Then we came to the end

I awoke in the treehouse this morning, and lie in bed, imagining that if I stayed inert, I could make my vacation last just a few moments longer.  The roosters started their crowing outside, and knowing I had many hours of road time ahead of me and the threat of holiday traffic looming if I waited too long, I put my feet on the floor, turned the coffee pot on, took a shower and packed my things.

After I got dressed, I took my coffee out to the treehouse porch and read a few Wendell Berry poems.  The rooster crowing gave way to the rap of woodpeckers.  A couple of squirrels jumped from branch to branch in a nearby tree, dropping acorns onto the wooden deck with a loud plunk.  The spider web was gone, by her own undoing or swept away by another guest since I last stayed here, I do not know.

I said goodbye to the treehouse, the mountains, the farmland, the days of no alarm clocks and optional showers, and hit the road for the last leg of my journey.

I finished listening to Flight Behavior and teared up at the end when the main character comes to terms with a truth about herself and makes a decision to say goodbye to someone she loves.

I stopped in Bethlehem, PA in hopes of finding good food, but had to settle for an unsatisfying veggie omelet at an unremarkable diner.

I replayed some Edward Sharpe tunes, recalling that happy night in Louisville.  I arrived at home, unpacked my things, smiling at each new keepsake and remembering that moment, that place.

It was a trip of a lifetime, and I thank everyone who followed me on this journey.  It certainly made the time less lonely to know you all were reading.  But I do hope that I've inspired at least of few of you to take a solo journey of your own.  It's an incredible way to get to know yourself, and really see and interact with the world, without distraction.

Here are a few highlights and trip stats:

Miles traveled: 2766
Number of states passed through: 11 (Indiana by accident)
Number of parking tickets, speeding tickets, flat tires: 0
Number of times I nearly peed my pants between gas stations: innumerable

Number of times I cried: 4
Number of times I felt joy: daily

Best cup of coffee: the treehouse in Virginia
Best meal: Hammerhead's in Louisville
Best bookstore: Malaprop's in Asheville
Best music: Asheville

Biggest splurge: Shoji Spa package in Asheville
Best deal: $5 Lifetime membership to Bywater in Asheville

Prettiest place: Catawba Falls in Asheville & New River Gorge in West Virginia
Prettiest people: Louisville

Nicest park: Cherokee Park in Louisville
Nicest people: Everywhere

There's a Jiffy Lube sticker in my car that says "I have chosen to return at 52,885 miles" to remind me when Ingrid needs to be serviced.  I wish someone would put a sticker on me that tells me when I will return to these places so that I can look forward to that date.  Regardless, I know I'll be back.