Humboldt Green

Phil and I quit our jobs in August, cut loose, and hit the road - indefinitely. The plan was to go for as long as we could and then see what happened. Without much forethought as to where we might end up, we broke down in the notorious Humboldt County, therefore marking the final stop on our epic road trip.

In a place renowned for its green, we had a hard time establishing ourselves as more than just transients brought to Humboldt for the harvest. I've mentioned before that we had to get creative, but I never imagined that we would struggle quite as much as we did. After Thanksgiving, Phil landed a part-time job at a local coffee shop, a fancy little place that makes incredible coffee, pastries, bread, and desserts. Lucky for us, Phil gets to bring home all of these delicious treats at the end of each day. However, I'm a little ashamed to admit how much chocolate cake sustained us over the last month!

Phil seems to have found his ideal job, but I, on the other hand, have struggled to find the same for me. As a self-proclaimed Craigslist troller, I have spent the last few months refreshing, refreshing, and further refreshing the job posting web pages in hopes of discovering a job listing that diversifies from "becoming a surrogate mother" or some generic internet rep. It has been more than a little trying, because on top of my attention paid to Craigslist, I have asked friends and acquaintances about prospective jobs, eyeballed shop windows for "help wanted" signs, opened local papers, patrolled Monster.com and numerous other job sites, looked for volunteer opportunities, and researched local non-profits - I got creative. Finally, a little over a week ago, I saw an ad for job at a local outdoors store and I dropped off my resume that day. When they called me to schedule an interview, I literally jumped for joy, made sounds that were part wild animal/part 16-year-old girl, and felt a gigantic wave of relief. My interview lasted ten minutes and by the time I had walked the two blocks home, I received a call offering me the job. It was a Christmas miracle.

Marking the last day of...adventure, Phil and I spent today drinking mimosas and sitting in the fleeting afternoon sunshine. I officially start working tomorrow, though the past four months - since my last 9 to 5 - have been anything but a vacation.

It has been an incredible experience getting to where we are now and though we are still anywhere from being stable, we are finding our footing. I know I said that this is the last day of "adventure", but that couldn't be any further from the truth. If I have learned anything since the time we left Santa Fe, it is that this world is magical and refuses to conform to plans. Phil and I are incredibly thankful to be here in Humboldt, but even more thankful to be making the kind of green you can take to the bank! Here's to Humboldt, a job, and a new set of adventures.