Vast Nothingness

The majority of Wyoming, excluding the Yellowstone and Grand Teton area, is a wasteland of vast nothingness without change from the 350 miles or so east to west. In fact, it is the least populous state in the union and from the moment I crossed from Nebraska to Wyoming, I could see why. I drove about 50 miles on four separate occasions without seeing a single man-made structure (sometimes because of open range, not even a fence line along the lonely two-lane highway) as far as the eye could see in every direction.

I was a little apprehensive heading west from Iowa. The last three states I had visited: Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa had all bored me with their landscapes. Slight rolling hills and corn. Oh, and some soy. Over and over again for hundreds of miles weaving through the tri-state area. This is the first time I have traveled and been bored by the scenery. In fact, I even prided myself in loving the states that were least loved like the Dakotas and Oklahoma. Upon entering Nebraska, everything changed from corn fields to cattle grazing land. So beautiful!!! I ended up driving at night trying to make it the rest of Nebraska and I could drive MILES without seeing any light from anything. (I kept checking my brights because they just didn't light anything it was so dark)

Wyoming is desert mountains high desert plains. This territory is ancient, God-forsaken, eerie, peaceful. The mountains, where you can see the layers of earth jutting out at an angle tell of earthquakes and disasters occurring millions of years in the past. One almost expects a triceratops to emerge behind a hill, or even to see a UFO crash site in a field. I stopped the car and got out. Since it was still early, there was little wind so I couldn't even hear THAT. The only sound were my ears ringing. If you ever have a chance, I suggest you go hang out by yourself in the desert out in the middle of nowhere to hear yourself think. If you can't stand the silence, make some changes.

Silly Wyoming...that isn't a road.

Off to interview in Cokeville, WY, on the southwest corner of the state. The dot on the map was pretty big so I was expecting something pretty decent-sized.

Population: 506. Even in the center of town there was deafening silence. How did I end up at all these small towns?? The people turned out to be pretty friendly, for the most part. In contrast to Stuart, NE that has a similar population, they were much more welcoming to "move-ins" I interviewed a girl who had moved to Cokeville from Nevada. The town natives agreed that "Once you move in, you're one of us...whether you like it or not!!" On the other hand, Stuart-ans talked of another resident saying, "Well, he's just a move-in." "Oh yeah? How long has he lived here?" I asked. "36 years." Which goes to show you how different towns are even if they have the same industry and population.

It was nearing sundown. I was sitting at the bar with a glass of water in my hands. Suddenly the doors to the cafe swing open. The barmaids gasp and flee to the kitchen. A baby cries. The silhouettes of four large men, their cowboy hats casting shadows over their faces, linger in the door way. "Well?" One barks. "Are we gonna git service?" The waitress shuffles around the bar to show them to their table. They swagger in a slow mosey in their chaps and tight Wranglers. I could hear the sound of the spurs hit the old wooden blanked floor and tried not to make eye contact with them.

Ok, so that's an exaggeration of what happened, but I snapped a picture of two of them heading back to their truck. Wyoming ranchers make Texans look like frail city boys.

Now I'm surrounded by Mormons in a Salt Lake City suburb. My next destination was going to be Hanksville--located right between several national parks but i think it would be more interesting and better to get a larger city as I have done interviews in so many small towns. Oh yeah, landscape-wise, Utah blows all the other states out of the water...hands DOWN. Ok Wyoming has a lot of beauty as well in the northwestern part and Montana too. But Utah wins. Visit there.

Homeless Turf Wars

Finally I have a chance for internet access for the first time in nearly a week. Often times there is internet at a McDonalds (where I am now) but there are rarely outlets so I don't have a real chance to take advantage of the facility.

I faced more rejection than ever before in Illinois, a state that is now on my bad list. Not only was I kicked out for chatting with retired farmers at a McDonalds, a woman actually threw my survey out in the garbage right in front of me. I was so mad I nearly just left town right there. Seeing as I've been on the road for nearly two months, not stayed in the same place except once for more than two nights, and showered in the most embarrassing of places, I am VERY much at the end of my rope. But, after taking a few deep breaths and deciding to try again, I worked up the courage to ask permission at a local pub in town to let me do interviews. People there were great and had me leaving the town (after stopping by every shop in downtown) feeling a lot better about the place....UNTIL today where I found surveys by ACCIDENT that people had sealed away without filling out the majority of the questions. WHY would a person say they would help, then pretend to do so? Because I decided to save looking at the data until I got home, I am wondering...how many more people have done this? Is it just awful Monticello, Illinois or are there many more states and people who have failed to complete the 2 minutes of work they agreed to do?

A Starbucks in Columbia, Missouri the next morning kindly asked me to leave. They were much nicer about it but Starbucks was my one last safe haven and an easy starting place. Not that I've found too many Starbucks' in my travels, but the cities that have had them even the employees all ask to help out and fill out a survey. I ended the day at a McDonald's and made it out JUST in time before I was kicked out again.

-Keepin' in classy, Missourah: Bumper sticker says, "My Other Toy has HOOTERS" How does someone respond to this? No words.-

THANKFULLY, Iowans were extremely hospitable and helpful. A couple I had met while volunteering in Joplin, MO, invited me to stay at their house despite me giving them extremely short notice I would be in the area. I spent two nights there--including having Sunday completely off! Everyone I met in their church was so kind and welcoming (despite being LUTHERAN ;) ) They sent me off with a nice lunch and lots of hugs. Yeay!!

Now in last couple days I've put in LOTS more miles and going to drive another 600 miles tomorrow to get to the next town in western Wyoming. I can't believe that I'll be home in less than two weeks. I'm definitely feeling like it's time to go home. Last night, I thought I had struck gold being able to stay at a rest stop with clean bathrooms and outlets and a chair! I was able to charge my iPod while working on a craft project. Unfortunately, since the rest area was in-town, there were two other homeless people hanging around. I tried to work on my bead work, but one started going off about how the second Vatican council wasn't the true Catholic faith because the real pope was kidnapped and a free Mason took his place and made all the changes. "Stained glass windows and Latin...That's TRUE Catholicism...otherwise you are going to hell. I'm telling you this for your own good." Sadly enough, the rest stop reminded me a lot of downtown Everett. But cleaner.

So who won the homeless turf war? Ranting Conspiracy Theories vs. Stephanie....Crazy wins. I fled to the safety of my hobo fort (the Corolla) and fell into a fitful sleep. Funny, this man was not the first schizophrenic man I had run into in Iowa or even that day. The first was around my age and I could tell he was right away. I felt deep empathy for him and we talked for 30 minutes. In the end, he wanted my phone number though so I apologized and explained I had a boyfriend. I let him give me his address because he pleaded for me to return to talk to him more. I wonder where his family was. What had occurred in his life that he ended up in small town Iowa all alone, intensely feeling his solitude? There are so many "lepers" in modern America. The mentally ill and homeless (most go hand in hand) are 99% of the time avoided and ignored. Actually being on this trip, I have been given that look very often and lots of disgusted/curious stares. It is so OBVIOUS what people are thinking and it only makes a person what to hide away from society even more, away from help.

On a final, lighter note, in Iowa I saw a a trucked pulled up to a deer with two men getting out to cut it up. They themselves had not hit the deer as the truck was undamaged.

GOD BLESS 'MERKA!!!!!