My birthday bash-or a bashed birthday.

Woke up to a damp, condensation tarp, somehow I was tangled in my sleeping bag on the opposite of where I had rested my head that night. Not to mention, my bladder was full to capacity, to me it felt maxed out beyond belief. OVERDOSE. It way too dark for me to truck over to the bathrooms 200ft away, it wasn’t too comforting reading all the “beware of bear”, “do not approach the wild life” signs that were posted every couple hundred feet. So I held it in. Held it in for 5 hrs, tossin’ and turnin’, thinking about the other drifters nestled up in their cocoon sleeping bags. I may have snuck some winks in but other than that shut eye did not come easily. I reached the point, the point where I had to face the wilderness and the unknown. I quietly opened the tent door and took a half step out and squatted, as I held on to the tent with one hand in fear that my face was about to be torn and dismantled by Mr. grizzly bear. I was still not in my comfort zone, so I made it fast. Maybe a little too fast. Cause when I tucked myself back in my semi-damp sleeping bag (cause I was wedged on the outside) I still had a full bladder. Greattttt, I said to myself. I’m sure many of you can relate to what I was going through. I checked the time and it was only 1:49 am. Light would not appear for at least 4 more hours. Time passed and this time for real, I WAS ABOUT TO CONQUER THE WILD, I was in too much pain. At this point, if I walked into a bear, I walked into a bear. I grabbed the keys to the Durango, shook Amy and asked if she would pretty please come with me. If anyone knows how Amy sleeps, they would know how unconscious she really is. I got a mumble “20 minutes!” “20 minutes”, I said to myself, HECK NO! But I bet you all know I waited the 20 minutes that she somehow needed at 3:45. I fastened my headlight like it was my job and ran to the Durango that was sitting maybe 10 feet away from our tent. Closed the door like I was being attacked by a bear, turned on the lights and windshield wipers and parked next to the bathroom doors. I probably now hold the world record of the longest pee, if I calculated it. AH! Now I can sleep peacefully. I scurried back into the car, drove 200 ft and parked. I jumped back in my sleeping bag and fell fast asleep. Thank you Amy for taking the trip with me. Morning came before you knew it, like my dad always says “time doesn’t wait for anyone, not even me.” ITS OFFICIALLY MY BIRTHDAY! I am now 23 years young in the mountains of Yellowstone. What a beautiful morning. The fire pit now looks like a baby swimming pool, filled with last nights rain. We quickly packed up our quarters, broke down the tent, and packed the Durango, as our next stop was Jackson, Wyoming. We spent some time walking the streets in the quaint little town, but the 43-degree rainy day took away from the atmosphere. We grabbed a bite to eat at the bunnery, my original choice was the Million Dollar Bar, and my lil bro is not yet the legal age.. My mom gave my brother a birthday card before he left to give it to me on my birthday. He gave it to me at the Bunnery, it was a card and a ring that reads, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,” thanks mom & dad. I was contemplating have a birthday beer for my birthday lunch but found out it was my turn to drive. Instead, I ordered water. If I only knew I was going to drive 10 hours to Elko Nevada, I might have ordered a shot of whiskey. I drove 10 hours and it was MY birthday! I made sure the rest of the drifters were on guilt trip as I randomly shouted it out. But in all honestly, I enjoyed the drive. If you look at a map, and mark Jackson Wyoming to Elko, NV...you see nothing. Nothing but mountains, and more mountains. Literally. And that is when I imagined what the Loneliest road look liked. But within my 10 hr drive, I reflected on what can be better than this. I mean I was driving through mountains upon mountains stilted up in the big sky, with cloud formations that looked like a portrait. I was with 4 good people on a cross-country road trip. Life is good. We finally arrived in Elko, NV. Kristina said it was better than Wells, NV only 40 miles further. Plus we technically gained an hour driving through the Pacific Time zone. Well if there is one thing we all learned, take Kristina with a grain a salt, because she sometimes likes to stretch the truth or simply create something that is false. Elko NV, I thought I went back in a time machine. Mullets, slooww-paced people…I looked around to see if I saw anyone who looked like “us,” as we celebrated my birthday in the Golden Inn Casino Diner. Nope, didn’t see one, however, something did catch my eye. My eye spotted a leather jacket propped up on a nearby booth, that had a patched sewed on it that read “psychopath.” If that wasn’t comforting, I don’t know what else could be. I ordered a Heineken, I figured its my birthday, I deserve it. (Not like it was any different from the last 9 days) J And I don’t know if it was by luck or chance or maybeeee they knew it was my birthday…. They didn’t charge me for the Heineken. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! We checked into the Econo lodge and called it a night. A birthday bash it was!

Random Snippets

My birthday was 25 hours.

RIP mr/ms birdie that I hit at 75mph. OUCH!

Billy’s Ringworm is growing.

Kristina is still a scavenger, grubbed my leftover mozzarella sticks, but sit through dinner and ordered water… hmmm?

Cobra was to first to pee on the side of a highway.

Amy swore that she is no longer going make derogatory remarks and refrain from potty mouth language.

Forever young, tric xo.