Portland and Beyond

On April 10th, the morning after my Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Experience, Luna and I loaded up and headed to Portland for the final step before the journey could begin, converting my van and saying goodbye to the family.  My brother Michael, who was helping me with my van conversion, was conspicuously absent most days, and I was beginning to believe he was conspiring with my mom to delay my inevitable departure.

Everyone was concerned about the sanity of my plan, mostly about the wisdom of driving alone through Northern Mexico. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I am incredibly stubborn and pig-headed. Once I set my mind to something there is no stopping me.  Of course, I had done my research, planned my route, and I felt pretty confident that I would be fine. My mother Kathleen is a world traveler who has been to more countries than anyone I know. I could feel her concern, but given her travel history she was in no position discourage me. My brother Michael handed me the biggest, heaviest pipe wrench he had, gave me a huge bear hug, and waved goodbye.

After what felt like an eternity, but was in fact just 12 days jam packed with friends and family, I was off on my adventure of a lifetime.

I had left behind my dream that I had struggled for the last 24 years to achieve, the relative safety of an abnormal life in Oakland, a group of amazing friends, and my disjointed but caring family. Even if I insisted that I would be returning to my business and my former life, I knew that would never happen. I had closed that book. I was no longer a fashion designer. I didn’t know what I was going to be when I grew up, but for the next year, until my money ran out, or until I got bored, I was going to be the Nomad Sheila Luna.