“It’s really happening.” is the thought that keeps playing on repeat in my head as I pack and distil all my belongings into a single suitcase. “What am I doing?” is the thought that usually follows the former.

I’m packing my things and tossing them in my car. I’m picking up three of my best friends and together we are driving my 2007 Impala nearly 3000 miles across the United States. Why?

Do you ever have those moments with friends when someone says something outlandish over a casual lunch? Something like, “Guys, we should all go to Portland Oregon together sometime!”? Usually, everyone agrees, “yeah we totally should!” or “wouldn’t that be great!?”. But it never happens.

That’s how those interactions usually go. My friends are anything but usual in the best ways possible. So when my friend Nina said, “Guys, we should all go to Portland sometime!”, I responded, “Sure, how about Spring Break?” We all looked nervously at one another and in that moment we decided it was GOING to happen.

Plans changed. A week-long road trip in the spring turned into 2-weeks in the summer which turned into the entire 3-month summer.

The plan: Road trip from Nashville, TN to Portland, OR. Spend a week in Portland, then find work in Mountain View, CA for the entire summer.

Who knows what’s in store? Fun? Adventure? Discovery? Disaster? That’s what this new blog segment is all about: my journey to The Great American West with a suitcase and less than $2000 in my name.