{"id":108,"date":"2012-12-15T10:39:00","date_gmt":"2012-12-15T16:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/expatriateism.wordpress.com\/?p=108"},"modified":"2014-10-19T11:55:24","modified_gmt":"2014-10-19T15:55:24","slug":"denver-road-trip-the-long-way-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/?p=108","title":{"rendered":"Denver Road Trip: The Long Way Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"googlemaps\">\n\t\t\t\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"425\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\"  src=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps?f=d&#038;source=s_d&#038;saddr=Cheyenne%2C%20WY&#038;daddr=41.8371156%2C-103.7004474%20to%3A43.8546683%2C-95.1158308%20to%3AMinneapolis%2C%20MN&#038;geocode=FQ2_cwId6pHA-SmT73MudjhvhzErLZePQTAKsQ%3BFTtifgIdIajR-SkvDzsu7VBlhzGNW9IkRwrD9Q%3BFUwrnQIdyqVU-imnfTYIvE2LhzFBpNLCec7xaA%3BFSZkrgIdEt1w-im9u3eTkDOzUjEH7novhMmfkw&#038;aq=0&#038;oq=Cheyenne&#038;sll=43.796376%2C-99.330139&#038;sspn=0.332068%2C0.727158&#038;hl=en&#038;mra=mrv&#038;via=1%2C2&#038;ie=UTF8&#038;ll=43.061865%2C-99.05361&#038;spn=3.84489%2C11.57328&#038;t=m&#038;output=embed\"><\/iframe>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>This is part 3 of my spontaneous trip from Minneapolis to Denver and back. I headed out of Cheyenne traveling north until I left the interstate. I struck east for Northwest Nebraska. The day was enormous and blue and the road dipped and rose through it. I saw a sign coming at me, here I was on some state highway and a rest area pops up, my trip was so interstate heavy that one off the interstate was a new experience. I stopped and looked around. The area I had been driving through all morning was mostly treeless rolling hills and fences. The rest area was situated on the top of a hill with a winding driveway to the parking lot. I pulled in and it was silent of human sound. There was an RV parked off to the side with some mountain bike billboard on the side but no movement whatsoever. The breeze ruffled the leaves on the trees and it could&#8217;ve been 200 years earlier.<\/p>\n<p>I hadn&#8217;t seen a town since I&#8217;d left the interstate an hour earlier and the temperature was pleasant but climbing higher. I thought it wise to go fill up anything I could find that would hold water. After rummaging in the trunk, I discovered the made-in-China promotional water bottle that I received from the company where I&#8217;d just quit my position. I then proceeded to have a a bit of a one-sided water fight with the hose spigot but I came away with a grand total of 2 liters of water.<\/p>\n<p>I mused as I drove away from the rest area. Almost every person on the Earth would never have reason or opportunity to visit this area of Wyoming. \u00a0I was driving past the tiny towns that make the region tick. \u00a0I was witnessing something that so few people would ever see or even think about. It&#8217;s special in a way, in other ways it is mundane. Ask the people that live there and I would bet you would hear many different answers. If I were to hazard a guess, teenagers are never quite happy with where they are. The generations of folks that can move from where they are have a myriad of reasons for staying. What keeps us where we live; loved ones, money, opportunity, and security are probably some of the most common anchors. It strikes me that these are also reasons people migrate too.<\/p>\n<p>My entrance into Nebraska was marked by something I am sure, but it was decidedly forgettable. \u00a0I went east until I finally took a left at an intersection marked only by a sign and the sky. \u00a0The landscape had changed in that the rolling hills were dotted by enormous buttes rising from the prairie. \u00a0I&#8217;ve always been attracted to tall things; be they buildings, hills, or mountains; all I want to do is get to the top and look at the view. \u00a0Some of this fantasy is rooted in Romantic period of art. \u00a0Seeing sublime paintings of the enormity and power of nature is fascinating to me. \u00a0It was very hard to pay attention to the road with these beauties staring down at me.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_123\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-123\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/expatriateism.wordpress.com\/2012\/12\/15\/denver-road-trip-the-long-way-home\/img_0542\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-123\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-123 \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0542.jpg?resize=300%2C225\" alt=\"IMG_0542\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0542.jpg?w=3264&amp;ssl=1 3264w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0542.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0542.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0542.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0542.jpg?w=2304&amp;ssl=1 2304w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-123\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wildcat Hills<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I finally passed a sign for the <a title=\"Wildcat Hills at visitscottsbluff.com\" href=\"http:\/\/www.visitscottsbluff.com\/recreation\/wildcat-hills-state-recreation-area-and-nature-center\" target=\"_blank\">Wildcat Hills\u00a0Park<\/a>\u00a0I pulled off to learn a little bit about my surroundings and maybe have a walk to pass the time. \u00a0They have a very large interpretive center and there was a very nice woman running the place. \u00a0I walked around looking at several taxidermic animal until I circled back to the counter and asked the attendant what I should go and see. \u00a0She told me I should go to <a title=\"National Park Service Site\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nps.gov\/scbl\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Scotts Bluff National Monument<\/a>. \u00a0I had no idea what that was but it piqued my curiosity with history, geology, tall things, and hiking. \u00a0I looked around a bit at the Wildcat Hills and I am excited to go back someday but I wanted to move on to Scotts Bluff.<\/p>\n<p>Scotts Bluff is a big hill as well as a town next to the hill, the town decided to be Scottsbluff in an unsuccessful attempt to be less confusing. \u00a0The town is very flat. \u00a0I stopped at a pharmacy to pick up some sunscreen. \u00a0It seemed a lot like the small town that I grew up in. \u00a0Me passing through may have been the most interesting thing that happened that day for some residents. \u00a0The National Monument is a mile or two outside of town. \u00a0I waltzed into the visitor center and bought some park day pass for less than ten bucks. \u00a0The ranger told me about the trails and road that go up the hill and they have a large collection of drawings and paintings by William Henry Jackson. \u00a0Jackson was an important documenter of the migration along Oregon Trail which is why Scotts Bluff deserves to be a National Monument.