For the last few months on the social media sites I\u2019ve been hinting around about my impending move. It\u2019s getting close now, maybe four to six weeks before I\u2019m on the road.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been planning \u2013 for years actually, but things like the death of my spouse got in the way \u2013 to move to Ashland, Oregon. I lived there for half a year back in 1989, and wished at the time I could have stayed. All these years later it still feels like of all the places I\u2019ve lived the place to which I want to return. Admittedly I expected to get there before what are essentially my retirement years, but there you are. Life happens.<\/p>\n
However, I do need to crowdsource some of the move. Crowdsourcing is the social networking Internet way of doing what we used to call rattling the network or pulling in some favors. I like the idea. I have found the world is full of an astounding number of interesting people I never would have stumbled across but for things like blogging, FB and Twitter.<\/p>\n
So here\u2019s what I need in a nutshell from you, my wonderful crowd: company on the road and somewhere to stay when I get there.<\/p>\n
Here are the details.<\/p>\n
The Trip Itself<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ll be leaving from central North Carolina sometime soon after Saturday, April 21. Can\u2019t leave before then, because I have a workshop to teach that day, but I want to be on the road before mid-May.<\/p>\n I\u2019m gonna load myself and the three \u201cc\u201ds\u2014cat, clothes, and computer\u2014into my old Volvo station wagon. (The rest of my stuff goes into storage to be shipped later.) <\/p>\n I\u2019ll drive from Pittsboro to Chicago. I usually take two days to do that. I\u2019ll then stay a few days in Chicago to visit with my family, and maybe see old friends, too. Depends on the time. From Chicago I head west on I-80 for a long, leisurely drive through much flat land, stopping at scenic wonders and roadside attractions as the impulse occurs. Then I detour to northern California so I can leave Isaac\u2019s ashes in Yosemite, and maybe visit some folks who live in that part of the world. From there I head up I-5 to Ashland, where I intend to stay put for a good, long while.<\/p>\n I\u2019m estimating the whole trip start to finish will last anywhere from two to four weeks, depending upon how long I stay in Chicago, and how many people I visit along the way.<\/p>\n Though I\u2019ve done my share of cross-country driving, I\u2019m not thrilled at going that long and that far alone. My son had hoped to accompany me, but it turns out he can\u2019t get the time off of work until much later in the summer. I can\u2019t travel with a cat in the car in high summer, not to mention I\u2019d rather be out of the South by then myself. And I don\u2019t like driving after dark much, anymore, which seriously shortens my driving day if I\u2019m alone.<\/p>\n Who I\u2019m Looking For<\/strong><\/p>\n So I am looking for a traveling companion—a substitute son, if you will—with a few weeks to spare who can leave with me from North Carolina, or join me from Chicago onward. This person will have a valid driver\u2019s license, a clean driving record, a bit of a sense of adventure, more than a bit of a sense of humor, and feel perfectly capable of helping me who cope with delays or mechanical difficulties (which will give me serious anxiety attacks).<\/p>\n In exchange, this someone gets a free trip to California and southern Oregon. I\u2019ll pay gas, food, lodging and other reasonable expenses (such as admission to National Parks) plus a plane ticket back to the person\u2019s point of origin. In other words, if you can get to Chicago or NC on your own, I\u2019ll fly you back to your home (from the airport at Medford OR to wherever in the lower 48) as part of the deal. Plus, of course, you get to pick my brains or listen to my stories or put up with my old codger taste in music for a couple of weeks, and maybe meet some interesting people, too.<\/p>\n Interested? E-mail me at phaedra.bonewits (at) gmail (dot) com, or message me on FB. If I don\u2019t know you already, be prepared to provide some references.<\/p>\n What I Need in Oregon<\/strong><\/p>\n When I get to Ashland, I\u2019ll need somewhere to stay temporarily. I hope to find a room to rent (I like living with other people) or a modest studio. I will have a cat with me, in a crate. If you can put me and the cat up temporarily anywhere in the Ashland area (Talent, Medford, etc.), or know someone who might be able to, contact me at the same email: phaedra.bonewits (at) gmail (dot) com, or message me on FB.<\/p>\n Exactly when I leave will depend on the availability of the traveling companion (wow, sounds Dr. Who-ish, doesn\u2019t it?) and arrangements at the other end, but I really need to get going before the weather gets too warm.<\/p>\n So, my peeps and FB friends and Twitterers and blog followers, let\u2019s take this social experiment to another level, shall we? Oregon, Ho!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For the last few months on the social media sites I\u2019ve been hinting around about my impending move. It\u2019s getting close now, maybe four to six weeks before I\u2019m on the road. I\u2019ve been planning \u2013 for years actually, but … Continue reading