Ashland was a lovely, short stay. The inland detour brought a welcome change—swapping the cool, misty coast for the heat of southern Oregon—but today marked the beginning of my return home. I backtracked from Ashland to Grant’s Pass, then pointed my car toward Crescent City, ready to greet the redwoods and the cooler coastal air again.

I decided the best way to survive my stay was by not being in the hotel as much as possible. In the morning, I did a little stock trading, then started getting ready to head out when I heard a knock on my door. Two men stood there saying they needed to clean the A/C. I remembered seeing a note taped to my door when I checked in last night, but I thought it was for next week.

I woke up early to check UPS tracking for my Costco order, and sure enough—it was scheduled to arrive today. At 9:30 a.m., I called Costco to ask how long it usually takes from delivery to processing. The woman told me UPS comes around 10:30, so to check back then.

I was so happy to leave the Motel-6-esque hotel in Astoria. It drizzled that morning, and Ashley was once again covered in water spots. Today, my destination was Seaside, Oregon, a few towns south of Astoria. But first, I had a few stops planned along the way.

It was sad to check out of my hotel in Cedar Hills. I had grown so comfortable there that, honestly, I could have stayed permanently. But I had accomplished what I needed—rest, recharging, and enough time for all my Amazon deliveries to arrive. Now it was time to move again.