Now that our journey is over, we need a vacation ... and we have lots of other (shorter) trips planned throughout the year. The journey taught me much about myself, about Tom, about us together and about the country we live in. Here's what I'd like to share.
About me: I can be very happy living very simply. I didn't miss TV, appliances, cosmetics, accessories, jewelry, etc. I did grow tired of the two tee shirts I rotated through, but mostly because they appeared in so many of my photos. I let go early on and trusted God to take care of us, and of course He did. He gave me strength when I didn't think I had it in me: hiking, in times of frustration, coping with weather or an unhappy husband. Every day was filled with such new experiences, new discoveries, new joys. My challenge now will be to continue to live such a full life as simply as I have in these 8 weeks.
About Tom: I'll save that for my personal use. But I learned that we really can and do work well as a team when we need to. We could put up or take down our campsite in under an hour without even talking to each other. We just knew what had to be done and did it cooperatively.
About our country: First, something we noticed everywhere we went -- interstates, back roads, highways and streets through town. Small memorials have been built to mark where loved ones died, presumably in car accidents from the look of most. Some of the more dangerous roads had more frequent memorials. Most were adorned by colorful flowers, some with stuffed animals or other treasures. Please don't think this a morbid sentiment, but rather an acknowledgement of the love and the loss that has been experienced by so many. And they serve as a warning to us to be careful with our own and lives of others on the road.
Some other things worth noting:
Germans seem to be the people with disposable income. Germans were everywhere out west on bus tours, renting campers, seeing America. Glad they are bringing their money but sometimes I wasn't sure what country I was in given the amount of German being spoken.
What is up with people out west and their espresso?! Even out on the range, you'll find little espresso stands set up at the crossroads of highways. Cowboys drinking espresso doesn't work for me!
People everywhere are trying to save money ... they tell the kids to share a dessert, they decide they won't pay the admission fee, they don't buy the souvenirs. Lots of service workers are over-worked and tired. People told me about working back to back shifts, covering for reduced staff and working multiple jobs. I've been trying to be kinder and more supportive of service workers.
Small town folks pay more for their groceries and gas, sometimes a LOT more. Without competition, their only hope is that a Super Wal-mart will be coming to a town near them. Why do the independent grocers act surprised that people migrate to Wal-mart instead of paying such high prices?
The USA is under repair -- interstates, national parks, state highways. Expect long delays. And know that the stimulus money is being used across much of the US. What isn't under repair probably should be as many interstates and highways are incredibly worn and pot-holed.
I'll be doing one more posting of some other short highlights of our trip. Thanks for keeping up with me, I've enjoyed having you with me on the journey!
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