Travel Time

Our travel days are long but short. Someone said to me when I had little kids that ‘the days are long but the years are short’ which in hindsight I totally see. This stretch of time is a sped up version of that. Sort of. Maybe not, but it’s how it feels because both of us are doing our best to play down our anxiety about returning to the adorable East coast town where we are heading, which makes the time go by annoyingly fast…

Stalling as much as we can, while knowing we are needed back there, so taking a direct route, but, it’s like that. Meanwhile enjoying the changing landscape and small towns we pass one after another. We’ve also looked for the healthiest most interesting places to stop and eat and stay. This has been more miss than hit, but that’s travel. We both appreciate the adventure of unknowns.

We have crisscrossed the county a few times, so it’s fun to take different routes, stay in places we’ve never heard of, see some of the country we haven’t already seen before.

Every so often we get a text from Gs mom, which triggers one or both of us to have a small panic attack, but generally we are chill. At least on the surface.

I watched an episode of a dog training show. They were working with a pet owner who was very calm and chill even though his dog was one everyone on the show was especially cautious around. He nearly bit several times. The dog they explained was protecting the owner and was anxious and vigilant about doing so. Somehow the dog sensed the guy’s fear under his facade of calm. ( I think animals are so interesting in how they cut through and know stuff )

The owner explained that he had been bitten pretty badly once, but being the man in the family had to give the sense that everything was ok. It was pointed out that sometimes we need to calmly assert ourselves. We need to calmly take charge when things are not right, especially in safety situations, and lead with calm confidence. My daughter was just talking about something like this with parenting. I have a little nagging feeling that this might be what is coming up next for me.

I have a not well defined role in this coming up scenario, so there’s no telling how any of this will go for me. My goal is to stay appreciative and busy and to honor my own preferences. Even when challenging, because erasing who I am can’t be an option.

Meanwhile, we are nearly through Columbus, Ohio, heading for Somerset, PA where I’m hoping to see something Amish. A farm maybe…