As our estimated time of departure neared, we all fell into the rhythm of the road. Very much like riding a bike. If you were a toddler. And this was your first bike ride. And you only had an adult bike . . . with one pedal.
Guys, the year off was no joke. Sure, we played a lot, recorded some amazing music, got a ton of home renovations and upgrades done, enjoyed the outdoors and generally took advantage of the down time. But we did NOT realize how truly home-locked we had become. At the end of the 2019 tour, we were a well-oiled machine. We had our bag of tricks to handle the and ins-n-outs of travel. I was preparing steadfastly for the 2020 tour AS we were on the road in ‘19. We’d spent the past few years working hard to iron out all the kinks that road life can toss one’s way, and I was confident, prepared, and relaxed about the next year of travel. Then . . . well, we all know what happened, so no need to rehash. But we got soft. We planted roots to keep from blowing away completely. So, when it came time to remember how to be free again, it felt foreign and a bit uncomfortable. I knew it was gonna be rough when Rudyard (for anyone who actually does NOT know, Rudyard, aka, Rudy, Rudes, Captain Stinky, is our amazing travel partner and also happens to be our 7 year old son.) As I was saying, it really hit me how dependent on all our “stuff” we’ve become when Rudy grabbed a huge trash bag and said, “I’m just going to gather up some stuffies (stuffed animals) for the road.” A TRASH BAG FULL?!? I hollered, “Five! You may bring five.” He brought six . . . I’m sure I was the same with my shoes.
Anyway, we made it. Rubber on the asphalt, sandals kicked off on the floor, tongues stained red from a bag of sweet, burgundy Rainier cherries nestled between Jared and I in the front, Mt. Rainier in the distance and a sigh that can only be truly understood by anyone who shares our passion for adventure. With trees, buildings, fields, and cars passing by on the sides, we floated on four wheels to our forever dream. Oh, and a spider on the steering wheel.
The “spider” is a joke Rudy and I have played on each other for the past couple years, hiding it it various places and just waiting for the scream and laughter of the “You got me!” So, we thought it fitting to start the trip off with the little guy perched on the wheel. I’m sure spiders are good luck in some cultures, right? And, even if not, it’s damn funny to our trio.
We had scheduled an on-phone radio interview on Ally Kat Chat (on KGRG 89.9 FM out of Green River College) for 8:00 pm Tuesday night. Since we got a late start, it actually put us near the radio station in person around that time. We reached out to see if they would rather do an in-person interview instead and they were happy for the chance. We pulled in and were warmly greeted by Jake who showed us into the studio. Our friends in the PNW music scene, Dace Anderson (of Dace’s Rock n’ More Music Academy) and Ariel Young (of The Feels) were in one booth and the host of the program, Heidi Pink, aka Ally Kat, was in the next. Big, giant hugs were exchanged and in minutes we were on air. The interview was all about our new EP, Scour and everything that went into making it, what inspired it, how we are coming out of the pandemic, a couple additions from Rudy, and some CS history. A really good time was had by all and we even got a picture with a giant Pickle Rick at the request of Rudy at the end. We’re planning to hit up the station on the way home to book-end our tour and say hi to our new friends again.
Around midnight, Jared made the very grown-up decision to actually pull over so we could sleep, instead of trying to drive on the extra hour or so of energy he had stored up. So, the Winchester Wasteway Rest Area was our home for the evening. For all the moms out there, it was clean, served it’s purpose, and well-lit. Also, we noticed a car with no license plates, and the people inside watched us walk in and out of the bathroom in a really close way. Jared got a funny feeling from them and thought we should move along the highway to the next stop and we all agreed. Then, right as we got all our stuff packed back up to leave…they pulled out and left. I was glad because I didn’t want J driving anymore. Jared beautifully wrapped up our evening reading some of the Jungle Book to help us all fall asleep.
With dreams of Mowgli, Bagheera, and adventures on the road awaiting, we had day 1 in the books!
If you’ve read this far, thank you and I hope you join us for the rest!
Safe Travels my Friends.
See you when you return home.