I arrived home last night about 9:30 pm, after driving 540 miles from Lake Barkley State Resort Park. I decided it was time. I have a photo gig Weds. morning, and honestly, there was nowhere between there and here that I was aching to see, or didn’t think I could return to easily enough if I wanted. In fact, I’ve already mentioned to a friend about a day trip to Shipshawana, Indiana, and she’s excited to join me. Once I reached Louisville, I could drive either through Indiana, which would be less familiar, or head to Cincinnati and then north on 75 through Toledo, which I’ve done 100s of times. Driving time was going to be about 8 hours either way, so I opted for the route I know well. Of course, the highway thru Cinci was an absolute nightmare with construction and traffic, but at least it was familiar. And, I stopped at the outlet mall 30 miles north and really lucked out. The Bass shoe store is closing and everything was drastically reduced. I’m set for boots for a couple years at least!
As I drove, I thought back on everywhere I’d been and all that I’d done. The best was making new friends and spending time with old friends. I spent time in 17 states, drove 7712 miles, stayed at 4 cohousing communities, 9 friends’ homes, slept in my car one night (freezing and very uncomfortable!) and a multitude of hotels. I got to spend amazing time with my kids — a week in Portland with Danny and Dana, and a 6 day-long road trip with Ben. I visited 6 national parks I’d never seen before and numerous state parks. And, I collected rocks! As I cleaned out the car, I found rocks in every nick and cranny. As I unpacked bags in the house, I found even more. On the dashboard of my car, I have my favorite souvenirs — some small white flowers from Dan, a sprig of lavender from Monterrey, an origami crane from Nina’s daughter in Santa Barbara, a redwood twig, a piece of a dried Saguaro cactus, some gypsum from White Sands, a rock from Crater of Diamonds, and one from the beach in California.
My friend Michele shared an article she’d found in The Guardian about solo women travelers. I know that one of the things I loved about my trip was the spontaneity and freedom I had to do what I wanted, when and where. I came to trust my instincts and was almost always happy with the choices I made. In fact, I often surprised myself with how well things turned out.
Here’s the article if you’d like to check it out — https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/mar/08/solo-travel-for-women-is-about-freedom-in-every-sense-of-the-word-rosita-boland
So, I’m home. My life is returning to “normal” and tomorrow I will start planning my next adventure. I know it will involve a group trip to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and St Petersburg in August, and as yet, other places in Europe yet to be determined.
Thank you for following along with me on my journey. Writing this blog has been fun, and being able to share it with friends made it a labor of love.
