"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~Mark TwainIf you're just discovering this blog for the first time, keep in mind that blogs are listed chronologically from bottom to top on each page. If you want to read my roadtrip adventures in order, and you only want to read about the trip and none of the pre-trip plannning, then click on June in the right column, and start reading at the bottom of the page. (There are 29 posts for June, so it's a long page!) Then go on to July, and so on down the list of months.
If you've followed my progress across 12,656 miles traversing the United States and back; if you've vicariously brewed with me at 38 breweries, and visited an additional 33 with me; if you've camped with me in a brewery parking lot next to railroad tracks in Berkeley and inside a beer warehouse in Brooklyn; if you've fought the trailer as it fishtailed on a windy highway and been thankful for a cold beer at the end of the day; then you have taken this trip with me in your imagination.
Thank you for joining me on the journey.
When I began my trip in June, I thought I was leaving on a three-month trip, not a five-month trip. I didn't actually realize how big our nation is, as I had never driven across it before. I was both excited and nervous, knowing I would be driving alone. I felt trepidation at leaving my beloved husband behind, even knowing I had his blessings.
What! Was I nuts?
Maybe I was inspired. I knew the trip would demand my best and would require all the organization and determination I could muster. I had high hopes that I would find the discipline necessary to keep this blog going as long as possible.
You gave me feedback. You loved reading my adventures. You kept me going on the blog, as I felt a responsibility to finish so you would know the entire story. That's better than I had ever done with a trip journal or diary. Previously, once I got home, life resumed and I never finished writing about the last few days of a trip. Somehow your support encouraged me, or at least I felt an obligation to you, my faithful readers.
Now it's your turn. Take the torch and drive with it, as far as you can afford to go. Map out your own road trip. Make your connections, put on your "big boots," and go.
And try to write, so we can enjoy the journey too!
Yours truly,
Teri Fahrendorf
Portland, Oregon
P.S. If you are looking for my website, the link is www.terifahrendorf.com.
