Day 160

November 15, 2017                                                                                                   Day 160

Day 1 of lying to my family on where I am located and what I am doing.  We shall see how well this goes…I believe I am having difficulty sleeping these last couple nights because I am too excited to see my family and want these few weeks to race by; therefore, I can’t sleep for I am thinking too much on the coming day.    I have noticed over time that that is something I really need to work on for as soon as I see a goal or something in the future I  focus directly on that and all the days leading up to it is a struggle for I just want to get to the end game. 

After waking up it was quite chilly out so I briskly boiled water for some coffee and then finished making my oatmeal in the warmth of my vehicle.  While I ate I read out of my book and then grabbed my workout clothes and headed off to the shower area.  There I did a MMA Power workout that kicked my butt,yet, afterwards I was glad I did it.  When I emerged 50 minutes later I went back to my vehicle to grab my shower things and take a shower.  This time I decided to blow dry my hair and with a great many layers of clothes on began to ready my vehicle and camper for take off…Ha.  During this time, I spoke with my coach for around thirty minutes discussing how I can possibly try and make some money, doing the fitness program, to maybe help pay for gas or food expenses which would be really nice.

Leaving the park, I drove to Wall Drug or I should say drove by Wall Drug for that is literally all I did for there didn’t seem to be anything there that caught my eye.  So I continued on wards toward the Badlands National Park.  As I drove the scenic loop within the park I was blown away by the beauty of the landscape and the richness in diversity.   People have told me over and over how boring and desolate North and South Dakota are but I just don’t see it.  Yes, the land expands for miles, as far as the eye can see, with rolling hills and seldom any trees; however, it is teeming with life.  In just an hour’s time I saw: bighorn sheep, bison, eagles, hawks, mule deer, white-tailed deer, prairie dogs and coyotes.  The land is so beautiful and mind blowing at its vastness and silence.  The prairie grass blows gently in the wind and then the land suddenly drops into plateaus and odd rock formations.  I stopped at every scenic viewpoint and just stood marveling at the area and how silent it was except for the occasional passing of a vehicle on the road.  I stood there in the middle of this prairie and listened to the calming silence uninterrupted by the noise pollution so many of us hear every single day.  As I turned to walk back to my vehicle, at one such viewpoint, a pack of coyotes pierced the silence with their yips and it made me wonder what life must have been like so many years ago.

Near the end of my drive it was beginning to get dark out (at only 15:00) so I went to the visitor center to acquire a map and a sticker.  While there I had some service and a really good friend of mine informed me that he knew someone in Nebraska who would be happy to meet me and may let me stay with her so he got us in touch with each other.   Leaving the visitor center, I drove to hike the 1.5 mile Notch trail that meandered through a canyon then climbed a ladder and followed a ledge for a dramatic view of the White River Valley.   What a view it was too!  I sat up there on the edge, overlooking the valley and the vast land that was South Dakota, and just soaked it all in as the sun set in the sky and I was completely and utterly happy.

Back at my vehicle, I contemplated staying at the parks' campground since it was right there but though the people at the visitor center said it was still open it was not so I decided to stay at a rest area on Interstate 90 East for the night.  Before heading there though I wanted to kill some time since it was so early.  In the meantime, I called up my mom and spoke to her as I heated up one of my dinners and ate it in the warmth of my vehicle.  Then I drove the forty minutes to the rest area where I took some of my dishes inside to wash in the bathroom sinks which I am sure is frowned upon but oh well.

Tonight I messaged my friend, who is keeping tabs on me while I give my family false information, my location via a map.  Apparently, he was not too fond of the fact that I was pretty much on the side of the road and so I explained to him that I was not about to pay $15.00 to camp somewhere.  We then spent the next half hour going back and forth on that topic and in the end he won out and transferred $100.00 to me so that I can camp in places that are safer than the side of the road.  He is such an amazing person and every day he surprises me with his huge heart and generosity. I also have to admit it feels nice to have someone looking out for me and who wants me to be safe.  I don’t know if I could ever thank him enough!