Rules of Travel
Hey, it’s good to be back home again—My Sunday Best #95
As we pulled into the driveway just before 9 p.m. last night, the trip odometer on our truck read 3,085. Yesterday, we broke more than one of our self-imposed Rules of Travel to get home before the temperatures dropped and the wet roads iced over.
The latest version of our unofficial travel rulebook includes not driving more than six hours a day, stopping every two hours to walk, and packing healthy snacks. However, yesterday, we drove for over thirteen hours through wind, rain, and snow, only stopping for gas (it was too cold and windy to walk), and we ate fast food. Ugh. Dennis, our two-year-old pup, had no problem with any of it. He slept and occasionally sat up when he heard my husband Mickey open the bag of pretzels.
In my experience, the urge to take a road trip is powerful in February and March. Starting the car and driving south where the temperatures are above freezing and there isn’t a snowbank in sight feels so right. I remember driving through the night with the radio cranked, singing “Heads Carolina, tails California, somewhere greener, somewhere warmer.” Ahh, the good old days, when a road trip was as easy and spontaneous as the flip of a coin.
I used to think the sole purpose of a road trip was to get to the destination as quickly as possible. It didn’t matter how many miles it took to get there because it was only a few inches on the map. What could be so hard about that? I still love a good road trip. These days, however, I prefer to travel at a much more relaxed pace—thus, the latest edition of Rules of Travel. I want to take my time—stop at restaurants, camp at state parks, read the historical markers, and chat with fellow travelers about their dogs, rigs, the places they are traveling from and to, and must-see spots they’ve come across. Some of my favorite moments come from what I experience along the way.
Yesterday, as we were driving from “somewhere warmer” in Arizona to somewhere colder in Missouri, I thought it would have been nice if we could have delayed our return trip another week or two. However, the thought of freezing temperatures at home and the threat of frozen water pipes convinced me that getting home sooner was better than later.
“It doesn’t matter where it’s how we go and the steps we take along this road, heart to heart and side by side travelin’ light.”
Ultimately, the purpose of this road trip was to connect with friends and family. We delivered a travel trailer to my son. We visited with a high school classmate of Mickey’s, who now lives in Tucson—they hadn’t seen each other in fifty years! We delivered a plant to our friend’s daughter, a little something from home to warm her heart. We also had dinner with a few friends from Missouri who drove several hours to spend the day with us. We even met new friends along the way. There is so much beauty and so much love along every winding road.
Travelin’ Light The trip of a lifetime it starts right here The destination isn’t clear But we can start driving tonight Travelin’ light It doesn’t matter where it’s how we go The steps we take along this road Heart-to-heart side-by-side Travelin’ light We don’t need to bring any worry or doubt It will only weigh us down We’ll sing our dreams of what could be And follow the sound An inch on the map doesn’t mean a thing It’s not the distance that we cover in between We can go as the crow flies Travelin’ Light Steady and true as the North Star above Our hearts will lead the way Turning lines into circles Bringing on a brand new day The journey ahead is calling for me With infinite possibilities The future’s never looked so bright Travelin’ Light Travelin’ Light, Travelin’ Light, ooh Travelin’ Light
Listen to the song Travelin’ Light below or on Bandcamp 😊