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_127\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-127\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/expatriateism.wordpress.com\/2012\/12\/15\/denver-road-trip-the-long-way-home\/img_0553\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-127\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-127 \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0553.jpg?resize=300%2C225\" alt=\"Scotts Bluff and the Oregon Trail\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0553.jpg?w=3264&amp;ssl=1 3264w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0553.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0553.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0553.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/img_0553.jpg?w=2304&amp;ssl=1 2304w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-127\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oregon Trail passes between these two bluffs. Sentinel Rock is in the distance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The views were spectacular and I had a generally wonderful time traipsing up the Saddle Rock Trail to the summit. \u00a0The area was silent but for insects and birds, and the occasional car passing by on the highway. \u00a0It was easy to imagine someone&#8217;s great-great-grandparents moving past and looking at the same views that visitors see today.<\/p>\n<p>After a exhilarating afternoon at Scotts Bluff, I decided I had better move along. \u00a0My path took me through Alliance, a seemingly bland little Nebraska town teetering on the edge of obscurity. \u00a0I didn&#8217;t stop in the town but I did turn my direction North there. \u00a0A few miles down the road, to my surprise, I passed <a title=\"Carhenge website\" href=\"http:\/\/www.carhenge.com\" target=\"_blank\">Carhenge<\/a>. \u00a0I did a double take, pulled over and backed up to the parking lot. \u00a0I found a new highlight of my trip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"jetpack-slideshow-noscript robots-nocontent\">This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p><div id=\"gallery-108-1-slideshow\" class=\"jetpack-slideshow-window jetpack-slideshow jetpack-slideshow-black\" data-trans=\"fade\" data-autostart=\"1\" data-gallery=\"[{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.expatriateism.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/01\\\/img_0575.jpg?fit=3264%2C2448\\u0026ssl=1&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;142&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;IMG_0575&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Carhenge&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.expatriateism.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/01\\\/img_0577.jpg?fit=3264%2C2448\\u0026ssl=1&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;144&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Carhenge&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;The Cars are all painted and the windows are sheet metal&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.expatriateism.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/01\\\/img_0579.jpg?fit=480%2C640\\u0026ssl=1&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;145&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Grizzled me and Carhenge&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;I just stumbled on this!&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.expatriateism.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/01\\\/img_0581.jpg?fit=2448%2C3264\\u0026ssl=1&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;146&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Carhenge Sculpture Garden&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Some other Carhenge sculptures.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.expatriateism.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/01\\\/img_0576.jpg?fit=2448%2C3264\\u0026ssl=1&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;143&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Earth\\u0026#8217;s Steering Wheel&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Earth\\u0026#8217;s Steering Wheel&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.expatriateism.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/01\\\/img_0583.jpg?fit=3264%2C2448\\u0026ssl=1&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;147&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Metal Dinosaur Marches on Carhenge&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Dinosaur skeleton guards Carhenge&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.expatriateism.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/01\\\/img_0584.jpg?fit=2448%2C3264\\u0026ssl=1&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;148&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Ground Pike&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Ground fish&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.expatriateism.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/01\\\/img_0585.jpg?fit=3264%2C2448\\u0026ssl=1&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;149&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Ode to Tiffani&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;There is a lot of graffiti at Carhenge&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;}]\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\"><\/div>\n<p>The wind was picking up and I thought it might rain as more and more clouds blotted out the sunny day. \u00a0I was able to walk around and only one other car stopped to take some pictures. \u00a0I am happy to say that I inspired my sister&#8217;s family to visit Carhenge on a road trip they took. \u00a0If you like seeing roadside attractions check it out in<a title=\"Map and directions to Carhenge\" href=\"http:\/\/www.carhenge.com\/maps.htm\" target=\"_blank\"> Alliance, NB<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I drove on North and East, heading for Interstate 90 in South Dakota. \u00a0The wind kept blowing and it seemed to be getting harder the farther I went. \u00a0When I finally went over the border it was blowing East really good. \u00a0I thought it might pick my little car up and toss me off the road a couple of times. \u00a0As if the wind wasn&#8217;t enough my chosen route was undergoing a major overhaul. \u00a0It wasn&#8217;t as much a road anymore as a gravel field with trucks and earth movers driving around. \u00a0I was in a caravan behind a follow me car for about 5 miles, it was surreal. \u00a0I should&#8217;ve taken the recommendation to use another route more seriously. \u00a0When I finally got out of the road construction I saw one of the best sunsets though and I snapped this picture through the car window.