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Archive for November, 2010

Day 75: Blue water, sky, herring and angels!

Posted in Country, Road trip on November 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

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Talk about easing myself back into the road trip! Day 75 was one of the most relaxing, peaceful days yet. After sleeping in a bit, we (well, I should say Dan) packed a cooler and we drove down to the water. We launched his little boat into Escambia Bay and took it to White Island (he called it Fantasy Island, but I didn’t see any little men jumping around screaming ‘de plane, de plane’) in Bayou Grande.

The little island reminded me of the small deserted islands my dad and Maggie used to take me and my brother to when we were young. Beautiful white sand, clear blue water, patches of palm trees and shells galore. It also reminded me of the time my 11 year-old brother took me out in the row boat and threatened to leave me off at a buoy in the middle of the ocean. When I told Dan that he said he could call my brother and offer to finish the job for him, but I told him that he is also the same brother that called that morning to yell at me for going to a strange guy’s house and warned to be careful. I guess I’ve grown on him…

We set off to explore our little island and made numerous friends along the way: Harry, the blue herring, Pedro the pelican, Sandy the sandpiper (and gang), Winnie the (plastic) horse and Frank the pink flamingo. Oh, wait, Frank is at Dan’s house, as now is Winnie. We left the rest peacefully in their natural habitat. I admit I did take a few shells, though, but only ones that no creatures were using as homes.

The island quiet was shattered by a sudden thunder: out of nowhere, some of the Blue Angels appeared! They’re the awesome Navy planes that do incredible flight shows. I forgot they’re based in Pensacola. We saw a few different ones fly by. It was great – seeing them is always a thrill.

After a brief siesta on the warm sand, we finished our tour of the island and set off for a ride around the bay. We lucked out as we got back to the boat landing just as the rain began – then drove right toward a rainbow. I wanted to go find the pot of gold, but Dan assured me it’s not in Pensacola. We did see a bunch of money that night, though: it was hanging all over the ceiling at McGuire’s Irish Pub, where we had an incredible dinner. A definite must-stop if you’re ever in Pensacola. Go hungry!

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Day 74: The beginning of the end

Posted in Alone, Country, Home, Road trip on November 22, 2010| 2 Comments »

Can I just say how nice it was to be home? It was a quick trip, with lots on the agenda, so I didn’t get to see everyone, do anything around the house or just chill at home, but it was great anyway. It also confirmed that it is indeed time to wrap this adventure up.

Day 74 was the first day of the final leg of the trip. I flew back to Atlanta to join back up with Holly (my Volvo) and Aidan (my GPS), and we high-tailed it out of Atlanta as fast as we could. Didn’t want any negative vibes to get me off on the wrong foot (wheel?)! Soon I was in beautiful Alabama – have to stop and spend some real time there someday – and just a few hours later was entering Florida, the sunshine state. Of course, by then the sky was dark and only the full moon was shining but hopefully I’ll see some sun over the next few days. (Wish I could bottle it and bring it back up north – talk about a fabulous Christmas present!)

I had a lot of thinking time between the plane and Pensacola, Florida. And there was an article in Delta’s Sky magazine that provided additional food for thought. Deepak Chopra and Russell Simmons discussed happiness as the key too life. I agree with much of what they said, but what really stuck with me was Deepak quoting someone else:

  • The most important time in life is now.
  • The most important person is the one you’re with right now.
  • The most important way to create the future is to act with awareness right now.

Put that together with the ‘pay it forward’ notion and doing good unto others as you’d have done unto you, and I think you have the recipe for being happy. It certainly put me in the right frame of mind.

One of the best things about this last part is that virtually every stop is to see friends or family and catch up with people I haven’t seen in way too long. I know it will make the next couple of weeks fly by. In the case of this first stop, it’s to catch up with someone I’ve never spoken to: Dan, a friend of Delanie’s. She knew I was heading south after Atlanta, and needed a guaranteed better stop after the disappointment of Atlanta. Dan is a fellow traveler and lives by the water in Pensacola – stop there and get back on track. Why not?

A free spirit, Dan goes where the wind blows him. And usually alone, so he wasn’t the least surprised by my solo journey. His house has reminders of his travels everywhere – framed currency from around the world, shells collected from numerous beaches, world music CDs playing. It was a relaxing evening, complete with a walk on the beach (the water now is still warmer than the Cape in August). Delanie was right – a good way to start the end of the trip.

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Day 70: Boston rules

Posted in Uncategorized on November 18, 2010| 1 Comment »

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I still can’t get the smile off my face. It began at the first sight of land out the plane window. Boston. We even arrived early. Take that, Atlanta!

My son sidetracked me the moment I arrived. He said he couldn’t wait to see me, but would hate for me to have to drive all the way to Salem and back after all my traveling. How about meeting at the Celtics game, a nice halfway point? I took the bait and treated him to the night out. I was just so happy to see him!

Before the game I wandered the city a bit, soaking in the sights and smells. Yes, good smells – roasted nuts, fresh-baked waffle cones, popcorn. Just the sight of vendors with all the Boston hats and t-shirts made me grin. And to be back in a city that it’s easy to get around, either by foot or subway (the T), made me giddy.

There’s just such a pride in this city. We love our history, our schools and especially our teams. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Garden for a Celtics game and it was even more exciting tonight because my favorite player, Shaq, is now in green.

Nick had found great seats in a box with free food and drinks – practically worth the price of the tickets for that alone. We chanted, cheered and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the game. A great mother-son night out. Of course it helped that they won by more than 20 points. My only disappointment was that I didn’t have my Nikon zoom (I left it in the trunk in Atlanta), but my little compact Panasonic Lumix did pretty well (see slideshow).

As we left, Nick and I soon had to part ways as his Salem train left from North Station and my Franklin Line train left from South Station. He threw his arm around me and, with a slow grin, said, “So, we meeting up again Friday night? Same time and place? They’re playing the Thunder…” I simply laughed and said “Good try. I’ll pick you up at school and bring you home for the weekend.” He shrugged, gave me a big hug and said, “Hey, a guy’s got to try. Thanks for tonight. Love you mom.” And off he went. Ah, it’s so good to be home.

Note: The next few days will be consumed with home and work stuff, so there won’t be any blog entries until I’m back on the road on Sunday, Day 74.

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