I finally made it back to Buffalo. The plan is to stay and work for a while. I stopped in at the delivery company I used to work for and they were happy to see me, offering me a job instantly. It’s not high pay but I like the work. I get to be my own boss to an extent, meet a lot of nice people, and enjoy the beauty of New York scenery.
I put a few pictures up on my gallery. I took less and less photos as I worked my way East. It’s so hard to capture the beauty of what the eye sees, and there are so many places on the web that have better pictures than I do it was injustice on my part to photograph it. What everyone wants to see is our picture, but Karen, intuitively, put it this way, “Here’s a picture of me on the AT. Here is another picture of me resting on the trail, and here’s another picture of me walking on the trail.”
I think I need to write some kind of conclusion to my trip, some kind of insight that highlights the pros and cons of what I did. A lot of the trip was an experiment. I wanted to see if I could fall off the grid and not be depressed by the insecurity and loneliness of drifting on a paupers budget. I wanted to taste the extreme vagabond lifestyle and glean whatever knowledge I could filter from the experience. But most of all, I wanted to see this great land of ours. I’ll write more on this later.
You’ve had quite an adventure the past few months, but sometimes it’s good to get back to familiar surroundings as you prepare for your next. It’s also nice to have a ready source of income when you need it. I look forward to reading more about your thoughts as you reflect on where you have been and what you have been doing.
Dad, I have to say that you are a source of inspiration for me. I’m very proud of you for taking the risks you have, for living in the moment, and for still being able to find the beauty and humor in life. I spend my days taking care of people who are filled with regret that they didn’t get out and do more, see more…while they were still physically able to. So I say…way to live your life! I want to be just like you when I grow up! 🙂
Loved the pictures. I laughed over the snoring and non-snoring shelters. But mostly enjoyed the pictures of you on the AT, resting on the trail and walking on the trail. 😉
Do you think you’ll work through the winter or just until the blizzards hit and then head to the warm southwest again?
I too am looking forward to your reflections on the trip. Something like “On Walden Pond”, or “Travels with Charley”, maybe? “Gulliver’s Travels”?
Dale, are you still living in your van? That might make it difficult to use it for delivery too, so I am guessing no.
Daryl – Right now I will stay with Jenny. I could stay in my van (I used an air mattress before) but it helps them out if I stay.
Donna – I may have to stay through the winter and save some money for new transportation. I would like to move up to a manufactured RV. I also want to travel northern USA – Yellowstone, Glacier, Redwoods, etc. – and I will need warm weather. I’ll just have to play it by ear.
If you’re going to buy another van or RV, you might be better off buying one out west where it is less likely to have any rust damage. Though maybe the price would reflect that anyway, so it might not matter.
I was thinking the same thing (and even mentioned it to Mom). Dry heat means no rust on your vehicles.
The last words of this post are: “I’ll write more on this later.”
(crickets chirping in the distance…)