Something I’ve discovered about myself. Why I love road trips 101. I love road trips because it’s like running. Driving across the country allows my mind to percolate, process and ponder the noise that swirls around in my head. Beautiful scenery refreshes me, inspires me and just plain makes me smile. Note that beautiful is subjective. Monument Valley for instance, is one of my favorite drives….ever. The drive to the western slope of Colorado….interesting and stunning. The drive to Moab….wowzer! Nevada….not so much. The middle of Utah….not so much. Add Idaho to that list….a big swath of the middle….not so much. It clutters my mind even more than it was. I spend my drive thinking about how people ended up there…why they stay….what are they thinking? It’s an entirely non-meditative line of thinking.

Soaking in the splendour of Crystal Cranes Hot Springs…once again, not traditionally beautiful, but character, geography and weather created atmosphere…collectively easing my mind. Granted, I stayed up entirely too late decompressing from the drive, then there was a time change and THEN there was Dear Hubby/The Beard. I miss my hubby. I even miss my direct conversations with the Beard. Okay…back on task. Recovery. Driving through Oregon today….particularly into Bend and the Willamette National Forest. Did I mention the green? Wow, Washington and Oregon have the green. We took Oregon Scenic Byway Highway 20…..ohhh, ahhhh, ooohhhhh! That was our drive today….and at 50 miles an hour or less…..very relaxing.

The deal about driving alone….okay, with the dogs, but alone, is that my mind travels. I put the ipod on shuffle and breezed through a ton of good music that I forgot I even owned. At the same time, I was breezing along the road taking in the scenery. My  mind breezed through memories, people, places and of course story lines. It’s very cathartic. It’s settling. This process of traveling moves me, not just through space and time, but also through space and time. I’m enjoying the young women and I hope they’re enjoying the trip….it’s definitely been entertaining. It will be a bit more difficult with the camper alone, but I’m looking forward to really being on my own. No one to be concerned about except me, the writing and the trip.