Chelsea Rose: Wild Roads

Thursday, October 24, 2019

D is for Delaware

Delaware

Growing up just a ferry ride away from the First State, you would think I’ve spent loads of time here, but that’s not the case. In fact, my first memory of Delaware was not until 2000, for my cousin’s wedding, other than driving through it en route to somewhere father south.

Sometime in 2004 or 2005, I went to visit my best friend at the University of Delaware for a party. I’m pretty sure we stayed the night, but we also might’ve decided to leave at some ungodly hour. This was the first time I saw people attempt to synch up Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” with the Wizard of Oz. It was underwhelming - I think I just appreciate each of those separately too much.

I also spent a couple of hours in Lewes, Delaware while waiting for a ferry in 2009 when I was on another long road trip (I adore road trips. Can you tell?). A friend of mine was studying for his Master’s Degree in Oceanography or something interesting like that, so we made a pit stop.

In 2016, I took the ferry to Delaware again with a group of friends on bicycles to brewery hop. The day was lovely and I don’t remember how many miles we rode, because, well, there were a lot of breweries involved.

View aboard Cape May-Lewes Ferry

Brewery Bicycle Tour in Delaware

C is for California, Colorado, and Connecticut

California

We headed west for California from Las Vegas with our sights set on seeing some giant trees. It was October 2011 and the tourist season was winding down.

Just as we arrived at Sequoia National Park, the road closed for construction, but would reopen in an hour. Parked up on a hillside, the views of California were not too bad from where we sat.

Finally, the road opened for us to get into the park and we were at the front of the line of cars.

Within a few minutes of driving, a car pulls alongside of us, waving their arms and pointing until we finally understood, “SMOKE!”

My dad looked in his mirror and, sure enough, smoke was billowing out from the RV so we pulled over and popped the hood.

After some investigation, it seemed the transmission was shot! In the middle of Sequoia National Park! In the off season! And the only roads in and out were under construction! Despite all of that hilarious bad luck, another car that had been in the line pulled over to check on us and happened to have a 10-gallon bucket of transmission fluid! No joke!

He offered to drive right behind us, and every time the RV started smoking again, we’d pull over, refill it with transmission fluid, and carry on.

Eventually we got to a parking lot at a locked up Visitor’s Center (remember, it's off season?). Deep in the hills, no one had cell service and we still needed to figure out how we’d get a tow truck through the construction and detours.

A park ranger was able to let us into the Visitor's Center to use the phones. After many attempted calls, transfers, upgrades, disconnections, we were finally told that a tow truck would be coming for us. In a few hours.

When it got dark, the bears emerged from the forest but didn't cause any trouble (although, that would've made for a better story). I still think it's worth mentioning! Seeing bears and being broken down in a National Park!

Once the tow truck arrived after many, many hours, we realized there was only enough room in the cab for two adults. Somehow it was decided that my partner, myself, and the dog, would have to ride in the RV while we were towed for hours to a repair shop.

I remember laying in the bed of the RV and watching the full moon from the window. We were finally being rescued!

We were dropped off somewhere in Visalia, California where we’d have to stay until they opened the shop in the morning.

So, that is where I slept in California for the first time: in an RV in the parking lot of a repair shop.

The stress of having to wait a few days for the RV to get fixed with your short-tempered parents was trying, to say the least, but no one got killed and we even made it to Yosemite in our rental car. By the end of it, my dad didn't want to see anymore "stupid trees."

I would return to California again in April 2015 when I was exploring the West Coast on my Great Big Adventure. I found a ride with a stranger via CraigsList and we took a couple days to drive down Highway 101.

A few months later, I’d return after on my way back from Hawaii and New Zealand to try In-N-Out Burger and see Lake Tahoe.

Colorado

The first time I ever flew on an airplane, I was 18-years-old. I flew from Atlantic City to Denver in April 2003. When I returned to New Jersey from that trip, I tried convincing my brother to move to Colorado with me.

Fast forward five and a half years. It was my final semester in college and I was finishing a paper at a cafe with a friend. I looked up from my computer and told him that I just booked a one-way flight to Colorado and I was going to move to Boulder, despite having never been there, right after graduation in a few weeks.

Two days before I was supposed to leave, my dad had a heart attack at my going away party and we didn’t think he was going to survive. It was an intense couple of weeks, but he recovered and told me I needed to resume my plan to move to Colorado. So I did.

My flight arrived on the afternoon of July 9, 2008. As the bus from the airport drove through Boulder, it was much less green and more developed with big, chain stores than I was expecting.

During my first month in the West, I explored different parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and New Mexico! It was so different than everything I had known on the East Coast!

When I returned to Boulder, I got two jobs: a flower shop and a cafe! All I ever wanted! I didn't stay at the flower shop for very long, but I continued working at the cafe for nearly a year where I met some of the coolest people I'm happy to still call friends.

