Bandit Queens

Drive ahead will pass in the blink of an eye. My head is filled with nature and peaks that put to shame any others I've yet seen. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

A month back I returned to the US, a bit burned out and readjusting after half the year in Seoul. My flight was denied access into the US or Canada as they had allowed a high risk passenger on board, we were turned around and flown to Tokyo, 26 hours later I finally arrived in San Francisco; my boyfriend and a great friend picked my tired self up curbside and I spent the week playing catch up and showing the Bay area to the boy toy. (A week later that same passenger's face was in the newspaper having been arrested with a large terrorist cell who had been planning to begin bombings of crowded shopping centers.)

Series of events led to my needing a ride home to Boise, Idaho and dear dad came flying down the road to get me. En route home Lake Tahoe seemed alluring and he and I added some hours to the trip skirting the lake and stopping in the capital of Nevada, Carson City, to unload our $8 of quarters into slot machines and walked out with $50. Drive time 15+ hours, plus time to stop and buy another travel magnet for my fridge.

A week spent home and getting un-packed and re-packed for the new job in Seattle and an 8 hour drive later I landed in Seattle. The position turned sour, as in so bad that I couldn't stay, and I packed up and drove back to Boise.. that trip took closer to 11 hours as the heat caused my '88 van to vapor lock on a few occassions needing cool down time.

Back in Boise 3 days and mom and I headed for the 6 hour round trip drive to visit my sister in Eastern Idaho. Fourth of July weekend adventuring called and 2 more hours into Montana to enjoy my first visit to Yellowstone National Park, then south a few more hours to the Tetons of Wyoming and finally a lengthy return just in time to catch the night's fireworks at the raceway down the street from mom's duplex.

I suppose I'm getting prepared to find my next line of work a truck driver as these long road trips each week look to become a continuing trend.