Day dream, Day One

First day of the Semester:

Sitting in traditional meeting over the past decades, I began to day dream. I dreamed of travel. Of sitting by the sea on a rainy day doing what I want. One day.

Today. August 30th. Sitting in the Sea House, watching the birds in the rain, on a rock, in a cove, sipping Earl Gray tea. (Hey who is Earl?) Seeing a white dog on a deck, but was she real? Cemetery behind my back, and I have grave respect for cemeteries.  All quiet. All serene, and all check my box of wishes come true. Day dreaming about this moment. To have this moment real, is surreal. I’m poor on money and rich in Time. Oh, the places you will go, and the choices to make. All choices have a cost. You want mountains? You get the bugs. Ocean property? Prepare for wind. Want to travel? Prepare for loads of people, traffic, long lines, car rides, waiting for boats, planes, trains… You get the point. Not that any of this should be taken negatively. Just pointing out a reality beyond the screens that one might consider, if considering living beyond the screens.

Driving, excuse me, Riding across Canada in a 1994 Toyota Hiace, right hand drive, we hear, “hey, you’re driving on the wrong side.” Our retort- “no, this is the right side.” Ha.

Living in a van for months, with sporadic breaks to kitschy motels or an occasional splurge to a house rental for a weekend, can be trying. Trying to get in and out of the van. (I am 57 now). Trying to find pit toilets and some are nasty. Trying to keep bugs away, keep campfires out, smells, noises; a constant rumble and rocking in the 1994 Hiace. I feel like I’m riding in a covered wagon, like ye’ ole timey days. Which helps me laugh and use my imagination to get through trying times.

The rewards of such a cost are- daily sunrises and sunsets in every place. Every morning. Every night. Through trees, over mountains- and over the Atlantic are particularly spectacular with the orange and reds complementing the blue green sea.

The people that we meet when walking down the campsite paths, or restaurants, or historical sites, or random encounters which I cannot specifically recall each time, but the people we met, and I mean every encounter in Canada- 100% has been friendly and respectful. Pacific to Atlantic. Humbly so. (And so Far). And I choose to represent, as a US patron- represent the country of my origin. I clean up after myself. I do not leave trash at sites. I consider the people who clean motel rooms and respect their time and dignity, thus, I clean well. Represent.

Talks with folks, working class folks, like me (sort of) are delightful. Of course they are ‘vitamin conversations.’ Small doses of nutrients essential for relationships. Short, meaningful dialogues, and then bye bye.  Not in a negative way. Human interactions- short as some may be, are an inspiration.

I enjoy time with those interactions as well as I enjoy the time I have on the road to research. To research my favorite  topic: Education.