I’m Running Away From Home

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