Somehow, my Colorado adventure turned into almost 6 years once I found myself in a relationship with 3 dogs, a cat, and a career. In January of 2014, I drove away from those mountains for a new beginning in New York City.

The thing about Colorado is that I keep coming back. In fact, as I type this right now, here I am, drinking too much water because it's so dry and squinting in the bright sunlight. Still, here I am again.

"Let's go, Rockies!"

A is for Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, and Arkansas

Alabama

If there are no photos, did it even happen?

I realize it’s kind of a letdown that the story of my visit to Alabama doesn’t have any accompanying pictures, but to be honest, my experience in the state is hardly something to write about, and yet, I’m going to anyway, because it happened.

It was July 2009 when I entered Alabama for the first and only time. I was on a 6-week long road trip with my partner-at-the-time. The road trip, initially, was with the intention that I would drive around the United States until I decided to stay somewhere for awhile, but after some negotiations, it transformed into an adventure with a beginning and end to see more of the United States and work on my mission to sleep-in-every-state.

On this particular day, we were en route from his grandparents’ house in Louisiana to his family in Florida. We drove through Mississippi (one of the six states I have left to sleep in as of the date of this writing!) and stopped at a Motel 6 in Mobile, Alabama.

We were traveling with his dog, Aloe, and this is the day we discovered that Motel 6 not only allows pets, but they don’t even have a pet fee.

I remember the bed had a blue blanket and the floor was tile. The staff was friendly enough and I remember being confused as to why it looked like people were living at the hotel (because people do that). I also remember waking up in the morning to the sound of laughing gulls.

We had breakfast at The Waffle House (the one and only time I have eaten there) and then continued on our way.

Alaska

The first time I visited Alaska was on a cruise ship in late June of 2003. My mom brought me as a graduation-from-high-school gift. It was just the two of us and it was the second time in my life I was ever on an airplane.

We saw whales, glaciers, mountains, and bald eagles. While we were kayaking, a salmon jumped up out of the water next to us and then a huge seal followed right behind! How exciting for two “kids” from New Jersey!

Exactly 10 years later, I returned to Alaska, but this time for a work trip, because I am an adult now! I was working as an environmental consultant and my boss offered to send me to Alaska, if I wanted to go!

Um, yes and thank you!

Even though my accommodations would be covered, I think it's much more enjoyable to stay with humans rather than a lonely, hotel, so I reached out to a friend I knew from when I first moved to Colorado in 2008. He was from Alaska and moved back a few years earlier. He told me he was living with his girlfriend and I was welcome to stay with them.

If I remember correctly, my flight arrived around 10pm and the sun was still shining. When I went to sleep this night in Anchorage, I could officially count Alaska as “slept in” for my life-goal records.

I attempted to walk on some trails to take pretty photos during my visit, but the “Beware of Moose and Bears” signs were enough to keep me close to the car since I could not stop picturing myself being murdered by wildlife.

Both times I visited Alaska were at the end of June/beginning of July so the days were long. I love extreme hours of daylight, but I still long to experience the winters of the far north. That being said, Alaska earns itself a spot near the top of my list for places I’d consider living.

Returning to Alaska ten years later.

Arizona

Traveling in an RV with my partner-at-the-time, my parents, and their dog, we drove to Arizona with the Grand Canyon on our radar. It was October 2011 and we were coming from Utah.

Naturally, we stopped at the state sign for pictures.

The day we arrived, we were greeted with the first snowfall of the season, and the next day, it was hot again.

Somewhat deterred by all of the signs warning of imminent death if we attempted to go hiking into the canyon, my partner and I hiked a few miles, but I could not stop imagining how my body would look after overheating and dehydrating.

The lesson? Every state is trying to kill you in its own way. Prevail, my friends. Prevail!

Ten Year Project

Ten years ago, on this date, I wrote a little essay imagining my life today. As embarrassing as much of this is and resisting all urges to make any edits, I'm extremely grateful that I have this! Stay tuned because I'll be publishing another short essay of the events that actually unfolded in these ten years along with my prediction for the next ten! Enjoy!

* * * * * *

Today is June 23, 2018 and I am 33 years old. If I was about five I’d be very specific and say 33½ but since my age doesn’t fit on my hands or toes anymore, I don’t mind the extra half year. Besides, time goes so much faster now anyway that that much time isn’t as significant as I once believed it to be. Today I am looking back at everything I have done in the last ten years. I am looking back and I feel good about the track I am on. Of course, that I have made it these ten years is incredible in itself. There is really no reason to assume that I have an unlimited supply of time ahead of me. So if I am sitting here reading this on the date that I am pretending it to be, well I have really accomplished a lot.

