11/10/2015

I had heard that Washington received a large amount of rainfall. The weather I encountered for much of the state supported those rumors. Before leaving Rainier I consumed a quick breakfast. Generous portions of peanut butter and Nutella were swathed over two hearty slices of bread. My legs were eager to return to the trail. Perhaps my body just wanted to be set in motion. I had learned that the best way to get through the difficult days was to remember that everything was only temporary. The rain would eventually replace the sun and the cold would dissipate. And so, I did what I had done for every day for the past four hundred and twenty some days. I ran forward and didn’t look back.

The trail continued to the town of Tonino...

11/9/2015

The morning air was crisp and it had a bite. I had a soft glazed donut and fluffy scrambled eggs for breakfast. We were on a tight schedule and we needed to reach the Westin http://www.westinbellevuehotel.com before 10:00 AM. It meant Crystal would have to fight her way through morning traffic to get me there on time. Without a hotel at our destination city, Crystal decided at the last minute to see if the Manager of the hotel would let us stay another evening. She figured it was the most convenient option since it was on our route. We were very grateful to hear the answer come back yes.

Crystal maneuvered the truck from freeway to freeway. We were no longer accustomed to heavy city traffic. I knew she dreaded the congestion but she gritted her teeth and focused on the road...

11/17/2015

For some, vacation is a time to catch up on exercise, visit a new place, or hit the town. For me and Crystal, it meant food, sleep, vegging out, and more sleep. The Westin was the perfect spot for our mini-vacation. Moments after we stepped into our room, a doorman brought a surprise platter to welcome us to Seattle. Cindy Breen had arranged a variety of treats for our gastric pleasure. There was plenty of protein to replenish my muscles, and a rainbow of fruits to refresh my body. I enjoyed some wonderful chocolate chunks and a handful of nuts. I stared out at the city lights from the seventeenth stories above. I thought about the different roads I had travelled and some of the obstacles I had conquered. I pondered the wrong turns, the mistakes, and the missteps...