wanderlust: My own state

Numbers as I go

Random facts all my readers must be dying to know:
• Miles traveled: 15,753
• States/provinces traversed: 37
• Days of rain: I've stopped counting
• Times I've played disc golf: 7 (see below)

Nights spent in:
• Friends' houses/apartments: 61
• Hostels: 21
• Hotels: 16
• A tent: 4
• My car: 3
• On the beach under the moon: 1

Disc golf courses

Eagle's Nest: Butte, Montana
This course requires a dissertation to describe it. See here. In short, it's hard to find, poorly marked and full of trees...but challenging! There were no locals.
Knoch Knolls Park: Naperville, Illinois
A small course with a few open holes and several through the trees. Pretty short holes and not too difficult. The locals were helpful for directing us through the course.
Lohmann Park: Urbana, Illinois
Well-marked course but very short holes. Not too bad for variety—through trees and around some corners—but overall very easy. The locals were helpful for answering my questions about the course layout.
St. John's: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Laid out in a canyon and along a hilltop behind the college's soccer field and gym. Thanks to maps from the gym, we were able to navigate it with some confusion. Hole 3 has been removed. A challenging course that deserves a walk-through or play-through to orient oneself.
Ashbaugh Park: Santa Fe, New Mexico
A lot of holes packed into a fairly small area. A map is essential, because the holes overlap and there are multiple holes for each tee. It's very flat, which was a relief after the St. John's course. We could have spent most of the day playing that course; it's a good one.
Brent Baca Memorial: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Fairly flat, with plenty of challenging aspects: obstructions in front of tees, arroyos, holes, trees, fences. Lots of long holes. Very well marked and mapped. (Watch your step: the bushes have prickly things that like to invade socks.) A great course overall.
Deerfield Community Park: Irvine, California
Compact course is very well marked. Get a map at the community center by the parking lot. A lot of out of bounds areas and some trees increase the challenge. Pars are generous.
Stanford University: Stanford, California
Website outlines the course in great detail. Course is challenging in that you must avoid people, windows and other obstacles. I only made to hole 1 before throwing my disc on a 10-foot ledge. (No wonder all the photos were taken at night.) Great course. I'd love to try it again.
Fort Walla Walla Park: Walla Walla, Washington
My personal favorite, only because it's where I learned to play. I love the wide expanses of grass and the annoyingly in-the-way trees. I've sent my discs into the creek and marshes a fair number of times. The locals are, I must say, helpful and friendly.

This morning I crossed over the Columbia River from Oregon to Washington. Also this morning, my trip counter flipped back to 000.0: meaning, I’ve driven 15,000 miles…and counting.

I’m not sure how I feel about being back in my state. Just three days ago I was in San Francisco. Now it’s suddenly winter—the skies are gray, I’ve experienced rain and wind, and I’m wearing lots more layers.

But these are the exterior things. It’s a lot less easy to list the interior facts.

I’ve been in Olympia for a couple of hours. My family lived here for almost three years, but we left more than five years ago. Yet it feels so recent to my life experience. I have a lot of memories associated with this city, a lot of good memories. I had my first school experiences here when I went to SPSCC for two years. I spent countless hours at my church on the Westside, and I made a lot of close friends there. I bought an old German camera and began experimenting with photography more seriously. (That is, I took dozens of photos of the Capitol building and Mount Rainier.) I started driving in this city. Therefore, I learned to deal with traffic and rain, sometimes in alarming quantities.

Still, these are exterior details.

This is where I started to grow up, when I started to figure out who I would be. I used to take walks after dark in the neighborhoods near our house. I did a lot of thinking. I learned how to pray. I learned to love the rain.

…

I can’t say any more than that. I’m not sure how to say it. I just know that this place makes me thoughtful. If you see someone wandering the streets, wearing plaid wool pants and a brooding expression, give her a knowing nod and a wide berth.

Comments

Yes, I've seen you when you're brooding and I know to give you a wide berth...(or a burrito, sometimes that works.)
Welcome back, 15,000 miles later. You've accomplished something most people would just talk about doing, and would never actually do. (And thanks for taking us with you, in a way, with the blogs and photos.)
Enjoy the rest of your way back to The Walla.

Posted by: Wes | December 12, 2005 at 11:03 PM

No, no, NO! You can't go home! What will I do without my obsessive checking of wanderlust?

At least you're in Olywa. Too bad you hadn't dragged your feet a week longer; I arrive in Olympia a week from today, which would have made me one of the few and proud who saw you on your road trip twice.

Sniff. Don't die, wanderlust. Just go into suspended animation until your reincarnation into another blog for another trip -- a trip for which I have great aspirations of being a member!

Posted by: Katie | December 13, 2005 at 10:13 AM

welcome back! I can't wait to see you soon :-)

Posted by: Leah | December 13, 2005 at 01:06 PM

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