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Safe from Washington…
We set off from Seattle-Tacoma Airport, where I had just landed after a long flight. Sean and John met me in John's grandfather's red pickup truck. Luckily, the front seat had three seats that fit the three of us perfectly. This would be our mode of transportation for two and a half weeks – John and Sean would take turns driving, and I would sit in the middle.
We decided to stay in Seattle for one night, but because accommodations there were so expensive, we spent the night in Renton, about a 20-minute drive from downtown Seattle. Walking around Seattle at night, I discovered it was like a… dead city. Most shops and restaurants closed after 8 pm. Everyone had gone home. The only people still out and about were us and the homeless. I hated the smell of the city, of the skyscrapers, of the deserted streets. Luckily, we only stayed one night. I imagine Christopher McCandless, the protagonist in the book “Into the Wild,” might have panicked and tried to flee Seattle as quickly as possible.
From Seattle, we took a ferry across to Olympic National Park, located northwest of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. According to Google Maps, the journey should only take 2 hours and 35 minutes, but it took us a whole day to get across the lake. By the time we arrived, it was dark, and since everyone else was camping in the summer, all the campsites were taken. We had to pitch our tents without permission, vowing to wake up early the next day to avoid being discovered. Ultimately, we were so exhausted that we overslept until noon, and no park rangers came to chase us away.
Olympic National Park is vast and most famous for its Hurricane Ridge scenic drive, Crescent Lake, Hoh Rainforest, Ruby Sea, and Sol Duc Falls. While Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park is far more famous, we chose to wander through the Hoh Rainforest and drive along Ruby Sea – and we don't regret it at all. As one of the world's largest temperate rainforests and one of the largest in the United States, the Hoh Rainforest is incredibly humid and green. It's estimated to receive around 3,400 mm of rainfall annually.
After the hike, we continued on to Astoria. As soon as we left Ruby Beach, the Washington border became quite arid. The pine forests were gone. We continued like this for about two hours until we saw the Columbia River, the river that divides Washington and Oregon. John continued driving, I turned the music up loud, and Sean sang along.
…To Wild Oregon
We pitched our tents at Ainsworth State Park and headed to Cannon Beach early the next morning. Cannon Beach is very close to Astoria, only about a 50-minute drive. Unlike the beaches in Miami or Los Angeles, the sea in Oregon is very cold, not suitable for swimming, just for viewing. Because there weren't many tourists, I found the best part was simply admiring Cannon Beach.
Later that afternoon, we traveled to Portland and decided to stay overnight because everyone needed to shower and rest after several tiring days of camping. Nightlife in Portland wasn't so bad. Of course, there are many homeless people in Portland, but many restaurants were still open.
Early the next morning, we went to Hillsboro to find the airplane house in the woods. The owner, Bruce Campbell, had lived there since 1999. He only stayed there for six months each year and was in the process of transforming an old airplane into a Japanese-style home. He gave us a tour of the house, explaining where he got his water and electricity from.
Goodbye Hillsboro, we camped at Columbia River Gorge for a night. The next day, we decided to conquer Oneonta Falls. It was more of a hike than a trek, crawling through small holes in the tree trunks that formed the path to the waterfall. Despite it being summer, the stream was very cold. It took us almost two hours to reach the waterfall and find our way back.
About a 10-minute drive from Oneonta Falls is Portland's most famous waterfall – Multnomah Falls. At 189 meters tall, Multnomah Falls is also the tallest waterfall in Columbia River Gorge. It's very crowded with tourists, but luckily there was still enough space for us to climb to the top.
Around late afternoon, we left and headed to Burnt Ranch Campground. Burnt Ranch Campsite and Painted Hills are located in the Oregon desert, and knowing it would be very hot in the desert, we bought plenty of water to stock up on.
Midway through our journey, our phones simultaneously lost signal. It was pitch black. We didn't have a paper map to find our way, and there were no signposts anywhere. After driving for a while without finding Burnt Ranch Campground, we had no choice but to stop, pitch our tents, and sleep there for the night, even though we were all terrified. John and Sean both carried knives while sleeping. We weren't afraid of bad guys, but because all three of us had heard hyenas howling. Around midnight, I heard noises outside the tent, someone pacing back and forth before fading away. I was terribly frightened, but since Sean and John were fast asleep, I didn't dare wake them. They had had a very long day. The next morning, Sean told John and me that he had heard growling outside the tent the night before. John didn't know anything about it, and I joked that it must have been a hyena that was about to come closer but left because the three of us weren't tasty enough.
We drove to Painted Hills and only stayed there for about 15 minutes. Although Painted Hills is magical and beautiful, I really hate the sun and the scorching heat of summer. John and Sean felt the same way, so we drove away after 15 minutes of strolling around. On the bright side, the film photos taken at Painted Hills turned out beautifully.
After Painted Hills, we headed straight to my favorite place on Earth – Eugene, Oregon. I had attended a summer college in Eugene a year earlier, and it was probably one of the best decisions of my life. Many students from all over the world attend here, so even though the town is small, you can find all kinds of international food. Weekends are great for hiking or climbing, as there are countless trails in Eugene. When we arrived, Gay Pride was in full swing in the town center. Seeing people respecting each other, being free from prejudice, and expressing themselves freely, while I was there with my two best friends, right now, made me truly happy.
"Into the Wild"
I've been away from home since I was a child. Except for a few trips with my younger brother, I've always traveled alone. Traveling alone is really great. You don't have to travel with other people, you don't have to think about where to go or what to do. You learn so much more when you travel alone.
When I was a child, reading "Into the Wild," I didn't really understand the story's ultimate meaning. Christopher McCandless lived as he wanted, shunning pragmatic society and reaching Alaska. But in the end, he died. Later, when I was a little older, I understood that when Christopher realized that true happiness only comes from sharing with others, he also realized that we—as humans—cannot live without each other. My teacher once said, "Exploring like Christopher McCandless is the right thing to do, as he himself said: What's important in life isn't necessarily to become strong, but to feel strong..."
Feeling strong doesn't mean you shouldn't accept help from others. Going on a trip with Sean and John taught me that true happiness only comes from sharing.
