To, part one

Bozeman, Montana to Salt Lake City, Utah to Ventura, California

6:00 PM: Get in my 1983 Toyota Camry in the driveway of our house at the foot of the mountains, with just a backpack full of California clothes--skirts and tank tops and sandals, and one nice interview outfit.
6:15 PM: Stop for coffee at the drive-thru espresso shack in Gallatin Gateway. Drive through the winding roads of Gallatin Canyon, where I first learned Montana and you, where I first saw a buffalo, and where I jumped off a rock into the river and floated to shore.
7:30 PM: Just outside of National Park, I pulled into the usual gas station for another cup of coffee. I'm about to enter the Targhee National Forest of Idaho, with its sharp hills and logging trucks. The sun's last light disappears behind the pine trees and I will be in dark for the remainder of the drive.

to be continued...