Day 11: A Farewell to the Road

We officially have left terra incognita. Tomorrow’s stretch of highway through familiar land takes us home. Tonight we are stuck, not knowing whether to look forward or back. Our daily rituals, inside jokes, and habits are coming to an end. The morning will bring our last hurried cup of coffee and bowl of cereal. Checking into the hotel brought back memories from our first night, which now feels like the distant past. We’ve not spent more than a few waking hours in the same place each day. As fun as it has been, it seems the nomadic lifestyle has stretched the last two weeks into a month. We cannot stay on the move forever. Everybody starts to ache for home at some point. And just like the desire to move comes when you’re at home, the desire to be home follows you on the road.

So tonight I am saying a temporary goodbye to our mobile lifestyle. I’ll miss roaming through town to town, talking to locals, and the feeling of a night’s sleep, knowing the next day brings something new. I could not be happier with the last ten days of travel, and could not pick a better way to see the great country that I live in. The last six thousand miles taught me to appreciate every moment (good or bad) as a gift and shown me there can be beauty anywhere you look. Tomorrow night I will be happy with the relaxation home brings, but never will I forget this road trip across America.