30til30: Day 13

I have 30 days until I turn 30, so I thought I'd try to choose 30 moments that have helped shape who I am and want to be. Coming up with the list has been challenging...and enlightening. These are in no particular order.

13: Vacation out West with Dave.

The thing about traveling with Dave is that you usually don't know what to expect. He likes to fly by the seat of his pants. In hindsight, flying to Portland, OR with nothing but a car rental in place and a plan to drive to San Francisco probably wasn't the smartest idea. You know what, though? It did make for a great trip. Check out the pics and Dave's commentary. Some memories:

• It's weird to drive all day with your only goal (other than sightseeing) being to find a cheap hotel.
• Mt. St. Helens was a little bit insane for me. You can't really understand how large it is and how widespread the damage was unless you've been there.
• All I wanted to do was find a starfish, and I did! The tide pools out there are awesome.
• I don't think I will ever experience clam chowder like I did again. Good stuff.
• I cried and almost lost my mind on the top of a cliff. 
• I regret not spending more time in San Francisco. The airport was lovely, though...all 672 days of it.

How it shaped me:

• I like spontaneous trips now. I used to hate them.
• I am now deathly afraid of heights, thanks to the Devil's backbone or whatever. 
• I hate non-revenue flying. I will not do it again, unless it's an absolute emergency.
• I killed a starfish because I wanted to take it home. Sometimes I feel guilty. Other times, I think of that stupid sermon illustration where the man is throwing starfish back into the sea. "I made a difference to THAT one." Yeah...I did too.