This is me in happily married days. This was taken in 1993. We were on the roof of our apartment building that was named, The Trevor Arms. It was next door to the wooden apartment building where Gus Van Sant filmed, “My Own Private Idaho.”

It was on the corner of NW 21st and Irving in NW Portland, Oregon. I was working at Coffee People, which was about five blocks from there. I loved being able to walk to work.

God, that was so long ago. Those were good years. We traveled all over the West and even took a two-month road trip in 1995 from Portland to Western New York. We drove our 1984 diesel VW Vanagon. It wasn’t a Westphalia but, it did have a camper top that popped up. And, it was slower than farm tractors. We camped all across the US.

We even brought our two cats, Merlin and Floyd. They were soul buddies and great travelers. I don’t think either one of them even coughed up a hairball.

In September, on our trip back from Jamestown, NY to Portland, we took the scenic route and stopped at a bleak campground in Wyoming, which I swear is the windiest place I’ve ever been and it got so damn freezing cold the cats burrowed under the blankets with us. I awoke in the middle of the night to use the privy and had to put a coat on to run to the john, teeth chattering the whole way. I loved every second of it.

We went to Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah after that. Then we drove through Nevada, California and finally back to Portland, where my leave of absence with Coffee People ended and I returned to being a barista.

It was a great trip. Brian was my absolute best travel partner. Everyone swore we would be together forever. There are so many times that I still can’t believe we are apart and divorced.

Even The Trevor Arms is no longer the same: it’s over a hundred years old now and got turned into overpriced condos.

The only constant in life is change.