202E Quarter 3 Road Trip Review
Embark on a captivating road trip from the sun-soaked streets of Los Angeles to the vast landscapes of Texas. Witness the changing scenery, from the iconic palm-lined streets of LA to the expansive deserts and charming towns en route to the Lone Star State. Feel the pulse of adventure as you drive through diverse terrains, savoring the freedom of the open road. Experience the allure of roadside attractions, the warmth of Southern hospitality, and the promise of unforgettable memories. This journey blends the allure of Hollywood glamour with the rugged charm of the Texan wilderness, promising an epic odyssey across the American Southwest.
Arriving in Texas at the tail end of June 2023, I hadn’t known what to expect. I had been grinding all spring, catapulting me into a summer of possibility—though it did not feel that way. I had been torn between decisions: should I stay or should I go. As i’ve always known to do, I went the road less traveled. I put a pause to my scuba diving journey and embarked on a unforgettable trip to Texas. The assignment at hand: Underwater Tree Removal…..on scuba….and with chainsaws!
With news of this unique project, I dropped everything and took my dive gear and camera to embark on the 24 hour road trip to a small town right outside of the DFW Metropolitan Area, where I was tasked to remove submerged trees from a lake to ensure public boating safety. No, I have not done this before, nor did I ever think I was. What I do know though, is that God works in mysterious ways.
I was in such a pickle back in California whether it be job security with lack of projects running, being in a newly found relationship that was building tremendously well, to even couch surfing and sleeping out of the Jeep: this was my chance to get ahead, back in the green! Though putting a pause on my training dampened my mood, I turned towards the best outcome of learning and trying something new, and taking the Jeep on a road trip—and what a trip it was. I drove south from Los Angeles through Palm Springs, headed east to Arizona, over to New Mexico and stopped in Roswell to check on my alien friends. After a brief regroup with the peers, I shot down to Texas through the expansive farmlands and finally wound up in Dallas around midnight to start my first day at 8am.
The drive itself was immaculate. Seeing the diverse landscapes and terrain changes as well as the wildlife like rattlesnakes on the road, roadrunners running away from dynamite and even your neighborhood opossum served to be a great treat for the journey. The job site was nice and remote, with all of the feels of a southern cowboy movie in the making. The locals were very hospitable and our work crew became regulars at the local buffet restaurant ; I even got an employee shirt!
On site, I learned my way around a hydraulic chainsaw that was able to cut through cedar elm and cypress as wide as a washing machine. Work itself was fun due to the time spent on the lake and finding and marking the trees. We used sonar and good old fashion luck to come across the trees to be marked. Our crew used a buoy system to identify as many trees as possible to then go back and cut down the trees. You may be wondering what we did with the trees. Well, in order to ensure the integrity of the wildlife and meet the needs of the owner, trees above a certain height and depth were sunken below to provide habitat for the fish and aquatic life, while smaller or more hazardous trees were removed and brought to shore. It was such a great and fun experience and I received a ton of hands on experience with boating, power tools, and commercial diving.
And as quick as it started, it was an abrupt ending as well.
The job itself was up in the air at the time due to land and permits. So as fun as it was, it lasted a short while. All a while, I had been having car troubles during the trip with the Jeep that through a wrench in adventure activities . At the end of it all, I was able to regroup upon my return to California in September.
I was blessed to receive such an opportunity and be able to say I was an underwater tree remover, a commercial diver, an aquatic logger (I like the sound of that one!). Key themes I learned was to always persevere and have faith in the mission, in the Lord and in yourself that it’ll all work out in the end. As long as you keep going, pressing on, doing your best to stay positive and surrounding yourself by positive energy, it’ll all work out.
So a thank you to all of the ups and downs from July-September: may they remain a reminder and lesson to stay disciplined. Be honest with yourself, learn to accept what you can and cannot control, and take it one day at a time and stay present in the moment.
P.S. : The relationship is still going strong :)! S/O my Toots 💛
Stay up, Take off, Let’s Race
