As I sit here on Sunday thinking about the trip to New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle in a month, I wonder why planning a trip so special. Is it the anticipation or a great way to relieve stress, or both?
Ever since I was young I looked forward to vacations and road trips. Whether they were to drive up to see an aunt in Cape Cod, Massachusetts or head to Mississippi, a state I had never been to before, I always enjoyed thinking about the adventure that lied ahead. While the driving and execution of a trip are fun and priceless, it is taking that the trip down the future's lane that has this roadie full of excitement.
In a month, I will embark on a journey that will not only take me to Route 66, parts of which I never traveled on (west of Albuquerque to Gallup, NM), but to paths and trails the Native American traversed for thousands of years. The thought of traveling down a trail that the Acoma's, Coronado, Lt. Beale and Dean Cassidy traversed across puts goosebumps on my arms.
While life has been stressful at times, the thought about the trip has put me in a majestic and peaceful state of mind. As I wander, I turn into a modern day Gart Williams, a person who dreamt of an ideal place. For him it was Willoughby in the 1880's, for me it is the two-lane highway of yesteryear. Each day as I plan my trip to Gallup and eventually east to the 66 Festival in Amarillo, my mind and soul leave my body. At work, frequent, but quick daydreams put me in the 2009 Chevy Colorado with the Marshall Tucker Band singing the ode, "Take the Highway."
As we speak, I am looking at Rand and McNally's maps, as well as the 66 map guide beautifully laid out by Jerry McClanahan. While my body resides in Houston, the soul and mind are cruising down 66 at the New Mexico line as the sun sets. June, May you get here, wait you already are.
No comments:
Post a Comment