In front of me lay the rolling hills of the Badlands National Park. Behind me lay the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. I was parked in a free camping area featured in the movie Nomadland. I sat quietly at sunset and watched small mountain goats scramble their way up the rocky incline of the badlands. The wind buffeted my camper and I pulled my blanket closer. My neighbors were a hundred yards away and their lights beginning to blink on.
For more than ten years I traveled to New York City to meet with the talented physicians at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Initially, after my cancer diagnosis, I met with them every three months for a span of five years. I am the embodiment of planes, trains, and automobiles when it comes to finding my way to the Big Apple.
Ocracoke Island is located south of Hatteras Village and half of the island is controlled by the National Park Service. A free vehicle ferry operates a daily shuttle from Hatteras Village. Expect a line as wait times can be as long as two hours.