Memoirs From The Road West

By John Anderson

I had an opportunity to go out west. I wasn't happy where I was and longed for adventure. John said that adventures were sometimes taken on the spur of the moment. After getting the necessary funds I packed for the adventure of a lifetime.. I hoped to go west and look for a new life, and this is the story that came out of it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Anderson
• Release date: May 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301771110

John Anderson

I'm an aspiring author who floats on with the rest of the clouds in the sky. I'm not really sure where my place is but I look for it every day. It's an adventure in itself I guess. Along the way I enjoy the outdoors, sports and music.

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Memoirs From The Road West

By John Anderson

Memoirs From The Road West

By John Anderson

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 John Anderson

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table Of Contents



April 29th, 2013

April 30th, 2013

May 1st, 2013

May 2nd , 2013

May 3rd, 2013

May 4th, 2013

May 5th, 2013

May 6th, 2013

May 30th, 2013

This is dedicated to those who look for adventure.

This is my story.

April 29th, 2013

I have had enough. Every day it was cold. The snow wouldn't stop falling. It should be raining and mild at this time of year, and the continuing cold conditions were like an unexpected guest, overstaying their welcome. Snow had fallen once again and I was out walking Casper. I shivered as I trudged through the fresh snow, shaking it off the tennis ball. I tossed it again and Casper took off after it. I had to get out. It was miserable here at home. I would do different chores and help where I could to keep busy but I felt it was all in vain. I hated Red Wing. There was nothing for me here but failures and bad memories and enemies. The bills were overwhelming. I felt buried and there's no way out. I needed to experience something new. I had to get out. Casper was by my side again with the ball, ready for me to take it and throw it again. Harley was plotting slowly 50 yards behind us. I stopped and waited for him while deliberating which direction to take.

Where should I go? For how long? What do I hope to find when I get there? I wasn't sure but I was willing to take the chance. To go on an adventure and experience new things is what I yearned for, and I didn't have a set plan, but winging it seemed like a good way to go about it. Harley finally caught up. I decided on the first step, threw the ball, and took the shortcut home.

I decided on a starting location in Northern California. I had heard there were communities in Humboldt county, and a self-sufficient lifestyle outside of society appealed to me. I would go to the town of Eureka, and there I would ask the locals about where these communities were. I would then seek them out, present a case, and hope to be asked to become a part of them. I posted an ad on Craigslist under ride share asking if anyone was driving out that direction. I would help with gas, driving, and provide good company. I didn't have very much money at the moment, but I had some things to get rid of to help the cause. I received a response from someone a couple days later saying he was going to Seattle, but insisted that my California destination was a bad idea. Didn't ask for his opinion just a ride. I had also inquired on a couple ads saying they were going west but got no response. Finally, on the 28th, I got an email from a guy named John saying he was heading to a town called Medford, Oregon, and he was leaving the 30th. Sorry it is short notice, he explained, but sometimes the best adventures are taken on the spur of the moment. He provided his phone number and I gave him a call. I asked him how much money he wanted for gas, and when he planned on leaving. He asked for $100 for gas and he wanted to leave in the morning. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get that amount in one day. I was supposed to be getting a paycheck from a job I had worked in Rochester. I had only lasted a week. The job was shady and the commute in my parent's Mountaineer was no longer logical. That was three weeks ago. I should be receiving the paycheck this Friday in my account, which will be helpful wherever I'm at on that day but it doesn't help now.

I told him I would figure something out and get back to him. It was the 29th so I had to find the money quick. Dad had asked me to take some metal into town. I figured I would make a stop by the pawn shop with some items and see what I could get for them. I took my Beats headphones, a Bluetooth speaker, and an IPod dock. I drove into town and stopped at the pawn shop. The gentleman inside took my items, and after carefully examining them and retail research, he offered $100 for all. I could have gotten $200 had I sold them myself, but I didn't have time. I accepted the offer and walked out with the money I needed. I dropped off the scrap metal and called John on the way home. He asked me to text him my address and he would be there by 8 AM the next morning. I got home and began gathering things I would need for my trip. Honestly, I had no idea what I would need so I tried to pack as if I was going camping, but I didn't have a tent, or a fishing pole or a