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/expatriateism.wordpress.com\/2012\/12\/15\/denver-road-trip-the-long-way-home\/img_0587\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-151\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-151 \" title=\"Sunset in South Dakota\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0587.jpg?resize=300%2C225\" alt=\"South Dakota Sunset\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0587.jpg?w=3264&amp;ssl=1 3264w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0587.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0587.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0587.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0587.jpg?w=2304&amp;ssl=1 2304w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-151\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">If pictures could capture the blowing wind, this one would be full of it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the middle of the wind I finally drove into Murdo, South Dakota. \u00a0I was very relived and excited to make it to an interstate it validated my choose-your-own-adventure route. \u00a0I only saw the police car as I passed it. \u00a0The cop quickly pulled out and flipped on his lights. \u00a0The police officer sat in his car a few minutes obviously running my plates to see if I was a crazed fugitive. \u00a0When he finally walked over to my window I had to feel sorry for him because the wind could&#8217;ve blown his pants off at that point. \u00a0He told me I was driving too fast because the speed limit dropped to 30 a few hundred yards ago. \u00a0To be honest, it was hard to tell the difference between the open road and the gas station and motel that make up this side of Murdo. \u00a0He asked what I was doing off the interstate in South Dakota, I bet 80% of the people not on the interstate in South Dakota are drug smugglers or unibombers. \u00a0As I struggled to come up with an answer that wouldn&#8217;t land me in \u00a0jail or future urban legend, my entire trip flashed through my mind. \u00a0What was I doing? \u00a0Where was I going? \u00a0I just talk the officer that I was heading home from a trip to Denver. That seemed to satisfy the cop, he told me to watch the speed limit. I told him I would remember next time I drove through Murdo, South Dakota without laughing or smirking. \u00a0I think he just wanted to get out of the wind, anyway.<\/p>\n<p>I hopped on the interstate and drove on. \u00a0I was getting late and I wasn&#8217;t in tip top driving condition, though. \u00a0I called my wife and following her wise counsel I stopped at a motel. \u00a0It was luxurious after sleeping in the back seat of the car at rest areas for the past few nights. \u00a0The next day I woke refreshed. \u00a0After I got some continental breakfast in my belly I took off for Sioux Falls and some espresso. \u00a0The wind \u00a0calmed down as well.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_157\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-157\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0591.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-157\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0591.jpg?resize=300%2C225\" alt=\"Missouri River\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0591.jpg?w=3264&amp;ssl=1 3264w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0591.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0591.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0591.jpg?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.expatriateism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/img_0591.jpg?w=2304&amp;ssl=1 2304w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-157\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I made a pit stop in Chamberlain, South Dakota. The Missouri River and Interstate 90 make an arrow there.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A college friend of mine used to live in Sioux Falls and I had visited him a handful of times there. \u00a0I knew a small amount about the city. \u00a0That small amount was a\u00a0friend telling me that Mean Gene Okerlund lives there. \u00a0That information, however, has just been refuted by <a title=\"Mean Gene's Wikipedia Page\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gene_Okerlund\" target=\"_blank\">wikipedia<\/a>.\u00a0My magical phone knew there was espresso there so I pressed on. \u00a0I found my way to <a title=\"Black Sheep Coffee Website\" href=\"http:\/\/www.blacksheepcoffee.com\" target=\"_blank\">Black Sheep Coffee<\/a>\u00a0where I had the most amazing Breakfast Burrito (even though it was lunchtime). \u00a0As I ate I was treated to the sight, sound, and smell of there in-house coffee roaster working on a batch. \u00a0I spent some quality time with my phone on their wifi and as I left I picked up a Dry Cappuccino for the road. \u00a0I watched Sioux Falls recede into the horizon and continued east to my home, wife , and cat.<\/p>\n<p>Now, months after this trip is in the books, I wonder about that police officer in Murdo. \u00a0I should have \u00a0a better answer for the where are you going question. \u00a0Not for the police officer, for myself. \u00a0Where am I going? \u00a0I&#8217;ve managed to scuttle my delusionally made career plans I had stumbled into. \u00a0My wife and I are certainly not aiming for kids and the suburbs. \u00a0I hope this blog will become a chronicle of my traveling adventures and whatever else comes to mind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is part 3 of my spontaneous trip from Minneapolis to Denver and back. I headed out of Cheyenne traveling north until I left the interstate. I struck east for Northwest Nebraska. The day was enormous and blue and the road dipped and rose through it. I saw a sign coming at me, here I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-my-life","category-roadtrips","category-travel"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5a0LE-1K","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=108"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":231,"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108\/revisions\/231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expatriateism.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}