put me back on the map

This week I had time to kill, so I headed up to Tulsa. Oklahoma City was too much of a stretch. Lucky for me, there are a fair few thrift stores and, like, seven Walgreens. Because that's where the cool kids shop.

It took an hour to find a place to park, and another to walk to the city center.

I'd like to add that it was like 1000000 degrees and I was wearing boots.

Before any shopping happened, I went for food, and just off main, I found a hipster salad place and opted for the thing that looked most like baby shit  (quinoa and kale and avocado) and it was fan-fuckin-tastic. After, I grabbed naked juice and a jasmine orange tea from Starbucks. Refreshed, I headed to my favorite haunt.

Because it's fall, all the cool crap starts coming in and I picked up a sweet pair of boots, which, in hindsight, I probably didn't need (I type while wearing them). Then I hit Walgreens and picked up a couple essie polishes.

By that point, my feet were liquidized enough to require sandals, so I obliged. And then regretted my choice, because I then had to carry two pairs of boots.

Mid-wander, I found an antique store that had, like, a whole box of old zippo lighters outside and I nearly bought the whole goddamn box.

Eventually, I chose a plain, tarnished gem and forced myself to leave. And then I found yet another thrift store, and walked out with a jazzy shirt, tie dye top and a super cute pair of shorts.

Almost completely penniless, I accidentally fell into starbucks again and got a chai tea latte. At this point, it was four in the afternoon, and I'd lost most feeling in my arm (but my feet felt good). Feeling shopped-out, I started back to my truck, only to be waylaid by another, less exciting, shop and I picked up a bottle of some fancy wine for my mom. Because I had just remembered I was heading back to Tahlequah.

It took me a further forty minutes to locate the truck, and an hour to get out of Tulsa (because reading signs is easy). While driving, I loudly sung along to Taylor Swift, because guilty pleasure. And I got three strange looks from tough-guy type guys. New record.

Yeah, so, TTFN.

(cool kids shop in Walgreens right?)

(^because twenty seven isn't enough)

It's fun to have a house on wheels. It makes a weekend escape so much less stressful - and you literally pack the kitchen sink as well.

The Quartz Mountain is across the state from Keys, like a five hour journey, and when you're dragging your living space behind you, it feels like forever. A quick stop outside Okemah and another outside El Reno, and the journey is ten times easier.

Just outside Checotah, I realized how lucky I was to have been raised in a state like Oklahoma, and I also realized I didn't have enough tampons - que a stop, that also resulted in a new zippo and sparklers.

As I was attempting parking up, I discovered that trying to find a decent space with an airstream attached to the back of a pickup is goddamn impossible... so I was forced to park a million miles from the shop and walk.

While on the road, I had on my Miranda Lambert playlist, and it made me think about why I was even bothering to drive the state to a range of mountains next to Texas: songwriting. I still have half an album to write, and a packet of marlboro reds and a bottle of jack to help. 

An electricity free weekend in the country - head clearing, productive and free.