"A Quiet Piece of Americana"
I am currently on a road trip across the country with my boyfriend. Here is an update on how it's going!! (credit to my Father for the title)
Good morning, lovelies!
I come to you today from the kitchen table of one of my new favorite places on Earth, the Solar Roost. The Solar Roost is a magical woodland paradise out in the hills of Wisconsin, owned and dutifully cared for by my partner’s family. The quaint home is aptly named, for it runs entirely on solar power. My partner has spoken of the Roost many, many times. It is a cherished place to him, and now that I have had the pleasure of seeing it for myself, I understand why.
Tucked up onto the side of a hill, almost entirely obscured by lush green trees, the tiny house is a respite from the outside world. The scent of rain on fresh grass gently breezes through the open windows, and a symphony of birdsong accompanies my typing as I watch the local inhabitants dine on the palace of bird feeders outside. I’m no bird expert, but I have already seen a couple of doves, two kinds of woodpeckers, a blue jay, and a stunning red cardinal. Even as I type this I am sitting face-to-face with a little chipmunk, perched on the front porch railing, poised perfectly to watch me write… or to steal some birdseed… who knows?
This place is a sanctuary, overflowing with healing energy and the promise of revitalizing rest. Rest that Clayton and I have desperately needed.
We are currently 10 days into our road trip across the country, which has already included at least 30 hours of driving through 8 different states. We are on our way to New York City from Los Angeles, where he had been working during the Spring. He makes this trek annually, but since I have never experienced a road trip of this magnitude, I decided to fly my happy ass to Los Angeles and accompany him on the drive back. We agreed that this would be a good opportunity to visit both of our families… a privilege that neither of us gets as often as we would like.
Our first stop after leaving Los Angeles was my hometown of Grass Valley in Northern California, where we received a warm and hearty welcome from my parents and our wonderful pups- Shasta, Rio, and Scout- oh, and my Mom’s new fish, Zizi. We stayed up North for a couple of days, and I got to drive Clayton around to a few of my favorite spots from childhood. We had lunch with my Mom, took a joy ride in my Dad’s hand-refurbished butternut yellow El Camino, spent a night at “The National”- one of the oldest hotels in the state, and had dinner at the local brewery with my Aunt.
Bringing Clayton home was very a special thing for me, though a little bit nerve-wracking. If I learned anything from my past relationships, it is that I want to be a lot more careful and intentional about the steps I take moving forward with this one. Bringing him home was not a decision I made lightly, but he is undeniably important to me, and I am grateful that my family was able to make room in their hearts for him. We also had dinner with my longest-running best friend and her husband- and I FINALLY got to meet her precious lil baby. What a treasure that evening was. Seeing my childhood best friend grow into motherhood with such grace and ease has been awe-inspiring. I have never been more proud of two humans in my life than when watching her and her husband love on their curious, bright-eyed baby girl. I’ve also realized that there is something very special and validating about seeing your partner vibe with your closest friends… it’s not something that can be forced, the energy either works or it doesn’t, and this worked like gangbusters. I left California with my heart full and overflowing with gratitude.
After that, we changed course and decided to drive north to Stanley, Idaho to visit one of Clayton’s longest-running friends, Lara. She runs an empanada cart in town called La Osera, and let me tell you- her empanadas are iconic. Clayton and I ordered eight of them on our first visit to her cart and she sent us on our way with even more when we left. Not a single bite was disappointing. While in Idaho, we went on a beautiful 4-mile hike at the base of the Sawtooth Mountain range and then spent the afternoon hunting for the very elusive morel mushroom. Our hunt left us empty-handed this time, which was mildly disappointing because the year before yielded quite the harvest I am told, but no matter- I have confidence we will forage again. Plus, I left Idaho with a box full of empanadas and a heart full of newfound friendship, who needs anything more(l)?
The next leg of our trip took us through the winding mountain roads of eastern Idaho into Wyoming, where we passed by the Grand Teton mountain range. The landscape was entirely breathtaking. Mountain rivers and trees gave way to rolling fields filled with buffalo and antelope, finally turning to acres of ranch land as we passed further into the state. We wanted to attempt to camp near a lake on the Wind River reservation, but when we arrived, the only restaurant in the entire area was closed. This sent me into a really fun and tearful breakdown fueled by hunger, fatigue, and a particularly ruthless bout of PMS. Needless to say, we did not camp that night- one of Clayton’s many incredible judgment calls on this trip. Instead, we drove on to the next town for a dinner of hot ramen, a soothing shower, and a good night’s sleep. Something I have come to realize about myself on this trip is that the longer into the drive we get, the more I seem to regress into a small, childlike version of myself who needs little yummy treats to get me through the hours. It is a simple solution, but an important discovery for the sanity of us all.
