As discussed in the last post, “Fishing for Dreams,” I was a weird kid.
Not much has changed since then, I’m still weird, and pretty damn happy about it. One of the many upsides of great weirdness is the great friends you have. Sure, normal people probably have more friends, but I’m a quality, not quantity person. Normal people are like processed food; plentiful indeed, but not really what I want to put in my system on a regular basis. With that said, my incredible(ly weird) friends decided to join me for some river diving and a quick spearfishing session in Neah Bay.
They had tasked me to venture out a day early and scope the conditions to find some places to camp. I basically did none of that. What ended up happening instead, was me driving across a bridge, seeing a beautiful river, and then shooting underwater photos for the next 5 hours by myself. Water to take pictures, or shoot fish in is for me what squirrels are to dogs. Sorry, not sorry. Eventually, I found my way to the one and only camp ground I plan on visiting on my trip. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, it was full of fellow campervan folks, but not my cup of tea. As a reward for my fancy campsite, I received a flat tire.
Upon waking, my mission was simple, fix the flat asap, and act like I had been scouting the entire day. Fortunately, the tire held enough air after pumping it up, to get on some pavement so I could jack Ethel up and do the old switcharoo. The spare was installed, the hole patched, and off I went to meet my friends at the river.
Due to my not having a way to explain where the hell the river was, my solution was simple. I just pulled over on the side of the road and waited for them to pass by. Life is a little more tedious without cell reception. The plan worked like a charm. When a Chevy truck passed 3 cars at a time on a double yellow in the distance, I knew it was Jason and Ashley. As they blazed by, the truck entered a sharp nosedive under braking and pulled in behind Ethel, the hot smell of brakes wafting over the area. Jason is known for his “spirited,” driving. They followed me up a winding road, pulling into a grassy field, we geared up and jumped in.
The water was clear, the fish plentiful, and the company superb. We spent hours swimming in the placid area between two sets of rapids. So many hours, in fact, that we spent the night along that beautiful stretch of water. There was a perfect area under huge, mossy evergreens and there was nowhere else on earth we wanted to be. The more I let go, the better my life seems to get. It’s the epitome of “let go or be dragged.”
I slept like a log and was awakened by the sound of Jason cooking bacon, and Ashley making coffee. Yes, you read that correctly. My morning started with coffee and bacon. Rolling down my back window, I carefully poked my head out into the cold morning air, while keeping the blankets tight around me. Ashley looked at me and asked, “want some coffee?” “Hell yes, thank you, good morning,” was my response. Rolling the window back up, I summoned the fortitude to remove the blankets, and put on clothes. Within just a few minutes, I was sipping hot coffee and eating crispy bacon and eggs. It was going to be a good day. 
We wasted no time. After breakfast, we raced to the National Forests near Neah Bay to find a place to camp, and dive. This was going to be Ashley’s inaugural free dive in the Pacific Northwest, and she was super brave. Despite the frosty water, poor vis, and cumbersome camera gear, she handled it like a pro! Unfortunately, there were no fish to be found, so we made a decision to skip the cameras, head to a new spot and shoot some dinner. 
After a quick drive up the road, we parked at a dirt pull-off. Jason and I jumped in the water, lucked out on some fast rock fish shooting, and headed in to clean the fish for dinner. The goal was to be at our campsite before nightfall, which we inevitably did not achieve. But I did manage to rinse off in a waterfall that was easily the coldest water I have ever felt. The setting sun made cooking dinner more interesting. Green Curry, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, carrots, and fresh rock fish makes for the best possible one-pot meal. We enjoyed the hot stew on the chilly night, and went to bed.
Once again, I was awoken to the smell bacon cooking and coffee being brewed. Peeking out of my window, I saw the sun just cresting the lush mountains and low clouds turbulently rolling across the peaks.
My breath was clearly visible inside Ethel, reminding me to get a real blanket for the coming winter. Ensconced in my thin fleece covers, I coaxed myself out from under their warmth with the promise of bacon. This is a trick that works every time, and for literally anything. Once outside, I gracious received my coffee from Ashley.
The three of us sat and talked about how beautiful the world is, and how lucky we are to be a part of it. No one mentioned possessions, status, or popularity; we only talked about gratitude and life. And so, we sat, finishing our breakfasts in the chilly morning air, just friends in cold places.
Live your life today, never tomorrow.
Much Love,
Ian
