Sam on the Road: 2020, or the Beginning

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a roller coaster ride. Remember when we used to travel freely? It feels like forever ago. The situation we are finding ourselves in this year has really forced us all to take a step back. I can't be the only one who misses yesteryear and wonders if all the memories of the past actually existed at one point, and who thinks it was nice to be as carefree as life would allow. 

These days, the slightest thought about a trip to the grocery store sets me on edge with worry. My family has high risk potential, so I definitely have a lot of consequences to consider when it comes to even simple things like shopping for food. At this point, Walmart and other websites have been our best friends, helping us get through this as effectively as possible. 

This post is not about food, but I'm sure we can all agree that food makes up a lot of who we are and is a core part of the experience of traveling. 

I'm sure many of you remember the days of eating just anything. Seeing a restaurant on the side of the road and thinking, "that looks good, let's try it." It has actually been longer than the pandemic in regards to that for me. For a couple years now I have had to eat gluten-free due to food allergies, but even the little bit of freedom of eating out seems completely gone now. 

My present diet predominantly consists of stove cooked beans and rice. We are starting to get a bit more meat when it's possible, because canned chicken just doesn't seem to cut it. I've realized that my life in some ways has reverted back to an older time. A time when my ancestors and culture would cook beans because, to be honest, they were cheap. A time when harvesting and gathering was more paramount than hunting and grocery stores didn't exist to offer you all kinds of pre-packaged and processed foods. I can't complain too much because I actually like beans, and they're healthy for me. Plus, we have a few different varieties to help mix it up. You may be surprised at just how many different beans there are if you've never actually looked into it.

My food situation hasn't changed drastically, but it has changed enough. My go to snack is a quick mix of almonds and dried cranberries, though at the moment I'm mostly eating walnuts because the almonds ran out. Here and again I change it up and use dried blueberries or raisins. They're still packaged foods, but it's more of a trail mix than anything. I did this before the pandemic and it has been a sort of comfort food to me. It brings back a sense of normalcy, even if it's on a minuscule scale. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I love these foods I've mentioned having lately. I have just been doing a lot of extra thinking this year, which is crazy, since I already spend a lot of time in my head as it is. However, the craziest thing to me is just earlier this year, the freedom I mentioned existed like normal...as though this was just another year. 

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Back in late February/early March, I actually went out of town. It was a quick weekend trip out to New Mexico. Not very far, but at the time, it was far enough. Right now, that exact distance feels farther than normal. This is the first post of (hopefully) many to come. This is the beginning of a new feature titled, "Sam on the Road". These posts will be focused on trips I have had in the past, things I've seen, places I've been, and experiences that have stuck with me. Those who don't know me personally may not know that I actually travel a lot. Many who know me casually may not even know where I've been. I don't tend to post a lot about it anywhere. I mostly travel silently, but after being inside for two months shy of a year, I think it's time to revisit those memories creatively through writing and start sharing. 

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In the near future, you can look forward to seeing posts about:

• Traipsing around Billy the Kid's old stomping grounds
• Visiting Disneyland in 2015 during the 60th anniversary, the Diamond Celebration
• Exploring the area where Smokey the Bear emerged to become a national icon
• Odd experiences such as getting stuck briefly in a men's restroom with no assistance to be found
• Some of my favorite kinds of places to visit: zoos and museums
• Forests, mountains, beaches, BBQ, and seafood
• Theme park mania

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Is this becoming a travel blog? No, not really. This blog is expanding its scope so that I can write more and write more broadly. It is providing a space on the internet to share what I've experienced outside of books. It's just growing to be more varied content still centered around the world as I see and experience it. I want to share more with you and this is how I've chosen to do it. I miss traveling and can't wait until I can get out and do it again, when I can share NEW adventures instead of past ones.  

Does this mean you won't be posting any more book reviews? Of course not. I'll still post them, because I'm not going to stop reading. I still want to share books that I've read, especially if they're older and haven't been talked about a lot or talked about in a long time. I love doing that, so I'm definitely not going to stop. I just want to write about more than just books. I want to feel like I can explore again, even if I have to be stuck inside for a bit longer before I actually can. I want to talk more, about more. That's really what it all boils down to. I want to go places and take you with me using my words and photos I've collected along the way.

I hope you'll join me for it all. See you at the next post!