Getting my own apartment has been a lot of fun and a lot of work. Hauling all one owns from one place to another helps determine what is really needed and what is just extra. Thanks to family and friends I have plenty to get started.

The apartment itself is a basic living room, kitchen, bedroom and bath. Just enough to fit all my gear, gadgets and keepsakes. It's comfortable and I've even got an upper patio for plants and a window garden in the spring.

It's good to be home and to be facing a whole new year. I got home early Tuesday morning about 1:30 am on December 30th. It was a long drive and I'm glad I took and and that it is now over.

In this new year I've already gone on a winter retreat and moved into my own apartment. School starts in three weeks and I'll be taking the time until then to work, visit friends and family and get the apartment comfortable. Hope the new year finds you well.

Hello all five people who are following my journey... I'm in Salt Lake City, Utah. Stopping to get some new tires on my car (just in case) for the Colorado Rockies. I had on tire blowout last night which put me a little behind schedule.

The little scenery I have seen between California and Utah has been beautiful. From majestic mountains to rolling hills to sprawling desert. The rise has been rather smooth and traffic lite once I was past the Nevada border. The speed limit is 75 on the highway so I did make good time. Hoping to be in Colorado tonight.

The trip so far has gone well. No problems at all. Had a detour from my original route because I didn't have chains to go through a mountain pass. I'll buy some today, just in case (I am going through Colorado and I was told you need them there too).

Christmas Day was a wild one. I encountered windy, rainy, snowy, hail-ful weather along the northern coast of California. It was quite interesting. There was a couple of pretty bad wrecks along the way, an unfortunate day for some.

I've got everything packed up and enough goodies to last me a few days. Now its time to wait to leave. There's an odd mix of anticipation and loss within the confines of my heart. Sort of like heartburn, here for a moment and then gone. It was quite the experience, the last 8 months here in Alaska. I'm hardpressed to say farewell but I'm also excited as to what the future will bring.