They say, however the beginning is, determines how the rest of the trip will go...

Well I made it to Portland, Oregon! I left Medford around 1:30pm yesterday and got here around 6:00pm. The trip here went by really fast, it was nice weather and I had great music :)  my very good friend Rachel then took me to Portland City Grill for dinner, it was amaaaazing. If you have never been there, I urge you to try it at least once. It has this spectacular view that pictures just don't do justice and the food...The food was absolutely mouthwatering.

Coming up here is cool to me because I was blessed to be able to live here for about a year and seeing all the familiar sights, and driving by the old house I used to live in was nice, it brought back some good memories :)

All throughout the night tonight I have been 'waking up', if that makes sense, and feeling like, "wow, I'm actually out here, I'm actually doing this..." the initial shock has yet to hit me I think, and once I get past Portland I bet it will start to sink in a little bit more. 

This trip, including the months of preparing and planning, has been interesting, to say the least. There are things that I dont think I would've experienced/learned had it not been for this trip. There have been a few "set backs"  such as getting a stomach flu a week before I was set to leave, my camera being dropped and broken, discovering a glitch in my lock system in my car...but, its all about taking those types of things with a grain of salt, finding a positive and staying happy :)

 I am also happy to report that, my mom and I are closer than ever, she means the whole world to me, we have always had a special kind of relationship but over the past couple months, our relationship has been taken to a whole new level. We're friends now.  It may have taken awhile but we made it and I couldn't feel more blessed to have her in my life.

Tomorrow I will be waking up early to head to Seattle, WA where I will spend the rest of the day and the night exploring a new city.

I heard this song today, it's one of those songs that just sits well with your soul, this is my life, this is how I feel and I wanted to share it with you.

"The Long Way Around"

My friends from high school

Married their high school boyfriends

Moved into houses in the same ZIP codes

Where their parents live

But I, I could never follow

No I, I could never follow

I hit the highway in a pink RV with stars on the ceiling

Lived like a gypsy

Six strong hands on the steering wheel

I've been a long time gone now

Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down

But I've always found my way somehow

By taking the long way

Taking the long way around

Taking the long way

Taking the long way around

I met the queen of whatever

Drank with the Irish and smoked with the hippies

Moved with the shakers

Wouldn't kiss all the asses that they told me to

No I, I could never follow

No I, I could never follow

It's been two long years now

Since the top of the world came crashing down

And I'm getting' it back on the road now

But I'm taking the long way

Taking the long way around

I'm taking the long way

Taking the long way around

The long

The long way around

Well, I fought with a stranger and I met myself

I opened my mouth and I heard myself

It can get pretty lonely when you show yourself

Guess I could have made it easier on myself

But I, I could never follow

No I, I could never follow

Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else

Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down

If you ever want to find me I can still be found

Taking the long way

Taking the long way around

Taking the long way

Taking the long way around