It took us a while to update as we were busy waiting out winter in Olympia.
We returned to Olympia to live out the last 3 months of our 7 month lease of our second-story studio-hovel, AKA the apartment of low back pain, unlike Santiago, there was just no comfortable space. Days were spent sticking our heads out the door to see if it had stopped raining (no), gotten above 50 degrees (no) or if anything in the world had improved (unfortunately, no). Everyday, despite the conditions, we would venture out to walk off our lower back pain and wander around different Olympia neighborhoods while contemplating a (more) permanent residence. Consistently, we were pleasantly surprised with the world just outside our door.
Flora, when spring happened, it was abundant.
Great walks with beautiful trees, perfect clouds, public art and frequently on-point messages
Water, after all, it is Olympia, it is the water.
Wildlife
Rare glimpses (when the clouds cleared) of Mt. Rainer were stunning
With a brief warm spell of 50 degrees with no rain or hail, we started prepping Santiago for a new journey cross-country. After gluing down more cork and wool, hanging drapes, packing and repacking, we put Santiago to bed on St Patrick’s Day, and during that night, someone broke into our van and cleaned it out (better than we would have). Our power generator, daypacks, clothes, shoes, chargers, passports, immunization cards, laundry quarters, cooler, market bags, even the luggable loo. Our first thought was why aren’t people nice? Meanness seems to be as contagious as Covid right now, but without a vaccine, and definitely unmasked.
Our experience with the police was equally disappointing (although our USAA insurance came through big time). Our report was completed online, no police visit. A follow up phone call, initiated by us, got nowhere. The officer seemed more concerned that he was coming across as understanding and empathetic, looking for a “like” or 5 star rating in our post call survey. (Is there a cop Yelp?) We did get some crime-solving tip from the bank teller who told us to look at OfferUp, a Craigslist-like site. Two of our bigger items were immediately listed identifying the seller and his location. They sold within hours.
With a little internet sleuthing, we found that the seller had a criminal record of previous theft. We contacted the police again but since we didn’t have “100% proof” (such as a serial number) they couldn’t pursue it. Who has a serial number on their cooler? So now we check the police blotter daily, in addition to Wordle, Quordle, Mathler, Nerdlegame (well the last two only Nick), to see if he’s been caught.
A month into the spring that never quite sprung with record cold throughout April, it was time to leave. With our plans stolen we decided to sell Santiago, with only a half baked idea of what to do next. After getting no private party interest and lowball offers from CarMax and various Mercedes dealerships we decide to roll one last trip with Santiago to California (for better luck). Our farewell tour included a night in Eugene, Oregon to consolidate all our belongings into two 10×10 storage units.
Now we will travel with only what we can carry on our backs. 65 liters of living, re-creating our low back pain on the road.
Entering California is always a thrill and this was boosted by getting an inquiry for Santiago as we crossed the state line. Our potential buyer’s idea for Santiago was completely unbaked. He wanted the van to house his 98 year old dad on their twice- monthly weekend trips to Sebastopol. During the negotiations, he asked if he could fit a bed AND a wheelchair, how to heat the van, and how would his dad pee without bumping his head on the ceiling. Of course, we could answer these questions, but his plan seemed like a recipe for disaster, although we very much appreciated his appreciation of Santiago’s aesthetics. So, as a public service, and fearing his dad would only survive for a senior moment, we moved on and found a home for Santiago in Santa Rosa at the highest lowball price, Manly Automotive.
With us in Santiago’s rearview mirror we got a ride to Mendocino to unpack and repack our plans.
This week’s photo of topless old man looking out window contemplating his life.
Chosen Fugue 
Wondering where the wind will take you next!
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