So after spending a few days home in Seattle, I returned to my other home back east. I felt like I was going to a funeral, which sounds so awful and melodramatic, but it's painfully true. My whole life was my job and now it's gone which means I have no life. My social life revolved around my work and co-workers and that is gone. I can only spend some much time job hunting, writing cover letters, tweaking my resume, etc, before I become bored to death. So, I decided to use my severance check to buy a small television and get cable installed...

I haven't had my own access to a tv and cable in almost a year, so I think it's high time I was reunited with one of my great loves-television. I love to sleep with the tv on. It's a bad habit, but I've done it for so long and the familiarity of it feels really nice. I also figure that even when I do find a new job, it hopefully won't require 60-80 hour+ work weeks like my last job so I will have more time to relax in front of the tv.

I've been really toying with the idea of moving to Seattle. I just don't know if I should pull the trigger on that idea quite yet. Here's why; I've spent the last year building up my resume, but building it up for campaign work. Now, I'm not quite sure I want to do campaign work. The hours, the instability, the often times shitty treatment, I just don't know if I have it in me to make a career out of it. So when I look at other jobs that I'm not quite qualified for, but could be soon, I think what better place to be than D.C. to build up my resume and really get good experience outside of campaign work?

I love politics, and if I don't/can't work on campaigns, maybe I should keep myself in my Mecca to still feed that hunger but not gorge myself on it by working on campaigns?

Lastly, I would just like to say that I wish more than anything that my family lived out east. I love it out here, especially New England.

I kinda thought I would fall in love with it there and I did. I could easily settle down in New Hampshire or Mass or Maine, or Vermont, or Conn., or Rhode Island.

I started in Portsmouth, NEW HAMPSHIRE, made a quick visit to Maine, then drove down to Massachusetts by way of Concord, NEW HAMPSHIRE to run some errands. After being in Mass for a few hours, I finally caught my flight to Baltimore and then picked up my rental car in Baltimore and drove through Maryland and Delaware to finally reach Jersey. I got into Jersey around 12:30am last night, went to bed and got up and drove to Pennsylvania. 

So I spent the last 2 days in NEW HAMPSHIRE! My first full day was filled with pretty shitty weather until the afternoon when the snow stopped and it warmed up a bit. I was able to get a hot cocoa with a friend, Paula in Durham, home of the University of New Hampshire. It was sooooooo nice to see her and a familiar face. Familiar faces become one of the greatest gifts you receive when you are in my position. 

I kindof had a day off when I was driving back from Rhode Island to NEW HAMPSHIRE and decided to spend it walking the City of Boston. I should really do a few updates with just my Boston pictures...


Statehouse!
Where everybody knows your name.
Paul Revere's grave.
Beautiful.

So I lost my cord that connects my digital camera to my computer and have an adapter that makes it so my memory stick goes right into my computer, but I lost that too. So, I had to buy another memory card to get the memory card adapter. Behold, part 1 of many with pictures from my grand adventures in the east...

JFK Museum in Boston, Mass.

This year I didn't go back to Seattle for Thanksgiving because I thought I would be able to for Christmas. With my new job duties, it looks like I may be stuck here for Christmas and so my holidays might be spent completely alone. Last year I was stuck in Pocatello alone, but I was able to visit one of my best friends in the hospital and I knew for sure I was going home for Christmas.

So, rather than continue feeling sorry for myself, I reminded myself of where I have been in the last 3 weeks;


Boston

Maine

New Jersey

Philly

North Country of New Hampshire (the northern and mountainous parts that are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and remind me of the areas near Yellowstone National Park)

Washington D.C.

and I finally made it to Vermont, which is BEAUTIFUL!


So, my life is pretty sweet, even though I won't have a Thanksgiving dinner and will be by myself in a hotel room in Portsmouth (I decided to hole myself up in a hotel on the coast near Maine because I got a great deal and I would rather be here than in Concord).

So...HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Think of me when you are biting into a delicious slice of turkey, eating some mashed potatos, eating a slice of pie, and sitting down with your loved ones.

I will be in Boston (Boston Commons to be exact) protesting the war and hearing Howard Zinn speak (sooooo excited) as well as other great speakers. Those of you in Idaho and other nearby states can go to Salt Lake City or Seattle for the rally and march. If you are in another part of the country, check out this website for a protest near you.

From United for Peace and Justice:

"This coming Saturday, October 27, people from all walks of life will gather in 11 cities around the country in a national expression of the breadth and depth of antiwar sentiment in this nation. For many people, it will be their first step in transforming their antiwar feelings into antiwar action. Regional actions will enable much larger numbers of people to participate."

Last I heard, Idaho Peace Action was sending a bus from southern Idaho to SLC. Email them for more information or check out the Oct 27th website for transportation options.

Solidarity! Peace!

So this campaign ends December 15th, and after that I will be unemployed and homeless again. I have been thinking a lot about where I want to go, what I want to do, and all of those insanely important questions about my future.

About the only answer I can come up with is that I want to go to Boston. Will this happen in December? I don't know. I do know that when I want something, I get it, and there is nothing that will stop me. However, I am not opposed to going to other places and continuing to see this beautiful country. I like not being tied down to a particular location, and I like the type of work I am doing, but I also know that I can't do this forever and one day I will have to grow up and settle back down. Will I ever return to Idaho? Perhaps. Does everyone ask me about Larry Craig when they find out I came here from Idaho (kinda)? Yes. I am getting kinda tired of talking about Larry and the whole situation and I worry for my gay friends that this will make their fight for equal rights even harder.

I like New Hampshire but there aren't a lot of young people here and that may be the sole reason I am not really considering New Hampshire as long-term location.

I do realize I have some more postings I need to do about my road trip here and I promise those will be forthcoming.