I am a small person and in these last ten years I still have never been able to get my weight over 120 pounds or 54.4 kilograms or 8.6 stones. I’m hoping by then I have figured out what this stones measurement is, even though I could just look it up now but I’ll leave it to give me something to do later. How do I have my degree in science and not even know that measurement? Scientists are all sorts of pretentious and are like “Oh we like the metric system because we’re smart and it makes science stuff easier!”

I think that 120 pounds is a good weight anyway. If I go below 100 pounds that is because something traumatic has happened and I got stressed out. I always used to compare myself to a goldfish in a bowl. When you change the water in the fishbowl the fish gets all stressed out and takes awhile to adapt. Hopefully, I have done enough traveling and inconsistent living that I have been able to embrace my stress. I hope that I now find comfort in it even. Maybe I am addicted to it. I hope that is the only addiction I have. Thrill seeker. Adrenaline junkie. Repo man is always intense.

Twice in these last ten years I have dropped a significant amount of weight. Once was when I got really sick. That sucked. Hopefully I had health insurance. I got sick with some food borne illness. Either Escherichia coli or Salmonella. When I’m sick I curse the corporate agro-businesses. If I don’t have health insurance I’ll refuse any medical treatment and maybe not make it to the presumed date. The other time I lost weight is when I get some bad news that throws my world upside down. I didn’t lose that much weight because I am getting a little better at getting on after all the sudden news.

I have gotten a lot more into Buddhism by now, wishing I had found it earlier. It makes the most sense to me. It has really helped me calm down. It helps me see the beauty in every moment in every day no matter what. I think the best way to approach life is to find comfort in death. Once you can understand death, everything else comes easier. I have now found my peace with death and I don’t see demons anymore. I hope I am really smart.

By the time it’s 2018 I have done a lot of traveling. I have met a lot of people from all over the world and learned all sorts of things but I still know there is always more to learn. I hope by now I have spent at least one night in every state. Ten years ago I had only spent nights in New Jersey obviously, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Ohio, Vermont, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Colorado, Hawai’i, Alaska, Tennessee, 5 states of the Yucatan peninsula (should I just say Mexico, does that count?), Ireland, England, Quebec, and Ontario. I still had a lot of places to see! I’m pretty sure I spent a night or two in Kentucky as a young child but I don’t really remember it so I’m not sure if it counts so I went and stayed there again anyway (I asked my mom, she says we spent a whole week there and that it counts. I went back anyway because why not?!). Luckily, as a graduation from college gift, my uncle David gave me a book on US Hostels so it was very helpful being able to spend more nights in the rest of the country.

I remind myself to remain humble. I’m no longer upset that I am not as pretty as I once was and that my body isn’t as young and strong because I really slacked at keeping up with it. I am slightly upset I had such a hard time being happy in the moment but I am grateful that I at least got to experience all the moments I had. I no longer have any regrets. I have made peace with certain memories I’d prefer to have erased from my mind altogether, but I did learn something from it, as people around me told me I would. I knew I would, but I also thought I could be just as smart without it. I think it is the Buddhism that has given me a hand at being able to let go. Thanks!

I dye my hair magenta red again because I have a lot more gray hair and I promised younger Chelsea that I would dye my hair again once that happened. The color is much more vibrant too. I look awesome. I always thought dying my hair is fun. If people were born with such a funky red hair I know I would’ve been born with it. I just feel it inside. Since I’m not, God doesn’t get upset with me for dying it. It is kind of like painting. I have done a lot of painting in the last ten years. Sometimes people buy my paintings and I appreciate that. I wonder if they still like it or if they gave it away to a thrift store or where it’s hanging. I wonder if it burned in a fire or if the paint faded and disappeared. So it goes.

My artistic ability already peaked way back in high school, not because I don’t enjoy it, but because I don’t have all that time dedicated to it. In high school it was easy to be into the whole art thing because half the day was spent being forced to create since the teacher had run out of curricula.

Well ten years ago I was 23. I was aware of how new I still was at life but not so new that I didn’t really understand things. I knew enough to know that when I would look back in ten years that I knew very little… compared to all that stuff I know now. As aware of all that I knew then, I was only capable of knowing that much. I knew as much as I did and used it the best I could. I will look back ten years and wish if only I knew then what I know now. That is a stupid thing to wish because that is just not what life is all about, now is it? I know that and I knew that.

I do hope that in ten years I will be that much smarter. I hope that being out of school for so long hasn’t made me dumb although there is that possibility that five or so years ago I decided to go for my Ph. D or Masters or something. I think it will always be science related because studying science interests me and makes me feel proud. I like being able to tell people about how things work.

I have had a chance to read lots and lots of books. Books are good because they take you places and through things that you can do without going anywhere. The drawback is that while reading you aren’t having your own adventures. But there is only so far that one person can go in so much time. So I could learn a lot more about life and living my own life too. Is that making sense?

