Is it wrong to travel across four state lines to get some really good food?
(That’s a rhetorical question. I already know the answer.)
The primary reason for a road trip to Sante Fe was to go to Cafe Pasqual’s for huevos rancheros for my birthday. We found out too late that they had closed because of COVID. Curse that virus! That was such a disappointment, but we didn’t suffer for any lack of incredible New Mexican cuisine options while we were there.
I fell in love with New Mexico! I already want to go back.
When your table is a box, and your dinner is pretzels…
This past year has been conducive to a lot of reflection, but more so in the past few months. Living this nomadic life has granted us so many freedoms, and because of it, we’ve gotten to experience so many adventures, see so many things. But it is not an easy life by any means. There are a lot of things that we haven’t figured out yet, and a lot of things that we want out of life that we’ve been unable to achieve out here on the road.
So, it’s time for a change. With a bit of sorrow (because we love our little home on wheels so much) but also excitement for a new chapter, we have decided to move into a permanent home. Maybe “semi-permanent” is a better way of saying it, because we’ll have a lease for a year and then be able to decide what we want to do next – whether that is to buy a property or hit the road again. But for now, we officially have a proper home base to serve as a launching point for our adventures. Cuddlebus remains stalwart for weekend trips into the mountains.
This will help us to create some structure for our lives and help us to focus on our goals, projects, and health… I love change. It is so refreshing and motivating.
We’ve been moving around a bit. We spent the month of December in the charming little Christmas ski town of Leavenworth. It’s very quaint – styled like a Bavarian village – and super festive this time of year. We took day trips and skied and celebrated Christmas super low-key, just the two of us.
To beat the encroaching melancholy that’s been kicking in over the past few days, we took an impromptu twilight walk through the city in the rain. It was gorgeous and refreshing. The city lights glittered against the deepening evening sky. At the end of it was the welcome sight of a little Thai food cafe that offered take-out. That was just the little life injection that I’ve been needing.
After 125 days of nomadic traveling, we rolled back into Kirkland. We didn’t have any fixed plans when we left, but had intended to be on the road for only a month or so. Coronavirus had struck in Kirkland and it seemed like a smart thing to do. Why not? We already had our life and our home tidily packed into a small box on wheels, ready to turn the key, start the motor, and drive away.
Once on the road we fell in love with it too much. The freedom of having no rules, the promise of adventure around the next bend… Four months later, we had toured all through Eastern Washington, briefly dipped our toes into Idaho, revisited some old haunts in Oregon, and then wrapped up our tour in the little town of Tonasket, Washington.
So close to the border, my phone thinks we’re in Canada.
