was amped again!  My confusion had subsided and I had a new plan!   I was going to hitchhike up to the highlands, Ireland and back to London to catch my flight December 12th.

        Tuesday night was a bit of a bummer.   As it always is, it was hard to say bye.  I had been hanging with Johnny and Willay for two weeks.

Adventure time?!

         Leaving is always my least favorite part but I know it's part of the gig.  It just means I'm going some where new, get to meet new people and explore new things.

         Wednesday morning came without hesitation.   I had been putting off leaving as much as possible but it was finally the day.

        I packed up Walley and Johnny kindly took me to South Mimms where there was a gas station where people fueled up before heading north.  It was a bittersweet goodbye and until next time.

        I stood outside the convenience store at the gas station asking people for rides.  A lot of people completely ignored me or looked at me as if I was begging.  It was quite cold and raining. I kept faith that someone would take me to Northampton where I was aiming for.  It was only a two hour drive.

       Next thing I know a Polish gentleman in a small commercial truck offered to take me.  He was also heading basically to Northampton! He ran into the convenience store grabbed some things, gassed up and threw my bag into the back.

      

       The ride seemed pretty long considering.  I think it was the weather mostly.  In southern California this weather means you're not leaving the house unless it's an emergency.  :p

       The man was quite sweet.  He had bought extra doughnuts for me at the convenience store.  Despite the fact that we couldn't really communicate; I knew he was an outstanding person.  I didn't exactly know where I was going and I never traveled with a phone.  If I had wifi I had Skype, FB and What'sApp.  He kindly let me use his phone to call my friend and figure out where we could meet.  Eventually I found a McDonalds in Northampton that had wifi.   We decided that would be the meeting spot since my friend lives in the middle of nowhere.

          Next thing I knew my friend showed up!  It had been years since I had seen him and I finally was going to meet his wife and three kids!  That was exciting for me!! 

        Just a short drive and I was at my new home!  It was such a change from the last two or three months.  I was now in a house with a family; and friends at that.

This basically sums that up!

I was spoiled yet again!  They had a spare bedroom with a TV and a bathroom attached.  Let the BBC marathon begin!

       

What a beautiful backyard!!

            The first night they treated me to a dinner at the local pub/restaurant with the whole family.  I'm pretty sure I had salmon, brussels sprouts and mash.   I remember it was beyond fantastic! 

         The original plan was just to stop by for a day or two and make it up to the highlands.  It was later that night or the next day it just started pouring.  Most of western England was hugely flooded, it was still quite cold and I hadn't worked out hosts for the next places yet.  I loved being in a family environment and hanging out with my new lil sis. 

        Before I knew it my plans for leaving changed.  Mum kept saying I was more than welcome to stay and I was really loving it! 

Meet Ellie the lovable yet very naughty Labrador.

       

        The next 10 days or so were filled with savory family dinners, hanging with the sis, walking Ellie, Skyping with friends, chatting with my momma and those BBC marathons I mentioned earlier.  The countryside and the cold made being inside a cozy house so much more inviting. 

         One day while taking the dog walk I discovered this beauty! 

            She and Ellie just loved each other... 

Well,  I kind of loved her too. 

           A week or so passed and it was time to go.  I had found an epic concert in Manchester for 1/3 the cost what it would be in the states and December 12th was coming faster than I could imagine! 

           My friends had friends just down the road that were headed to Manchester the next day for a sporting event.  That would work perfectly!  I would wake up early while the grass was still frozen and catch a ride with them!

Swedish Fish

New York was such a great experience! I'm glad I was able to make it there before I left the US.

The plane ride was great! I just wish I was able to sleep a little more.

I guess I shed a few tears before I switched planes in Berlin. It was then that I realized I was about to make my childhood dreams come true.  It was one of the things that I always thought I wanted to do; but I never saw it actually happening.  At the same time I always knew it would happen.  It was a weird feeling.  Knowing that I was making my dream come true. No excuses! Not money, time or how I "couldn't" do it. I was about to meet family I always wanted to know because I bought the plane ticket and at the end of the day I made it happen.

