I know it’s only been a couple of weeks since my last newsletter, but I miss the connection. I caved. I gave-in to impulsivity. I happily went back to letting my fingers fly all over the keyboard – churning out thoughts and gleanings.
So what have I been up to since we last communicated? Quite a bit:
- Re-orienting myself to a new status: A Parentless Adult
- Building up the courage to have a stomach scan, endoscopy and colonoscopy. And doing it. Why did it take courage? After bingeing and purging for forty-five years, apprehension about an internist looking closely at my insides was high. Results: all normal. I’m damn lucky.
- Binge Watching both seasons of Sensitive Skin on Netflix.
- Facing a fear: TRAVELING ALONE.
I am inspired by my childhood friend, Tawny, who walked – all by herself – half of the El Camino de Santiago (a.k.a. the Way of St. James) last summer. It is a journey that begins in France and winds through four of Spain’s fifteen regions, covering 500 miles.
She is walking the last half of the trail as I write this. ALONE. On foot – totaling up to fourteen miles a day.
I’m clearly not that intrepid. Nor that physically fit. Nor that confident in my self-sustainability. “Mouse steps, not kangaroo leaps” is my motto.
Here’s my trip’s title: “My Running Away From Home Soirée”
Here’s my plan: A nine-day road trip from my home in Tampa to my son’s home in New Jersey. With frequent stops along the way: St. Marys. Savannah. Charleston. Fayetteville. Newport News. Baltimore. And covering eight states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey.
Every stop focuses on a different aspect of traveling solo. And every city promises varying challenges and experiences. And by pre-booking my hotel rooms at every stop, I am assured that I won’t be speeding down unfamiliar roadways in darkness. Only in daylight (thank you DST). And I won’t be at the wheel for more than four to five hours at one time.
Why am I “running away from home” now?
- Because I can
- Because I’ve never done it before
- Because I have a reliable car, a cell phone, Google Maps, Sirius Radio and a car charger
- Because I find the prospect of solitude enticing
- And because I realized I needed a break from my daily routine more than I needed a break from writing
What am I expecting?
- To hone my self-reliance skills
- To view the world through my eyes only
- To experiment with dining solo
- To awaken my senses of smell, taste, texture, sounds and sights devoid of distraction
- To create a silent space to re-bloom
- And to have a helluva good time!
Who knows? This year: a car trip along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Maybe next year: hiking the El Camino de Santiago.
Intrepid traveler? Frequent traveler? Experienced traveler? If you are out there, I welcome your suggestions on setting-off solo.
In the meantime, Keep Preserving Your Bloom
– Iris