Rite of Passage
I've been hooked on this idea for some time now. My folks and friends all say I'm going to wind up dead. When I share it with people they look at me like I'm crazy. And frankly, maybe they're all right, but I don't think I am going to let that stop me this time. What I've been dreaming about doing for the last year or so is to pack my bag, hit the road, and hitchhike out of the southwest suburbs of Chicago and make my way over to Oregon. I'm pretty set on doing this. I spent the last Summer working hard, earning money and buying up some gear that I'll likely need along the way, and probably in May of 2014 I'll make my way over to the on-ramp of some highway and stick out this thumb of mine and wait. It really doesn't matter if I make it to Oregon or not. I love Oregon, in fact I'm infatuated with the idea of having West Coast beaches and mountains in the same place. I'm in love with the Painted Hills, I want to see Crater Lake,...