The next day found us back on the road heading toward the Devil’s Tower National Monument. Clayton insisted that we stop there, as he finds it to be an incredibly powerful and spiritual place. Once again, he was not wrong. It was beautiful, peaceful, and serene. To many people, Devil’s Tower (which was originally named Bear Lodge) is a sacred site- one where they can whisper their deepest hopes and prayers to the trees and let them be carried away by the wind. The natives will leave knotted cloths, bundles, or personal items tied to the branches of the trees at the base of the tower as offerings. It is a fascinating sight that inspired great reverence in me. I was very moved by the entire experience.
After about an hour of hiking around the Tower, we hopped back in the car for a quick 8-hour jaunt across the entire state of South Dakota. It was greener than I expected, filled with rolling hills of farmland. Somewhere along the drive, we finished the Brandon Sanderson novel that we began on the first day of our trip. It was called “Yumi and the Nightmare Painter” and it was a lovely, romantic delight about the importance of love, art, and believing in oneself. I am typically a “music up, windows down” kind of girl on a road trip- but Clayton is slowly opening my eyes to the joy of a good, long audiobook. Highly recommend checking out this slice of Sanderson’s work, if you’re unfamiliar.
We ended up rolling into Sioux Falls close to 10 pm that night, in search of a not-too-shabby-not-too-fancy place to stay. Clayton settled on a Ramada with a small indoor waterpark, just for the vibes- another iconic judgment call. After hearing how long we had been driving, and seeing how delusional we were, we were offered a king suite- complete with a hot tub in the room. I was apprehensive at first since the room was located directly behind the indoor pirate ship - but a 10 pm soak turned out to be exactly what we needed. Sioux Falls, SD was actually a very cute little town- I would recommend a stop at Falls Park if you’re ever passing through- have a little gander and grab yourself a cup of coffee at the Overlook Café.
The next day we crossed through Minnesota and finally made our way into Baraboo, WI, where we have been spending time with Clayton’s family. They are exactly as I imagined they would be; witty, eccentric, warm, kind, and inviting. I have been enjoying myself here, getting to know a bit more about the places and people that my partner holds dear. It’s a gift- to get to experience a bit of life through your partner’s eyes. To understand where their quirks come from, to give faces to the names in the stories they tell, to see and feel their memories in the places where they happened. For me, it is fostering a deeper intimacy with him, and in turn, a deeper trust IN him.
It is inherently vulnerable, sharing a trip like this with someone. I feel like our journey is turning out to be an incredible learning experience for us both. I am meeting new parts of myself, challenging myself to look at things from new perspectives, and learning how to give myself grace in ways that I have never attempted before. Having Clayton by my side has proven invaluable, he shines during the moments when I need him most. We have had so much time to communicate openly, honestly, and vulnerably with one another. I love learning more about him. It has become one of my life’s newest and greatest passions.
In addition to everything else, I feel like this trip is giving me clarity. Specifically, clarity around the beliefs I hold about myself that are keeping me small, and clarity surrounding the things that my heart truly desires.
I felt something familiar as I passed through the wooden gate adorned with flowers and walked the stone steps to the door of the Solar Roost… a feeling I get when I see a moving piece of theatre or hear a song that makes me cry… the exact thing I felt the first time that I met Clayton...
Inspiration.
And longing.
The moment I stepped through the door to this magical place, I wanted to write. I wanted to sit on the porch and bask in the sun and create. To sit in front of the wood-burning stove and make music with my beloved, to harvest fresh berries and bake a pie from scratch, to dance in the wind and walk in the woods and craft a lifetime of memories. My soul was immediately filled with the knowledge that I wanted more than anything to be here with him. There is something in this place. Something in this feeling… something in this experience that wants to be seen.
For now, I take heart in knowing that places like the Roost exist- filled with abundance, peace, and joy. And I know that I want to end up somewhere like this. With him.
I am filled with gratitude for all that has happened, and all that is yet to come.
Love you all. Talk soon.
-Ellie