How much farther?

tkscovill ♦ July 9, 2012 ♦ Leave a comment

Sunrise on Hilton Head, July 2, 2012

Am I there yet? I guess I’m not sure. I know “The East Coast” was the destination, and I am definitely there. But am I really there?

It has been 38 days since we left Northern California and in that time we have seen more than some people see in a lifetime. Everything from redwoods to the desert to the Grand Canyon to 1,000 miles of tree lined highways and an ocean that waited patiently for us—we’ve soaked it all in. This country is filled with open space, lots of it. Farmland, rocky plateaus, canyons and dusty deserts paved the way for the rivers and hills and grassy fields and swamps in the south.

The sky would be clear and blue for two weeks straight, then there would be a day-long show of clouds, threatening rain, but never actually following through. It was excruciatingly hot from the time we entered Arizona until just yesterday. It seemed like the heat wave would never end. By the time we got here we were craving an afternoon thunderstorm. And we got not just one, but two, so far. The dogs didn’t even mind much. We sat inside snuggled on the couch and waited for the sky to release its energy onto us, knowing that the cooling effect would last at least until the next morning. There’s nothing like a thunderstorm after a long hot spell, and we’ve been through a very long hot spell.

*****

After we left Hilton Head I didn’t feel like writing or taking pictures. It was as if nothing could compare, or compete, with that small taste of paradise. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there—went to the beach almost every day, early in the morning and later in the evening, ate good food, walked the dogs a lot, took advantage of the clean, beautiful showers and laundry facilities, rested when we needed to, and met new and interesting people every day. I wanted to stay there, yet I knew there was some unknown reality waiting for me just ahead.

That reality is the fact that we need to make some decisions about exactly where to settle and what to do when we settle there. I know I need some stability so I can get back to my yoga practice and maybe even start teaching again. Plus there’s all that furniture and household stuff we’ve got in storage. I know I want to eventually live in a house with a porch and a small yard, among other things. Yet, I also know that I have learned to love this lifestyle. Traveling is good for me, mostly. I’ve adapted to living in this small space and having a simple, uncomplicated life. I love seeing new people and places and things, even if they aren’t pretty or easy on the eyes. I can create a hundred stories a day when I am on the road. I could write a book in a month if given the chance. But, maybe I have been given the chance. Maybe this is the book. Or maybe this is just one of the chapters in one of my books.

For now, this book, or chapter, is finished. I have called this file “RV Trip” on my computer and maybe that is just fine. I think I will take a week or two to transition into the next chapter which will be called….well, we’ll see about that soon enough.

Full moon, July 3, 2012

 And the moon’s cycles continue, no matter where we are or where we are going.