#findingthetruth

The sun wasn't even up and I had everything packed and loaded into my Jeep in less than 48 hours. Max and I were beyond ready to go. I hadn’t taken a vacation since I had moved to California over 10 years ago so this was much needed. I had everything I needed for Max and everything I could think of that I would need for myself. I was shocked with myself that I had decided to do this. We were basically going on a glorified folklore hunt of the west coast, the Rockies and possibly the midwest.

I had placed markers on my map of where I wanted to go but our first stop had nothing to do with this little hunt that we were going on. Our first stop was going to be the RedWoods of California. Some place I had wanted to visit since the day I decided to move here but I just hadn’t taken the time to go. Now I was going to go and there was no excuse not to. It would put me close to my first destination which was Reno, Nevada so it worked out in my favor.

I look down at Max as he paws at my leg while I secure the last bag in the back of the Jeep. He was obviously confused about where we were going but he was beyond happy to get in the car and go. He always ready for a new adventure. We had been on our fair share of hikes but camping together was a new thing for us. I was born a country girl but had spent most of my time now living right outside the city and while I wasn’t afraid of camping, I had never done it on my own.

Loading Max into the backseat of my Jeep, I make sure he's secure before climbing into the driver's seat and pulling out of the driveway. I knew this was going to be a long trip so I was beyond prepared to make frequent stops but I was bound and determined not to stop before we got out of the city. While I love the city I didn't have a reason to stop, hitting the highway I turn up the music and sing along as Max pokes his head out the window.

The first five hours flew by in a blink of an eye but as we got closer to San Francisco the antsier I got about stopping for another cup of coffee and something to eat. I felt a cold nose poke my neck and I jump, I knew Max was in the car but he startled me anyways. Turning down the stereo I reach back and rub his head. It was pretty obvious he was ready to get out of the Jeep and stretch his legs as well.

Pulling into the first travel station I see I pull up to a gas pump and shut the Jeep off. First thing was getting Max taken care of. Hopping out of the driver's seat, I grab his leash and open the passenger door. "Let's go buddy," I rub my hand down his back after he jumps out. He was such a trooper through all of this. Shutting the passenger door, I lock the Jeep and head towards the little dog park area to let Max burn off some energy.

Sitting down on a bench right outside of the dog park I watch Max run the length of the park and back. How this dog had so much energy was beyond me and I would be lying to myself if I said that I didn’t wish I had some of his energy, having that much energy would make this trip a lot easier. I looked over at Max and I couldn't help but laugh, he was standing on his hind legs staring at me over the fence. I was ready to go but I still needed to get gas and a coffee.

Walking back to the Jeep with Max, I let him hop into the backseat before running into the store to grab a coffee and pay for gas. Before I knew it we were back on the road only stopping a few more times to get gas or for me to take pictures of the beautiful scenery. It was a long drive and on our last stop before heading into the national forest Max decided to make himself at home in the passenger seat. I couldn’t blame him for that, our surroundings were something neither of us had ever seen before, though I couldn’t help but wonder if he saw this place in a past life.

Less than an hour later I could hear Max’s feet tapping in excitement when he realized I was getting ready to stop. Pulling into the small parking lot of the park I turned off my Jeep and looked at Max. “You ready to go for a run, Maximums? I'm begging you though please don't kill me in the process.”

Max was well behaved for the most part but he was bad about running. I never could keep up with him but I needed to run and I knew he did too. Especially after our over 12 hour drive. I pulled my Jeep key off the ring and put it in the waistband pocket of my shorts before hopping out of the Jeep to let my guy out. I was in awe of all the Redwood trees surrounding us but I had to keep my focus on Max, for now. Opening the passenger door I braced for impact, either Max would jump straight into my arms or he would jump down right beside me. There was no in between with him, thankful he chose to hit the ground instead of me this time and he instantly sat next to me. “Good boy, Max. Are you ready?”

I pulled his leash from the door before hooking it to his collar and we were off. We walked a good bit down the trail, our pace slowly increasing. If I tried to take off in a run I would most definitely end up eating the dirt.

The silence was peaceful and I couldn't help but look up at the trees that made me feel even smaller than I knew I was. I left my headphones in the Jeep not wanting to loose the beauty of the forest. It felt like home here and I easily get used to some place like this. I was trying my best to keep in stride with Max as our pace increased to a full blown run but it was getting harder as we got further down the trail. I had forgotten how fast he was and it wasn't until he was pulling harder at his leash and breaking free from my grasp that it really dawned on me. I tried my best to grab his leash but it was a lost cause. “MAX STOP!” My voice broke as I yelled for him, hoping he would listen as I tried my best to move my legs as quickly as I could to keep up with him but I was slowly giving up hope.

I couldn't get my mind off of the book I had just finished reading last night. The writer made it feel like everything she was saying was real, down to how her heroine had fallen in love with a shapeshifter without knowing but then she so easily accepted him for who he was. It was odd to me how real it felt, none of the other books I read ever made me feel this way.

I mean I had always had a fascination with the supernatural. So,I knew in my head that it couldn't be real but my heart said otherwise. My heart told me that some of these things like shapeshifters, werewolves, vampires, fairies, etc were real and I wanted to find out the truth. So that's exactly what I was going to do.

Max and I were going to go 'hunting' but probably also do some exploring nature as well. I was glad I had vacation days set aside at the firm that I could use and I had plenty of money in savings. This would be simple, I could do this on my own, right?

Max brought me back from my thoughts when he tried to flip me from the hammock. "Easy big guy," I scratch behind his ear as I talk to him, "want to go on a trip? I think we need to go on a vacation boy."

I knew it would take me a few days to pack up everything. I would want to do more camping then staying in a hotel. It would be easier to camp with Max plus I knew he would protect me as best he could.

I couldn't believe I was doing this. I pulled my phone from my front hoodie pocket and sent my boss a text, "Hey Paul, it's Savannah. Since we haven't been very busy at the office I was wondering if I could take a few weeks off. I can take my laptop with me in case you need help with anything though." I hit send on the text and shoved the phone back in my pocket.

If only my parents could see me now though, my father would for sure have a heart attack. See, I left home the day after I graduated and didn't look back. I hadn’t seen or spoken to my family since that day. I just couldn't, my father resented me for not going to SMU, his Alma Mater to get my undergrad so I could go to law school. My father was a high powered attorney, my mother was a stay at home mom and then there was my twin brother, Bryant. Bryant, was the one that was meant to walk into my father's footsteps, not me and that's exactly what he did. While Bryant was my twin, we didn't speak either, he thought he was better than me and that was okay.

Instead I decided to follow my heart and move to Los Angeles, I wanted to design my own clothing line and one day own my own boutique. Or maybe even be able to see my clothes in a big department store. Most of all, I wanted to be able to say I did it without the help of my family. I didn't want my father's money to be how I found success. I needed to prove to myself that I could stand on my own two feet without anyone's help.

I could finally say that I had hit some of those goals in life so a vacation was warranted. I had a beautiful house just outside of L.A. that I had rehabbed all on my own and I had, Max. He had become my best friend and was a great companion, especially since I really didn't have any friends here. So leaving for a few weeks, even a month wasn't going to be that big of a deal to me.