I think I lost all concept of time on the trip. Or maybe my concept of time just became utterly warped. One of our running jokes in the car would be, “Oh that happened ‘a California ago.’” A week on the road almost became comparable to a year of “normal life.” We could travel through 4 states in a week or we could spend a week still in California. All the while, regardless of state borders, we were seeing and experiencing and squeezing so much life out of every day. If there is anything to hold on to from the trip – I want to remember how much can truly be seen and accomplished in one day.
In January, when my brother’s girlfriend moved to Ohio and they moved into a new apartment, I said they would be my first trip of 2018. When the road trip idea started to formulate, I told them they would be on the route and we’d start with that. When I built the route, they became the last formal stop before Zack’s in Youngstown and then my parent’s in Pittsburgh.
I remember thinking how nice it would be after 50+ days on the road to be at my brother’s – somewhere so comfortable and easy. It felt like it would be a big sigh of relief after a long journey.
That still seemed far away.
But then it wasn’t. Then I was calling them to confirm what time I would get in. Then I was pulling into their apartment and playing with their dog. Then I was there.
This road trip has been a blur and a half and I’m still not sure I’ll ever be able to properly articulate everything that was seen and heard and said and done. Things that happened earlier this month feel like they happened decades ago and fifteen minutes ago all at the same time.
As I reacclimate myself to a static living situation, I hope I remember how much adventure one day can contain when you have the courage to pursue it.
Love always,
Liz
