Life is boring, but that is just what Tango and I want for now. We walk the campground loop, explore the longer trails in the area, relax, sit by the campfire, and read. I also reflect often about the trip to Alaska and my class is helping me to focus those thoughts and to write furiously while it is fresh!
The biggest excitement: slugs. I have been reintroduced to the gigantic banana slugs who apparently live in the forest. I also saw a smaller, brown slug, whose body looked like a corrugated rubber spatula handle. If just that part was sticking up from under a log or leaf, you might reach down and try to pick it up, thinking it was a cooking utensil. Uggggg.
I have lots of people-time ahead in July. Sunday I start wandering to Oregon to visit a friend. The single RVer group that we belong to (LOWS) has state chapters as well as the home base in New Mexico. The Oregon chapter is having a 5-day group camp and we will attend that. And, when I have people time, Tango has dog time. Once he gets over his growly greeting with other dogs, he loves being around them.
I have a few milestones coming up. This weekend I will have traveled 10,000 miles since April 1. My odometer was at 60,000 and is now nearing the 70,000 miles mark. That gives me mixed feelings – joy at having the freedom to wander at will but also some guilt about all the gas I am burning. I needed to do the Great Alaska Road Trip, but going forward, I will likely take shorter trips and be more mindful about the planet when I travel.
The other milestone this weekend: I have been on the road for 3 months. I think I mentioned that several times recently. I keep thinking about that and the fact that I am not tired at all of my crazy lifestyle, living out of a tent and my car. I have a perfectly good RV sitting in storage but I love this type of travel just as much. I also love letting the long-term plan unfold. When I left, I knew only that I would be gone for 6 months and that the first segment would take me to Spokane, WA to visit my little family and then to Alaska. Now, a plan to be with a friend and with other RVers. I am not sure what August will bring but I have no doubt something will gel. Later in September, I will “babysit” my grandson for a few weeks before he goes to daycare at age 1.
The most important part of each day is the writing. Today’s writing prompt for class asked us to write about the image of “the writer”. Here is part of my submission:
My pubescent fantasy of a writer was an eclectic person who lounged around in Left Bank cafes sipping coffee with other equally talented and interesting people! The writer wore a beret, of course, and smoked using a long cigarette holder. As a younger adult, my fantasy writer was confident and cool while traveling on book tours. She read to and dazzled her audiences. This writer wore flowing clothes and scarves tied creatively around her neck. By this time, the writer was more health conscious and quit smoking, but she did like the cookies offered at the writer reception. Now? Someone who is committed to the process and the craft and who practices every day. It no longer matters what she wears, she still eats cookies, and, on occasion, she smokes a Parodi (mini-cigar) but she never inhales.
