The Epic Journey Back East

By Julia
Allentown, NJ

It has been a crazy week and a half. It all started on Saturday the 15th. The day before, I had worked my last day at my beloved Montana Natural History Center and Tom was now a fully graduated Master Rogers. It was time to sell all our stuff and get the hell out of Dodge.

The garage sales went well. We sold everything (except Sylvester, see above) and appreciate Jon, Steve and Martha for their help with our Sunday sale. Sunday night, with only a sad, empty apartment to come home to, Tom and I decided to hike the M at sunset and get some Big Dipper ice cream afterwards. These are two favorite activities of Missoualians. The M is an homage to the university built in 1908 by some forestry students who lugged huge white rocks up the mountain above UM's campus and created a zig-zag trail leading up to the landmark. The hike offers spectacular views of the Missoula valley.

Monday morning the Epic Journey began. The morning was crisp. Our bags were packed. The U-Haul was hitched to the Subaru. There we were: three cool dudes on our way across the country.

We made a few pit stops. We made out first stop in Jackson Hole, where we stayed with friends Chris and Betsy and spent a few days visiting our old haunts. We then drove through Wyoming and most of Nebraska, staying the night in the back of the car at a truck stop (less sketchy then it sounds). We were understandably relieved to spend the next night with my Aunt Mary and her family in Indianapolis. The following day we pushed through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and pulled into my parents' driveway in New Jersey around 9:00 pm. Sylvester immediately took a crap in their rose bushes, which was not the greatest impression one could make on the people feeding you for the next 10 months.

Now we are spending the next few weeks visiting family and friends in New Jersey, New York and Vermont while simultaneously applying for visas, making travel arrangements and trying to squeeze some wedding planning in as well. Let's just say it's a very deliberate decision that we are spending our first week in Costa Rica at the beach!