the story of jessica

I took very few photos on my yellowstone adventure, but took a few gems.


(amazing cinnamon rolls, courtesy of sonia, providing a much needed breakfast after trying to sleep in a tent during the worst thunder storm- ever- in Missouri)


(big sky)


(our amazing camp site, one of the few nights without any rain, after driving 14 hours on 2 hours of sleep, in wyoming. most stars i've ever seen)


(stopping to look at cool rocks and the sunset, near Wyoming, maybe in it)


(our own little water fall, at our campsite we had after backpacking almost 1000 ft up a mountain. lovely.)

it feels like it was so long ago already, that it seems strange to write about it. and i have a lot of work on my plate already, but wanted to get a brief update out there.

i'm currently in a coffee house, in Greenfield, Massachusetts, hoping that the car gets fixed soon and i can be on my way to Maine. This is the third car I've been in since leaving Athens that has some sort of malfunction. the car to yellowstone got low on transmission fluid and we had a scare (that ended up being totally fine). the truck i left detroit in had a broken fan, which also runs the coolant pump and almost killed it's self as we pushed it a little too hard. then the car i rode to out of toledo in and towards maine, had an engine misfire and erin and i have been stuck in Gill since. With some very serious luck, it will be fixed today and we can carry on. but, more likely we'll be here at least another day (and hang out with baby ducks at the farm our friend lives on!).


woah.

to the west!

So, come Sunday an epic adventure will begin as J Beards and I live out an insane and wonderful venture.

Here's the plan:
Athens---> Long Branch SP, Missouri
Long Branch---> Guernsey SP, Wyoming
Guernsey---> Yellowstone
(hang in Yellowstone for 4 days)
Yellowstone---> Badlands, South Dakota
(hang in the Badlands for 2 nights)
Badlands--> Pleasant Creek SP, Iowa
Pleasant Creek---> Detroit for the US Social Forum




From there, I'll head to the Machias, Maine with the Beehive Collective.

Here's to an epic summer
(but first, an epic goodbye...)

brown town

jumping together with a smile larger than possible
the last strike and everyone knew.
as i walked towards those gnarly stairs,
my shirt wet with sweat, i looked over my shoulder.

it was an embrace that said thanks.
thanks for everything we don't know how to put into words
and for all the times we tried
it said this is the end of an era

i don't know if that's what it said for them
but as i watched it, i felt it inside
walking up those stairs
leaving a room humid with sweat
i knew it might be my last.

maybe its an end to an era
maybe its just the first of a series
i cant really tell yet but i know
it feels like i've broken up with someone i love
and i can't even convince myself they aren't worth the tears


-------------

yesterday, emily played at a brown town show. it wasn't a last, but it was close. needless to say, i was feeling sentimental. she played a song for every season. i can't recall the exact lyrics, but her winer song went something to the effect of 'isn't it strange, that i finally feel at home and now i'm leaving?'

i almost cried. it's weird when others say what you feel better than you can, but it happens. especially in music.

i've loved athens for many years, but never have i felt such love and connection as i do now. i finally feel like i really know what a home it, what a place can be, and the connections that can be built.

but, in less than one week- i'll leave.

a hairy progression