If things turn out for the worst, in ten years I will still be living in Cape May County, probably in the Villas, which has really gotten bad. I got a job with the city. I drive around in a big truck… well maybe not. The trucks might not be as big by then. Everything has probably changed. Ten years ago it did seem as if things were really changing pretty fast. That is good. I am still an advocate for the environment. I have really taken drastic changes to reduce my ecological footprint. In fact, I quit my job with the city because I didn’t want to have a job that used such big trucks and wasted so much time pulling up weeds that want to be there anyway. But I’m living in Cape May County which means I have probably lost a few teeth. It must be something in the water.

If things go well, I sure do hope they go well, I’ll be strong and healthy. I won’t be living around here, but I can’t predict where I’m going to be living exactly because I still haven’t seen nearly enough! I can’t even begin to imagine what video games are going to be like in ten years! Ten years ago, in 1998, I think I had just gotten my Nintendo 64 a year earlier! Craaaaazy! I was so good at Goldeneye. I learned in college that is the name of a bird, some sort of duck bird. I imagine it’s some kind of Anseriformes Anatidae.

I’ll have found a job that I truly love and I don’t know what that job is yet because I still haven’t done enough. The job is everything I want. I’ll probably be a farmer actually. Where will I be farming? Well in 2008 I was supposed to have the internship in upstate New York. Maybe after my dad got better, I didn’t want to go to Colorado anymore and I gave that farm a call and asking if I could help them. They were so excited to hear from me and I maybe I met a really cool farmer guy who had the best sense of humor and was really smart and really sexy and has dreamy blue eyes so we will make beautiful babies. I’ll probably want babies even less by then but who knows. But I know better. I know that no handsome man with a great sense of humor and brains exists. I’ll be a spinster for the rest of my life.

I have finally gotten good at playing guitar and now I even play the banjo and harmonica too! I wear overalls and my hair is probably in dreadlocks – magenta of course. My skin is always the color of caramel. My hands are feminine yet very strong. Maybe I will even smoke a corncob pipe!! Instead of smoke just bubbles come out. I am so funny. I can’t even believe how cool I have become!

Maybe I’m farming in Costa Rica even…

Maybe I got really into painting and sell stupid generic sunset paintings and survive off that.

Money still doesn’t motivate me. As long as I have enough money for rent each month. Maybe by this time I will know where I think buying a house is worth it. But since I like to keep on the move, I don’t buy much, because things just weigh me down. Even though I don’t have a great paying job, I am doing just fine. The economy has leveled off by now. That was really quite the recession though. It got really rough at times when store shelves became empty. But thank God, I lived on a farm!

If it so turns out, maybe by now I have figured out how to love back… and be loved at the same time. And we really knew this was it and actually got married. If that happened, it was probably around the age of 28… that’s only five years from now. Crap. Okay, maybe a little more time than 28… maybe like 35.

I don’t drive a car. If anything, I’ll have moped, but lots of people do that these days.

I think I’ll still be into the same kind of music.

I guess I should really get going if I want to do anything. I sure do hope I am I alive for ten more years! And I hope they are glorious!

Everything is going to work out.

Chelsea Rose, June 23, 2008

Chelsea, April 2008

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Eight Months in Astoria: Is This Love?

I love you, Astoria. And I'm not one to toss that word around lightly.

Astoria, you're special to me. You're not like the other places I've been.

I had this idea that I was going to move to Guatemala for a few months. Because I get restless and bored and I really, really want to learn Spanish.

Then I had an idea that I was going to move back to Colorado, despite my dislike for the climate - I even applied for a job and had an interview.

Then, three days after publishing my last blogpost, everything changed at whirlwind speed.

I met an amazing man and we got married. We bought a house. And now we’re expecting our first child! I'm settling down!

No, no. Just kidding.

About that last part.

But I did officially take my paint and sip business to the "next level" (I got a business license and made a website). Check it out here! And if you’re local, come to one of the events! You’ll have a blast!

Here's how that happened to a girl who swore she'd never pursue or commit to anything like that: a newly established business in town reached out and, what I thought was going to be either a job offer or a cease and desist, turned out to be an invitation to buy the business. Long story short, I did not takeover that business, but decided it was time to bulk up what I was already doing.

And here we are.

I discovered, accidentally, business-stuff gives me the same rush I get from traveling and moving to new places. If I can satiate that high, then I might even be able to stay in one place. But I'm even more excited to learn, maybe, I can actually do something with it! This is could be life-changing.

In addition to my exciting, new endeavor, my parents came to visit for 8 days last month and I had the honor of playing tour guide. I was trying to trick them into moving here, so I wanted them to have the best time!

For 8 days, we explored a lot of places! It was amazing and deepened my love for Astoria. So, if you’re ever at a loss of ideas for things to do (at least when the weather permits), go ahead and reference this list - it’s worth it: