Day 2

I know, I should cover Day 1 first.
Day 1 I had breakfast with my longest time friend, said goodbye to the family, drove the all too familiar road to Detroit, found the DIA, Scripps Conservatory & everything else
I would consider visiting on Belle Isle closed. I gave up & went to my sister's house where she repeated my mother's chant that I was taking my life into my own hand's with this trip.

Day 2 I left with promise I would visit again next Wednesday night. It weighs on my brain because I don't want to. Yes, I love my nephew & appreciate any time I can spend with him, but I don't appreciate having to go back in order to make my sister feel better.

I'm as vulnerable to the boogeymen at home, or at work, as I am here traveling on my own. Every time they try to tell me what a bad idea this trip is I start to understand what Rosie the Riveter felt like when she was told to don her apron and go back to the kitchen when the war was over. After the second phone call asking where I was from my sister I called my dad to ask him to intervene. His solution was simple: don't answer her calls. Can't wait to see how that goes tomorrow. (Can you hear me cackling with glee?)

The road trip itself is magnificent. The skies are blue, the temperatures mild. The Thumb was lovely. I was surprised by the combination of high population and low development. I went hours with seeing a fast food joint. After stopping for a meal in a shopping center yesterday left me filled with self loathing and disgust towards the human race spending the day away from all that was familiar was wonderful.

I'm trying hard not to compare this journey to traveling the shores of Lake Champlain 8 summers ago, or driving the Rogue-Umpqua Highway 3 summers ago. The goal is to explore and appreciate my home state. I'm trying to overcome the wanderlust that has been building for three years and accept this is where I'm supposed to be right now. At this point the next step is buying a house and that commitment and permanency is scary and contrary to my character. I'm afraid I'll get home Thursday night and the dream will be over. I'll settle down, spend my time learning knitting, marry someone I loathe then life will be over.

Blue Highway:
Hey, word of advice. If your friend has dated John Doe, and you added John to your Facebook, don't tell your friend about John's amazing status updates after they break up. Your friend broke up with John and deleted them off Facebook for a reason. Telling them about John Doe's posts is the passive aggressive equivalent of second guessing their life choices, intentional or not.

Back to the journey. It took me 11 hours to drive what according to Google Maps should have taken 5. Yeah, I made a couple stops, but still can't understand where the time went!
I have to thank my other sister for her help planning what to pack. Setting up camp was a puttering joy, and relaxing as all get out. She'd be proud of the frozen wine pouch that accompanied my dinner.

This, right now, sitting by the fire, reflecting, is what I had hoped for with the trip. With the miles other people's expectations are fading. I'm looking forward to turning off the phone tomorrow and making my way along the shore at my own pace. Eventually I'll have to return to the 12 hour work days and the deadlines but I hope to return with the energy and willpower to tackle life in a way I won't regret.