I pondered whether to leave for over a month, but within a few days after deciding to go, I ran into an old acquaintance from UNH. She told me that she was driving to the Rainbow Gathering that was happening that summer in North Carolina, and from there, she was planning to go on to California. The only thing holding her back was that she did not want to do the trip alone and did not have anyone to go with, at which point she asked if I'd like to go with her. I enjoyed this bit of serendipity and we made plans to leave in about a week.

As fast as I had decided to leave New Hampshire it seemed that I was gone.