Lesser Cold - Pheasants Start To Call

The moment our garden season came to a close, Chlo and I packed up our van and took off on a month long road trip. We followed the “good weather” and dipped far, far south, all the way down to Dallas, Texas and then westward through the Southwestern states to avoid treacherous mountain passes en route to Oregon. Guaranteed the slowest vehicle on the interstate system, our 1992 Chevy Van never crawled faster than 70mph, but we of course traveled in style: windows down, tunes blasting, with a motorcycle and two bicycles to hop on should we want to or need to in an emergency. The freedom of a home on slow wheels allowed us to soak it all in, pack a ton of gear and supplies, overnight literally anywhere we felt comfortable, and avoid any major road repairs (though we were itching for some projects.)

We are fortunate to have friends in Portland, Oregon that housed us and brought us into their lives, primarily showing us their understanding of all things culinary. Honestly found contenders for the best pizza slice, doughnut, and cup of coffee in my life. The city already felt like a home away from home, and just as we were about to get too comfortable, we took off for our return trip to the Midwest. On the way back to the desert region, we connected briefly with my sister in San Diego, California and it was delightful to see how she’s found her community on the west coast.

9,000 + miles behind the dash allowed me many moments to think, especially about the last year. I grew eager to write down my thoughts more regularly and sort through photographs to see what my patterns and memories had materialized into. What follows is by no means a complete or well thought out compilation of my 2021 experiences. These are simply moments with some beloved friends, family members, individuals and communities (human and non-human) that accompanied us all on this spaceship earth through yet another year.

And with that…cheers!

-moki-