On the Road for 5 Days .. Did I Really Agree to This??
Driving for 5 days straight from CA to GA was .. loooong!! I posted now and then on Facebook about where we were, what we did, and what we ate, and perhaps .. you might even say I whined a smidge!
Well, about half way through our last day my friend Maura posted, “Diane, remember to enjoy the journey, not just the destination……the ‘destination’ is the journey, no?”
I thought about that for a bit, and this was my response:
Thanks for the reminder, Maura! I’m not much of a sit still person, so I struggle with this type of journey .. the virtual non-stop drive across the US journey!
BUT I have enjoyed: reading (after 44 years of feeling ill when reading in a car, I discovered I can read just fine in a RV); my Flying J snacks and nice truckers, who always open the door for me; much of the scenery; singing along to 80s music; talking about this, that, and the other with David; listening to all the accents (just spoke on the phone with a woman in GA – loved it); counting how many U-hauls are heading East vs. West (about equal); reading road signs aloud and trying to figuring out if we should embrace chik’n or beef; trying to figure out what kind of bug just sacrificed itself on the windshield; checking out cop uniforms in different states; stopping at The Thing, THEN reading reviews on it; realizing I actually like CA drivers – at least they admit they drive too fast, hate to merge, and rarely signal; a feeling of accomplishment at making lunch while we are driving – for a disabled person, my sense of balance is not too shabby; seeing towns that further increased my feeling of being oh so blessed; the a/c and ability to use the generator; the kindness of strangers, like the truck stop cashier who let me forego returning to the RV for 6 cents; seeing LIVE animals (like deer, cows, birds, horses, sheep, butterflies) – not a fan of all the DEAD ones (like armadillos, tortoise, wolves or coyotes); showers at night; being able to use the restroom while driving; trying to capture “Welcome to the state” signs – a joke with David, since on numerous journeys in the US and Europe I never caught signs/attractions .. even if standing in front of them; the realization that we have purged so much that we have almost everything we need with us (minus Megan, my parents, and best friends) and not much we don’t; appreciating my husband more each day, as he gets out of bed early to prep us to leave without waking me, AND showing him I care by getting myself up anyway to share the journey with him!
BTW: Molly enjoyed limitless DVDs, Internet, iPad apps, books, drawing .. pretty much just like any other day!
Francie (if I am interpreting her meows accurately) hated the entire journey, generally holding her desire for food/drink and need to pee/poop until we pulled in for the night .. completely her choice, as we offered all of the above every stop we made!!!
AND David says he enjoyed .. The Conclusion!!! If you know David, you will understand that he actually means he liked the beginning and the middle parts (and many of the same things I appreciated), but .. mainly he loved that the drive itself was coming to an end!
