Day 13 - Aug. 18 - Monday

Today is our first day off in a good while. We woke up in Missoula on the floor and went for breakfast with the group of people that hosted us. This dining experience was much better than the last for me. I talked with Tessa, the girl who booked the show and drove from near Anacortes just to see us, and Bethany, the great cellist from last night. They're such interesting people. I hope I bump into them again somehow.

Missoula is nice, but its no place I'd like to live. The mountains are gorgeous, and I bet any time but now the weather would be cold. But there's nothing to do. Everything feels like the late 1800s to me. The downtown is a little square (not in coolness, but in geography). It's not completely desolate at all, but, I don't know...I just got the feeling that it was its own little bubble, with the same people traipsing the same ground all the time.

We've been driving for most of the day, trying to get as close to Salt Lake City as we can. We stopped somewhere in Montana (or Idaho...) along the river to swim. After carefully dancing across the rocks in a delicate balancing act we made it to what we thought would be deeper water. Turns out it only came up to our knees. BUT, it was great to sit in.

I'm crossing off lots of firsts. First time through the Northwest. First time traveling the country with other girls! First time finding a snake (in Balmorhea, TX), First time eating Vietnamese food. First Pad Thai. and First time playing in river water. It's a cool feeling, water pushing past you and trees surrounding your left and right. fun. fun.

3/8 of the band is asleep. Meg's doing crossword puzzles, Mike is air drumming, I can't see Brian, and Rob's wearing the driving hat. Our dream catcher hanging from the rear view mirror still has its reindeer friend that Brian adorned it with. And the sun is starting to retreat behind the horizon.

This is good.