I switched airplanes in Berlin, ran across the airport because the last plane was late. From there it was another short ride to Gothenburg, Sweden.  I felt like such a smelly mess! I still had the same stale clothes on since sweating cats and dogs in New York. I quickly changed my clothes so my cousins could recognize me, grabbed my bags and was headed to customs.

Customs was going to be tricky since I hadn't actually purchased a plane ticket out of the European union. Right? Nope. There was no customs. I guess because I went through it in Germany? I'm not sure but they really didn't look at my passport in Germany either.   ... I guess I was supposed to just walk out.... Right? It seemed too easy but it was real.

There, I met three strangers: Ingrid, Christian and Anna. Well, okay... They're my distant cousins.  I was greeted with three big hugs despite how cruel I smelled.  We jumped into their red Volvo and drove home.  I explained my "day" which was really two days, not sleeping, nor showering and my awesome adventure in New York.  I was relieved by how cool and sweet they all were.

They showed me to my bed.

Oh, wait! I meant: My very own guest house! Saweeeet!!
















I'm so fortunate and grateful for everything!


We had a little "fika" (afternoon swedish style sandwiches, coffee and/or tea and maybe some cookies) and went for an afternoon "bath" in the lake right down the street.  They consider a swimming a "bath".  I think that's quite charming but it makes me feel like I should be bringing my shampoo.

I picked up a GoPro up at the airport in NYC so I could share this and much more with you:

The lake is gorgeous and the water is actually quite warm!

The next morning we packed up our things and headed to their summer house in Kungsbacka, Sweden.  It was a bright, warm, sunny day.  This only leaves one option in the Swede's mind: TIME TO GO BOATING!  Woo hoo!  

We packed up the wheelbarrow with snacks for another "fika", towels, clothes and gas.

 

Anna, Christian with his sprained ankle and our newly named Wilbur the wheelbarrow - Day 1

Off to the granite islands just a short distance from the house!

Their dock - Day 1

Anna and Captian Christian - Day 1

They gave me the honorary Swedish life jacket. How sweet! :) - Day 1

Woohoo! Almost there! - Day 1

 

 Boating and Swimming is a big part of their lifestyle. In school the kids are required to take swimming tests. They basically have to be able to save another's life.

 This would be the first time I've snorkeled in the ocean. They have jellyfish everywhere here.  This particular one stings. They have a blue jellyfish that's friendly. :)

The next day I was feeling a bit under the weather so I slept in a bit then...Boating Day 2!

Christian, his (my) fashionable sunglasses and Swedish coffee around sunset (10:30 pm). - Day 2

It was even more gorgeous in person - Day 2

Peace, quiet and the boat - Day 2

All and all I'm sure you guys know how I felt these few days.  I mean... look at that!! Chapter two of my tales in Sweden coming soon(ish).

Oregon, with you I am in love!

 The next day Tim, Emily, the kids and I went to their friend's log cabin/house/mansion on 10 acres right outside bend.  Tim bought some special cut 10 oz new york steaks, kielbasa, shrimp and chicken drumsticks. We barbequed all day in their Traeger (which is apparently some awesome smoker i've never seen or heard of before). Tim is a chef at one of the resorts close by so he really knows how to cook! He had some special combo of herbs and spices. Oh. My. Goodness! It was SO good and SO much food!!

On their 10 acres we took their gigantic greyhound named Dixie for a "walk". This included taking out this go-cart-like ATV out at full speed and watching the dog run along side of us! HaHa! What a trip that was!

I wish I had taken photos so I could show you how big Dixie is and how MUCH food there was!

The next day Emily and I took the girls to the river.  FINALLY, I got to jump into A river! It was freezing cold and the sun was covered by a huge nimbus cloud. It didn't rain but it sure looked and felt like it was going to! The sun came out shortly afterward, the girls made friends and were running around having a great time! It was a glorious day under the sun!

They're so cute after a long day!  ;)

The next day Emily's parents arrived.  She said they had a big van, but MAN! They can fit 14 people in that bus of theirs. They arrived with what seemed like 10 family members! Grandma took the girls to Sun River with everyone else while Emily and I went to run errands!

