In 42 days’ time, we will Tetris-pack a modest accumulation of possessions back into the bus and hit the highway. Destination, Wyoming. Life is calling and it’s time to move on.
The charm of this city wore off pretty quickly. I really do love Portland for its whatever-goes weird vibes, historic charm, great food, and extreme walkability. Portland also has a lot of parks and trees, enough greenery to still feel semi-sane while living in an urban environment. But the homelessness problem is just so bad here. There is trash everywhere in the streets. Homeless camps have invaded our neighborhood (which was once one of the most enviable places to live in the city), and it’s rare to go out without being accosted for something. There’s no respect for personal property. If you park your car on the street it will be broken into. If you don’t give cash they will smash things into the ground at your feet and yell in your face. It feels dangerous. Sometimes, they wander through the streets without clothes on… Zombie apocalypse? Rather than enjoying all that the city has to offer, my existence has become one of isolation, staying inside my loft and only venturing out to buy groceries. It’s not a great way to live, even for a happy introvert like myself.
So we are moving to the cute, historic Hell on Wheels town – Laramie, Wyoming. It’s not just a place chosen at random, there are very specific reasons for going there, but it also happens to align with what I want and need right now in a big way. Wide open space, uncluttered by people, where I can just breathe fresh air and remember myself again. Hot springs, hiking, fishing, rockhounding, camping… there are so many things to explore. And I plan to document all of it, which is why I am bringing this blog back from the dead.
There will also be an abundance of unapologetic postings of food. We’ll start with this one right here. Whoever said that Wyoming can’t do pizza right was never more wrong. This pizza rivals the best I’ve had in Portland.
They call Laramie “Laradise” because it is so temperate and lovely. Even in the dead of winter, Laramie is exempt from the harshest of it thanks to what is colloquially called the “snow shadow”. When all of the surrounding areas are buried under snow and ice, Laramie is relaxing in a hammock drinking a margarita. Take a look:
My goal is to explore as much of the Wyoming wild yonder as possible before winter storms leave Laramie snow-locked.
