Stepping Back in Time in Seattle
Stepping Back in Time in Seattle

Basically, it’s educational, fun, affordable dining with great theming and a better view. If you’ve only got a few hours in Seattle, Smith Tower is the way to make the most of them.

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Trial RunCarson CostaSeattle, Blogging, Coffee, Starbucks, Pike Place Market, Smith Tower, Recommendation, Border Crossing, City, Driving, Bars, Experience, Self, Gordon, Why?, This Happened to Me, Mishaps, Washington, Travel, Trial Run, United States, Vanlife, Zach, Curiosity, Questions, Working, Working in Public, Toasts, Larrabee State Park, Tell Me Your Thoughts, History, Views Comment
Everything's Turning Up Roses
Everything's Turning Up Roses

Arriving at Dave and Nancy’s house presented a slightly-terrifying challenge. And by “slightly-terrifying,” I mean I was fairly sure it was going to put a swift end to the trip.

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Trial RunCarson CostaPortland, Oregon, Flowers, Roses, Lots of Pictures, Planning, Overcoming problems, Overplanning, Overachieving, Ocean, City, Books, Powell's City of Books, Awesome Book Stores, Book Stores, Public Parks, Gardens, Jasper National Park, Banff National Park, Return Trip, Route Planning, Bed, Van Build, Reading, Fairbanks, Sumas, Border Crossing, 3-Day Novel Contest, National Parks, Labor Day, Mt. Rainier National Park, Coast, Dave and Nancy, Zach, Scenic Drives, Steep, Terrifying Drives, International Rose Test Garden, Beauty, Blogging, Driving, Thanks to, I'm Not Late for Once, Inner Thoughts, A Peek Inside My Weird Brain, Library, Nice Drive, Travel, Trial Run, United States, Vanlife, Amazing People Comment
The Problem with Jumping in the Deep End
The Problem with Jumping in the Deep End

I’m not writing this post to complain. I realized that this — everything being a total mess — is part of the whole experience.

I’m not failing at it, I’m doing it.

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Trial RunCarson CostaSelf-doubt, Self, Self Improvement, Reflections, Problems, Mess, Mishaps, Advice, Crater Lake National Park, Overcoming problems, Solutions, Corvettes, Driving, Nice Drive, Smoke, Seward, Alaska, Learning, Library, Gordon, New Friends, Friends, Fairbanks, State Fair, United States, Experience, Changes, Ways of Doing Things, Writing, Catching Up, Rogue River Gorge, Casey State Recreation Site, Ocean, Travel, A Peek Inside My Weird Brain, Blogging, Cooking, Dirty, Exhaustion, Excitement, Goals, Giving Up in the Best Way, intervention, I'm late again, Inner Thoughts, Sink, Late, Losing my mind, National Parks, Oregon, Panic, Snow, Stress, Trial Run, Time Crunch, Tiny Living, Vanlife, Adventure, Zach, Amazing People, Blockbuster, Dream Come True, Dreams Comments
Spontaneous Side-Trips in Ashland, OR
Spontaneous Side-Trips in Ashland, OR

The road took us past a large lake, then sloped up into the mountains, winding tightly along the cliff’s edge, bouncing up and down as the terrain demanded, tilting in places.

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Trial RunCarson CostaTravel, Trial Run, This Happened to Me, Ashland, Oregon, Park, Lithia Park, Bars, Street Fairs, Driving, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, National Parks Passport, Games, Shuffleboard, Shake Dice, Cooking, Learning, Adventure, Catching Up, I'm late again, Range Oven, Rotary Youth Exchange, RYE, United States, Vanlife, Zach Comment
The First Day: Lassen Volcanic National Park
The First Day: Lassen Volcanic National Park

Zach looked back and said that everything looked ok, except there seemed to be something shiny — something that looked like water — on the floor.

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Trial RunCarson CostaTravel, Danica, Snow, Zach, RYE, Rotary Youth Exchange, California, Donner Party, Donner Summit, Oil, Lassen Volcanic National Park, National Parks, America, Adventure, A Peek Inside My Weird Brain, Blogging, Driving, long drive, Mess, Mishaps, Losing my mind, Panic, Challenges, Dirty, Exhaustion, Excitement, Heat, Frustration, Inner Thoughts, Late Night Musings, Tiny Living, Vanlife Comments
The Final Days Before The Pacific Northwest
The Final Days Before The Pacific Northwest

Everything that I’ve been thinking about just to keep myself going for the last year and a half. The life I’ve been dreaming about is eight hours away.

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Pre-TripCarson CostaAppliances, Blogging, Breaking Things, Comedy of Errors, Carpentry, Challenges, Charge Controller, Cabinets, Excitement, DIY, Electrical, Exhaustion, Self, Heat, Learning, Family, Frustration, Fan Install, Inner Thoughts, Sink, Business, Customer Service, Catching Up, Adventure, Full Speed Ahead, Fridge, Fuse Box, National Parks, Late Night Musings, Late, Danica, Drawer, Slides, MDF, Guests, Friends, Zach, Battery, Brackets, Kitchen, Thanks to, Planning, Mishaps, Neighbors, United States, Possible Formatting Errors, Range Oven, Fan, eTrailer, Solar, Panic, RYE, Rotary Youth Exchange, Travel, Trial Run, Stress, Time Crunch, Self-doubt, Wiring, Vanlife, Van Build, Wood Working Comment
I've Named the Van, and I'm Nearly Set to Go
I've Named the Van, and I'm Nearly Set to Go

The last week before I left was just as insane, because all of that was still going on, but I also had a lot of goodbyes to get through.

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Pre-TripCarson CostaLosing my mind, Stress, Frustration, Friends, Family, Van Build, Vanlife, Visits, A Peek Inside My Weird Brain, Blogging, Comedy of Errors, Challenges, Curtains, Cabinets, DIY, Exhaustion, Self, I'm late again, Inner Thoughts, Planning, long drive, Mishaps, Neighbors, Wood, Panic, RYE, Rotary Youth Exchange, Travel, Self-doubt, Trial Run, Time Crunch, Worried, Wood WorkingComment