How is it that I’ve been on this journey for over 6 months? How in the world am I crossing over the half way mark? It seems like I just arrived in Miami amidst a minor panic attack. How is it that the massive panic attack that sends me home and dashes the dreams of this trip hasn’t happened yet?
My check out in Seattle was 12pm on a Saturday and my check in for my AirBnB for Portland wasn’t until 7pm. With 7 hours to pass during a heat wave with Benny in my car I had no idea what we could do. Luckily a friend suggested exploring Mount Rainier after seeing one of my posts about being in awe of it.
For those who don’t know, Mount Rainier majestically reigns over Seattle. It’s omnipresence is all breathtaking. It seems only right that the mountain that stole my heart while in Seattle would mark my halfway crossing.
Benny and I arrived at Mount Rainier National Park after a couple hours of driving through rural Washington; passing tiny towns, massive evergreens, and one aquamarine lake. Upon entering and driving under the wooden welcome sign we were emmersed in a serene forest wonderland.
I chose to do the Paradise Loop which passes points of interest on the way to the gift shop which is about halfway up the mountain; I stopped several times to see waterfalls and view points.
While stopping at a waterfall a family yelled, “Go Red Sox!” after seeing my Massachusetts plates. It turned out they are from Utah but appreciate a good baseball team.
With each winding bend up the mountain there was more and more snow on the ground. It was 110 degrees at the base of the mountain and about 75 degrees at the gift shop. The significant raise in temperature was causing a ton of snow to melt which created many waterfalls and creeks.
Walking across the parking lot in my sandals I had freezing cold water rushing over my feet. All I could think about was how much fun it would be if my sister was with me because we definitely would have kicked our shoes off and had a ton of fun playing and laughing in the glacial stream.
While waiting to go into the gift shop I started talking to the young man managing the capacity. He was from New York and had been traveling the country for about 6 months while living out of his Honda CRV; he got a job at the gift store after running out of money but wanting to continue his travels.
One thing that remains a mystery to me is how to actually pronounce Rainier. No one that I have asked has been able to confidently tell me if it’s Rain-ear or Rain-ier.
Leaving the national park and heading past my halfway point, I can’t help but feel both a sense of pride and a sense of wonder; wonder about the next 6 months and wonder about the after.
There have been many challenges on this trip; it certainly hasn’t been easy. There’s part of me that wishes it had been easier and that it wasn’t scary anymore. How am I still so anxious about the great unknown of California? There’s also part of me that can’t believe how wonderful it’s been and how well I’ve handled it.
I just finished reading Alexi Pappas book about training for the Olympics as a runner. She explains ‘The rule of thirds’ which is the experience when you’re chasing your dream that 30% of the time you feel good, 30% you feel ok, and 30% you feel crappy. She goes on to further explain that this is normal but that you have to make sure the ratio stays in that balance to continue on. I feel like this applies to my trip and I am going to hold it close for the remainder of my journey.
Where My Feet Are 
Love it! You are so amazing!!
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