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  The Way Back: Part One I left Kirkland the next day, head filled with possibility, heart longing for home. My veins hummed with caffeine and (sadly short-lived) excitement. Seattle drivers are the most impatient dickheads. Light turns green, they honk. Doesn't matter that traffic's already moving. My theory is that they expect the green light to teleport them to their destination, and the realization that they still have to drive there fills them with such rage that they have to release it somehow. Hooooonk .... In Spokane, traffic was at a standstill. Multiple crashes created multiple lane closures, leading to long delays as everyone squeezed together. Eventually the dam broke, and by evening I'd crossed the Idaho panhandle and into Montana. I should've known better than to enter Yellowstone National Park on a weekend, especially with the weather this gorgeous. The streets of West Yellowstone, Montana were jammed with carloads of would-be visitors. At the park e...
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Ten Days Later.

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I'll be honest, I stopped taking notes after the last post. Headed up through Canada, I was too frazzled. In Alaska, I was too busy trying to experience things to write them down. On the way back...well, you'll see. Washington, British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska – 3 Days Ten miles from the border, Google Maps went insane. It wasn't a signal issue, or a data problem. Maybe a GPS problem. Turn onto the road you're already on. Make a U-turn. No wait, make another U-turn. No wait... I turned off the audio. One curveball at the border: what was the crossing I usually used to get into Quebec? I blanked. They waved me through anyhow. Immediately upon entering British Columbia, I was faced with three problems: 1. For the first time since high school, I was dealing with the metric system. Speed limits were an enigma. Distances, a cipher. I was back in Algebra II, and all the values where X. 2. How long would this take? I had no way to know. Google was in one-armed Buzz Ligh...
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Day 15: Washington; 134 Miles Diane – It's 11:55am here in Kirkland, Washington. I inadvertently fell asleep without plugging in my cellular phone last night. Consequently while I was out this morning, making preparations for my junket to the northlands, the battery died. With it went my only navigational resources. The most prudent course of action seemed to be returning to my room at the Quality Inn and resuming my account of the previous days. Yesterday began with a rather lackluster gas station burrito and an oatmilk latte from one of those ubiquitous espresso drive-thrus that surround Yakima. Damn good coffee. Diane, if you ever get up this way, that latte is worth a stop. From there I headed north on highway 82, then northwest on 90. Weather was fair; predictions were for overcast skies. I guess that just goes to show you that in the grand design, Mother Nature will do what she wants. We're just along for the ride. Stopped for refreshment in the town of North Bend...
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