First stop R.E.I.! Time to buy a tent, sleeping bag, backpack and comfortable shoes! ... but where do I start? What kind of backpack do I need? wheels? no wheels? big? small?? Geeze it was so overwhelming. We asked a guy in camping section where to start. He totally helped out and mentioned that I might want to check up stairs where the luggage and such was.

Upstairs they had a few backpacks that seemed very wrong for what I wanted to do. They also had some backpacks with zippers made to be locked and smaller backpacks that detach for day time use. After weighing out my options and unzipping the few ideal women's backpacks I found one with all kinds of cool pouches and compartments. It seemed perfect! Except, it didn't seem to fit quite right.

I took it back downstairs so the same guy who helped adjust the straps, Velcro and other elements that control how high or low the pack sits on your back.  He also explained how to pack. Put the heavy things closest to your back and along the lumbar and try to keep the pack to 30-40 lbs.  Great tip!

Next stop, sleeping bags! Given that I have no idea when or where I will be along the way it was hard for him to recommend something "ideal".  He said if I was going to be in cold weather all the time I would probably want to go with down.  The thing with down is that it doesn't dry very quickly so, for someone with my plans, it's probably not the best way to go.  We ended up finding an awesome lime green mid-weight mummy bag. I fit in a medium but I got a large to give me a little extra room so I don't feel claustrophobic and I have extra room around my neck the way I like it.

This is what I look like trying on sleeping bags!
(Maybe this is what they were talking about in church with Alisa when two people randomly prophesied butterflies and rainbows to me! haha! Most likely not.)


Now to find a tent. Do I want a one person? two person? how expensive? how heavy?  This got narrowed down quickly.  They only had one or two, one person tents. A two person tent seemed unnecessary since I'm traveling alone and it's more weight to add to my 30-40 lb limit. Plus they're more expensive. So for about $200 it looks like "half dome" is my choice! It's a cute little tent that literally looks like half dome. It only uses two small, lightweight poles for the frame and you crawl in and out of the vertical part of what would be half dome.

For good measure I went and found a pair of lightweight running shoes with good arch support.  These will be my everyday shoes while traveling and carrying the pack.  I found some awesome Brooks for about $100. They had a few different colors: bright blue and white, mostly dark purple with grey or ugly reddish and nasty brownish.  I really liked the bright blue and white but thought these would attract too much attention. So, I got the dark purple and grey.  $700 later, my shopping was finally done!

When we came out of the store it was raining warm chickens.  Okay, maybe not chickens but HUGE rain drops. We ran around the Old Mill in Bend to try some delish organic coffee! It was pretty mind blowingly awesome!  Well worth getting rained on for sure!

After that went to meet up with Emily's family at Sun River Resort where they were staying.  Tim was about to get off work and took the next day off. Party time, right? Right. We snatched up Emily's older brother and we all had brother sister time at a local pool hall.  How fun!  Sorry Emily but me and my brother are way better than you and your brother at billiards!  ;)   All and all, another great night. I think by this time we all finally understood each others' personalities which made the night much better. I feel like some times my personality throws people off where they have to take a minute and figure out what's really going on in my head.  I guess every one is a bit like that though.     

Next day: sun, sun, sun and more sun! We all made it to the water park! It's totally made for kids so they had a 1ft kiddy pool, a sand box, a 4 ft wading pool, two water slides, a lazy river, an Olympic pool for doing laps, a jacuzzi and some other random areas each with their designated purpose. It was fun laying around and swimming with the girls who had life vests so they weren't so dependent on us.

After a few hours of that and lunch it was time to say "goodbye".  I have fallen in love with Oregon.  It must be one of the most gorgeous places on earth. The tap water is so clean and pure, the stars and bigger and brighter than ever, every where you look you are surrounded by beauty.  In July there are snow capped mountains in every direction nestled among immense amounts of pine trees, juniper, blue skies with friendly silver-lined clouds passing by. The people that live there are very active in town. There are many bicyclists, backpackers, people rafting, canoeing, paddle boarding, jogging and enjoying their lives. The trip was everything I hoped for and much more.  I'm now headed back to Sacramento to stay the night rather than driving 20 hours in one shot. 

Cheers to peace, natural beauty and much, much LOVE!  ♥ ♥ ♥

Film shots will hopefully be coming soon!