Questing

by Jon Sullivan - 2023-06-17 - Status

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My exuberance in planning the move to Oregon led me to make a to-do list that was....... beyond me.

Let's list some things I proudly and loudly promised to get done in my first year here.

• Car camping and extended 2-3 day road trips.
• Catching and cooking crabs out of my car on the regular.
• Hiking up to mountain lakes for catch and cook trout.
• Milky Way photos with beautiful lakes and volcanoes.
• More more than zero cooking and food photos.
• A full camp kitchen for legit gourmet in the wild.
• Lots of farmers market visits replacing grocery stores.
• Trout fishing and mushroom gathering.
• Lots of winter photos.

Now let's look at how many of these I've gotten done. Hmmmmm....... Looks like zero. That's honestly sad, because all of those things would be 1) epic, and 2) the main things that would differentiate my life here from my life hiding everyday in a dark room in San Diego. Those things are the core to what I assumed "New Jon" would be. And without them I need to admit that life here may just be "Old Jon", but I leave the house and interact with other humans. Which is a substantial change, but I could have done it from San Diego and 1) saved a ton of money, 2) avoided wrecking my car, 3) not had my stuff stolen, 4) eliminated the allergy problem, and 5) $1.50 fish tacos.

And sure, the biggest changes in my life recently have been the whole "be kind and one with the universe" and the joy on tap. But those happened before I moved. So......... Which is it? I back down on the crazy crab road trip lifestyle? Or get off my ass and actually be the New Jon we all looked forward to?

Duh. Obviously I start camping and fishing.

That started last weekend when I got the bed set up in my car and tested it out. It's actually really comfy. I got a great night sleep. Getting up to pee at night was a major pain, but I'm not going to use the pee in a bottle solution. Sleeping next to a jug of urine is just too far off brand for me. Nope nope nope. Irregardless, the next step is a long road trip where I camp and cook out of the back of my car. So next week I finalize the camp kitchen and take a two day trip to Kalispell for Sharon's party. At least one meal there and another on the way back. I'm thinking one meal can be a full breakfast - Eggs, sausage, hash browns, and French toast. Then the other can be chicken curry with fresh garlic naan. And if I can fit it in, shrimp scampi with pasta and a crab Louie salad. Yes? No point in fucking around.

I've meditated on it for days now. The original New Jon plan stands. The next 30 days is crazy busy with events. But after that it's crab and trout. Excelsior.

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