There and Back Again – A 2020 Pandemic Tale

Given the opportunity to work remotely for the month of December, I road-tripped to and from Wisconsin! The entire experience was the highlight of my 2020. Prior to leaving San Diego I quarantined, tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, and recorded a little video while rollerblading down the Pacific Beach boardwalk at sunset. Here’s a recap of my trip with some reflections along the way, enjoy!

To Wisconsin:

2 nights, 3 days, 2240 miles, 33 hours.

I was successful in my goal of interacting with 0 people, other than the occasional passerby at rest stops and gas stations. I avoided drive-thru dining by packing food and testing out rehydrating a dehydrated chicken & pasta meal. Tasty! All of these precautions were made so I could safely/confidently hug my parents upon my arrival home. Spending 3 days by myself, I made 5 observations on my journey back to Wisconsin:

 1. Podcasts vs. Audiobook

I asked some pals what podcasts I should download, and I ended up with a full library containing tons of recommendations. This was a good problem to have, thanks!! Criteria I look for in a good podcast:

• Story-driven development
• Wonderment/awe
• Thrill to listen to another episode

I quickly found out that the podcasts I downloaded failed to check all 3 of these boxes. While many episodes were filled with wonderment/awe and great story, my selection lacked continuity. A few episodes on topic X, an interview with person Y, a detailed breakdown of concept Z…

I recognized the podcast structure is similar to a network TV show, stuffed with cheap cliffhangers leading to commercials. No worries, the power of the +:30 seconds button is the greatest invention second to the toaster. But, the predictable structure was quite annoying after my fourth hour on the road.

Now, what really kept my attention was listening to the audiobook Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire). I was so engrossed in the story that I found myself listening as I set up my tent in the evenings. It’s obvious in hindsight, but a good book encompasses all of the criteria I look for in a podcast, and without cheap cliffhangers or commercials. The orator Roy Dotrice is so fun to listen to, mastering many many character voices over the 36-hour recording. 10/10! I learned for long journeys that Audiobooks > Podcasts.

 2. Family Drive & Pandemic Travel

I was able to keep driving simply out of the excitement of seeing my parents. Like many, the pandemic up ended my calendar of any and all plans. All that pent up energy whirl-winded into this trip. I had been listening to Dr. Mike Osterholm, a veteran epidemiologist, discuss how to responsibly travel home for the holidays. He preached to avoid airports and recommended to quarantine and drive. I might have stretched his advice of “driving home”, however, I ought to thank him for putting the idea in my head, thanks! I strongly recommend his weekly podcast covering the pandemic. On November 9^th, Dr. Osterholm was named a member of President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board.

 3. When is the election?

I drove home on November 27^th, 24 days after the election, 20 days after the Associated Press called the election. I saw so many political signs driving through South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, as if the election was the next day!

I understand that during Christmas, people enjoy the sight of a tree in their house through January 1st, let’s say 7 days to when they’ll likely take it down. Compare that to tattoo removal, which requires laser surgery. Or, bumper stickers, which requires some elbow-grease. Now, signs and banners? Simply require will-power to remove. What’s up with the unwillingness of people to remove these political signs after an election? Are they permanent fixtures of landscaping? I just don’t understand.

Last political reflection on my drive home: Members of the Senate & House of Representatives are elected by the people in their districts. They represent the views of their constituents. Driving through small town communities, I saw signs of “Voter Fraud”, “Illegitimate President”, and other nonsensical claims. While it’s easy to point-fingers at single congress members, I found that the ideas themselves are deeply rooted within rural communities. Pouring energy at a member of congress doesn’t hold accountable all of the folks that are purporting the fallacy that the representative stands for. Just an observation…

 4. “Good Morning”

After being in California for over a year I’ve grown accustom to silently pass people, respecting their privacy while minding my own business. This was initially a difficult behavior for me to curb, but I’ve gotten used to it. For example, I experience this phenomenon nearly every morning as I go on jogs. I can run for 30 minutes, cross ~40 people, and on a good day, receive a side-smile smirk with a single person. Once I entered Minnesota, I heard a friendly “hello”, “good morning”, or “how-do-ya-do”, at almost every gas station. On a morning jog in Wisconsin, I ran by 17 people and exchanged 17 “Good morning!”s. What a way to start the day! “Midwestern Nice” is not only real, but also measurable!

 5. Nature Stillness

Aside from listening to Game of Thrones, music, radio, and podcasts, I was impressed with just how quiet the middle-of-nowhere is. On my second night, I found myself alone in a campground along the Missouri river. A brilliant full moon cast a long shadow on my tent. The river was still, the air was crisp, and the only sound came from the howls of dogs and chirps of birds. Beautiful and calm evening.

I arrived in Wisconsin!

