An Awfully Big Adventure

On Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 I will be departing on possibly the biggest adventure of my life. I am leaving Oregon. Yes, that's right, Stephan is leaving Oregon behind and taking a historic journey across the country and through time. As some of you know I accepted an acting position at Revolutionary City in Colonial Williamsburg. I will start training on Monday, Jan. 14th. Next Tuesday, I will depart Portland, Oregon by way of Amtrak. I will be taking the historic Empire Builder Route, made famous by James J. "Empire Builder" Hill. Hill was the creator of the Great Northern Railway that was completed in 1893 which linked forever the Upper Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. I will be traveling from Portland, OR to Chicago, IL passing through some of the country's most exciting and colorful sights: the Cascade Mountains or the Columbia River Gorge; ancient Indian burial grounds; Glacier National Park; the Mississippi River; ranches, towns and forts right out of history. There will be several short station stops but for a little more than two days I will be on the train. And following a short 3 hour stop in Chicago, IL I will then board the Capitol Limited for Washington, DC and I will have about another 3 hours in DC before boarding the final train to Williamsburg, VA. While I realize to anyone else this just seems like a completely bizarre way of traveling across this country to me this feels like time travel. This journey I am about to embark on is a historic one, I will travel our nation in reverse...going from the tamed wilds of the Pacific Northwest to essentially the birthplace of our nation. In a little over three days of travel I will unwind our nation's history and arrive at a place where a little over 200 years ago there was no such thing as the United States of America. I will admit I am scared out of my mind...I am heading to a completely foreign territory for me, I have no friends, have not found a place to live, nor have I as of yet secured any transportation. But I am also excited at all the possibilities that await me...this will be an awfully big adventure!