Shaping the trip

Hello everyone,

I've started volunteering with some organizations I admire in the area, and it's helping to further shape the direction of my trip. It appears I haven't been writing about some of the things I'm thinking about... so let me bring you up to speed!

I'm hoping to network with similar non-profits in communities that are comparable to Bellingham... and perhaps even a few that aren't, but from whom I can learn more that will benefit our community. This will help to bring a greater purpose to my trip, and does mean I'll need to do some planning for a route. I'll still allow myself some chunks of time to just explore, and I'll still come back to Bellingham periodically to visit with friends and family (and just to visit Bellingham in general, I love it so much!).

I do find myself wishing that I'd found a diesel van though. I went to the Chuckanut Radio Hour's taping on Earth Day that featured Doug Fine, and he mentioned how he'd converted his diesel truck to run off of used cooking oil... without even having to convert it into biodiesel! Think about how wonderful that would be. I would be travelling, but would be reusing other resources, rather than consuming gas. Makes me wonder what would be involved in switching out my engine and making the conversion? Perhaps too much work and money, but it only costs time to look into it... so we'll see!

Anyway, my to-do list is growing as I come up with more ideas of what I'd like to get from this trip. I'll need to record a list of the things I hope to accomplish... and I still need to write down my list of things needed for the trip. One of my best friends (Kira) offered to keep her eyes peeled for items as garage sale season hits; and as I'd prefer to get everything second-hand, time is of the essence. :-)

Alrighty, enough for this morning.

Cheers,
Sasha

Transportation purchases abound...

Another planned joy of my journey... I'd like to stay some places for a few days or more at a time, and I don't really want to drive when I'm staying in plalces like national parks.

So I got a bike! It's used, and I spent the weekend cruising around town in it, and I am so excited! Besides, there's the added benefit that I'll be better to the environment, and better to myself using it in the meantime. And the money that I'd be spending on gas? I can save it for the trip!

Anyway. Had to share my excitement! Gotta go eat lunch, I am hungry!

Geek Alert!

Okay. It's true.

On my break, I started looking around on google maps as part of a facebook application (was tracking where I've been, as well as some places I want to go to) and started zooming in to find more places I've visited in England. Anyway, I've discovered I frickin' adore maps.

When I was young, I would entertain myself looking at fictional maps (such as those in the Redwall series and Sweet Pickle books). And I've always wanted a classy second-hand globe from a flea market. But I realize too that maps will help me tremendously when I'm on my road trip. Cause duh. It's good to not be lost.

Some people have suggested having GPS in my bus... but I don't really want to go that route. Far easier to accidentally get lost using a paper map than when using something that knows your location. It's only when we get lost that we're given an easy opportunity to find ourselves. Everyone takes a few wrong turns on the way to getting somewhere, but that presents an excellent time to appreciate when we arrive at our destination! If it was an easy route, what do we learn? Sometimes easy is just, well, a little boring.

Besides, as long as I have my sense of direction, I'll always be able to find my way home. That's what matters the most, isn't it? That I get where I'm going and that I make it home?

Anyway. I'm excited to track where I go, and to keep this more updated than it has been. I've been driving my bus around, mainly to go and watch sunsets. I need to learn more about the engine, cause I think there are definitely some things that need fixing. I'd like to get the urgent matters attended to before I start doing weekend excursions with friends, and I think I'll begin those in May, so I want to get on this.

Dad offered some muffler wraps which should buy me some time before replacing the muffler, I'll apply that this weekend. That will make my ride quieter at least! I'm also going to need to get some new seals for the rear, and fix the back hatch (which doesn't open, the latch is broken)... with all the rain and snow and bizarreness weather-wise, I've discovered that water leaks in and soaks my pillows. Not good, I say, not good at all. I still love the bus though. It's a beauty, it's stinky, it's loud, it's me.

Anyway, should grab a bite before lunch is up! Let me leave you with a picture!