What more to say? Such a great reunion. My mom and I went on long walks, ate avocado toast, and worked on a crazy 3000-piece puzzle of the world (I wouldn’t wish this on my greatest enemy). My dad and I helped install a door in my brother’s house and my dad also consulted maintenance on my car headlights/tires. Since I was working remotely in Pacific time zone, my parents would wait to eat dinner with me at 7pm Central time. Awesome home-cooked meals, at that. I could go on and on, like I said, highlight of my 2020.

To San Diego:

4 nights, 5 days, 2336 miles, 36 hours.

28 days later I began my journey back to San Diego. Because I intended on camping my way home, I figured going South would give me the most warmth at night and safety from sudden winter storms in the Rocky Mountains. The biggest disappointment in this southern route was my active decision of avoiding some of my closest friends and cousins, but such is life in a global pandemic. With 5 days to myself, I made 3 additional observations on my journey back to San Diego:

 6. Small Towns

On my second night I stayed at a campground in Oklahoma on the Arkansas river. The following morning, I drove through a small town, Ponca City, to get back onto the highway. I drove past this multi-city-block, orange-glowing, smoke-billowing, giant industrial oil refinery. Quite the sight! Later, I discovered that Ponca City has the largest oil refinery operation in Oklahoma (207,000 Crude Barrels per calendar day, 34^th largest in the USA¹). I’m obsessed with this big oil small town^2,3:

• Population: 23,660
• Phillips 66 Refinery Employs 960+ workers
• Median Household Income 2015-2019: $44,043
• Persons in Poverty: 18.3%

I was shocked at the modest homes, the huge industry, and the numerous Trump 2020 signs still up (now 56 days after the election). The oil-pride in this town was evident with road signs pointing to the Conoco museum, oilman statue, and historical markers. I didn’t talk to anyone in this town, but from their flags and signs, it was also evident that the townsfolk collectively fear any movement away from big oil. Can you blame these residents? Since 1914, the factory has supported the town, and the town has supported the factory. Why do I bring this up? Because it’s small towns like Ponca City, that I consistently passed through on my trip through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Had it not been for the pandemic, I would have never gained this perspective of small towns and certainly never driven through Ponca City. Just an observation…

7. State Parks and the full moon

There are 63 National Parks versus 8,565 State Parks.^4,5 The average size of a National Park is 916,910 acres, nearly the size of Rhode Island (median = 239,143 acres, nearly the size of Turks and Caicos Islands). On the other hand, the average State Park measures at 2,102 acres.⁶ Unfortunately, I don’t have a good way to measure the median acreage among State Parks…regardless, National Parks are GINORMOUS compared to State Parks! My own view is that National Parks are a bit intimidating, demanding research and plans for which trails/sights/campsites to visit. I discovered that State Parks are the perfect size for a last-minute day trip. I was able to hike the one or two most popular trails, soak-in the neat environment, enjoy the well-maintained campground, take a hot shower in the facilities, and travel onward the next day!

The 3^rd night I stayed at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the second largest canyon in America, located in the panhandle of Texas. Really gorgeous reds and oranges within the carved landscape. I found myself taking too many pictures, and I caught (a picture of) a Road Runner! Meep Meep!

The 4^th night I stayed at Catalina State Park outside of Tucson, Arizona. Beautiful trails littered with huge saguaro cacti. On New Year’s eve I woke an hour before the sunrise with the intention of tackling a 10-mile hike. The full moon was magnificent and I found myself truly hiking “by the light of the moon”.

Near the summit, I got lost and a nice gentleman called out to me. I was thankful to hear his voice to aid in reorienting my direction. I stopped in my tracks; the man’s voice was so oddly familiar. Turns out that nice gentleman’s voice came from Nick Offerman! Ha! We ate lunch together and hiked 3+ hours back to the parking lot. He told me numerous stories about his books, his pandemic travels with his wife Megan Mullally, his “is this real” moment shooting promotional videos for Lagavulin (a single malt scotch whiskey brand that he enjoyed since he was 27), and he convinced me to buy clip-less cycling shoes, among many many other stories. Nick was such a friendly guy, I couldn’t ask for a better way to conclude 2020.

I arrived in San Diego!

1. Data from June 23, 2020 by Operable Capacity as of January 1, 2020: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/refining-crude-oil-refinery-rankings.ph
2. https://www.phillips66.com/refining/ponca-city-refinery
3. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/dashboard/poncacitycityoklahoma/PST045219
4. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/state-parks-worth-the-trip/
5. New River Gorge Park in southern West Virginia designated the 63^rd National Park from the recent federal stimulus relief package legislation: https://www.wvpublic.org/government/2020-12-22/new-river-gorge-to-be-designated-as-a-national-park
6. https://nationalparkobsessed.com/national-parks-by-size/