September 10, 2010

I feel like I’ve been here before. We’re driving down a two-lane blacktop that crosses rolling acres of sand and brush. All around in the distance many miles away I can see hazy mountains which blend into the blue and white cloudy sky. We’re leaving Fallon, NV behind and heading north for Boise. It’s about 75 degrees.

The scene my mind connected with this one is from a few years ago, on a college trip to Native reservations in the Dakotas. We ventured into NW Nebraska to see some sites around and the land looked a lot like this. Wonderful scenery but ultimately too dry to be welcoming.

We stopped in last evening to spend the night with a friend Matt had made at Burning Man. She kindly hosted us in her parents’ home, making a nice fish dinner and taking us out to drive ATVs this morning. I thoroughly enjoyed sipping margaritas after dinner and relaxing with some Daily Show and Colbert. Now I feel I’ve recovered most of my energy that got drained at Burning Man.

We had two great days before Nevada, too. We left Burning Man on Sunday night after the ceremonial burning of the temple. A couple of friends we made had asked us for a ride to San Francisco on that day so they could catch flights to return to Vancouver. We agreed and managed to pack them in the back of the van. When we opened any doors people and stuff would spring out like a jack in the box.

We got in line to leave the festival that evening at about 10 pm. After over two hours of waiting in a creeping line we made it to the two-lane road that led to the interstate. Luckily we had some leftover study-aid medication which gave us the energy to make the drive. In fact, we woke up and got quite chatty. Matt and I had some nice time to reflect and discuss future plans while the ladies slept and silently wished for us to shut up.

We rolled into the bay area on in the golden CA morning sun, deposited the ladies, and pulled into a Wal-Mart to have a nap. Before I could doze off, though, a snippy little Asian security guard lady tapped on the glass and told us to leave. Matt tried in vain to protest, but she would hear none of it and sped off in her buggy. So we gave up on a nap and I drove us into San Francisco, where his friend was visiting. We became fast friends with Matt’s friend’s friends (actually Matt’s friend’s sister’s friends), and they invited us to stay the night.

The weather was unbelievable for the time and place: 80 and pure sun all over San Francisco on Labor Day. We joined our friends in celebrating by going to Delores Park in the Mission District, after getting a Mexican lunch and some terrific ice cream. The park is a large space with gradual hills, a terrace-like setting that allows for unbeatable views of downtown and even Oakland. We found a spot to throw our blankets on Homo Hill, the self-named gathering spot for mostly gay locals and their friends. A guy next to us kindly offered us drinks from his pitcher of cranberry-vodka. We accepted and after hearing about our time at Burning Man he told his stories of attending Woodstock ’99. That’s the one that turned from a music festival to something like an apocalyptic mass-riot.

For dinner our group went to a nice little Thai place in the Castro district. We sat on the back patio and enjoyed our dinner and talked about movies and things and then drove Matt’s friend to the airport. The first good night of sleep in weeks, which followed this, only served to remind my body how tired it was.

We dedicated the next day to cleaning the van, laundry, changing the oil, donating leftover stuff to Goodwill, and adjusting the van’s brakes. Then we drove to our friend Peter Felton’s apartment in Santa Clara. Peter is a high school friend, and he showed us a very nice time. His mother was in town and insisted on taking care of us and cooking. Matt and I both enjoyed catching up with Peter, meeting his friends, and having some incredible meals with his mother.

These few days have been a good way to transition back to drifting after time away. The van is getting straightened out, we’re recovering from Burning Man, we’re spending good time with friends, and we’re moving forward. Next we’ll stop in Boise and stay with my friend Marshall. We are both curious to try to find out what Boise and Idaho are about.