So here it is

After I'm done here in New Orleans, I'm abandoning the rest of my plan and just heading for Portland. The plan was never super-solid in the first place, and upon further contemplation, I'm not really looking forward to spending time in the Southwest, it just doesn't seem very interesting to me. I've had a great time traveling so far, and I've still got a ways to go, but I want to take a more direct route now. I'm getting tired of life on the road, and I think I'm ready to settle down somewhere (at least for a little while).