As I look back on my 15 month wait to visit my mom and friend in New York State, the craziness of the Covid-19 virus, and the lack of uniformity in all of us being a community of mask-wearers and vaccinated, my decision to drive across the USA was a good one! The USA is many, many miles in geographic size and one with fascinating people along the way! We don’t all agree on everything, but in public places where rules dictated certain behaviors, the rules were followed with little to no angst. We all had been itching for some freedom in our travel and those of us on the ground seemed to be tolerant of one another and the rules. In talking with people, they mentioned driving and camping was their choice rather than flying and as a result campsites were packed. I was glad I made my reservations once I decided to travel.

The last two days, 44 & 45, of this trip I traveled just shy of 1,000 miles, from north of Fort Collins, Colorado to east of Santa Fe, New Mexico to Tucson, Arizona, to arrive home making my 45 days of total road mileage about 7893 miles. I was 70 miles away from the campsite on my last day when the yellow wrench on my car’s dashboard came on indicating 15% and the need in time to get the car serviced for oil, etc. Perfect timing as I was on my way home…. just another 410 miles to go! When I saw a train go by and especially Amtrak, I thought how in Europe I often traveled by train, yet in this country it never entered my mind. I am hoping with latest emphasis on bicycling and options to hop on Amtrak, I can put together a new sort of adventure of bicycling and train rides some day.

I am grateful for the opportunity to visit with everyone I did, to see new birds for my life list, to enjoy conversations with fellow travelers and to see our beautiful country. Do we need to improve in various areas in this country, yes! Could we all consider working to solve problems with actual solutions rather than complaining and doing nothing, yes! I believe we can be more productive for our businesses to grow, our environment to be healthy, our educational systems to nurture our young people, our medical care to be top-notch and available to all, and to work to build bridges rather than tear each other down … oh and by the way, there are some bridges needing repair!

Thank you to all who helped me through this adventure. I am grateful for your support and love. When will I be back on the road? Good question. Till then, be your best healthy self and kind to others. Namaste … meaning I support the spirit within you!