Back home.

So, yesterday I woke up early, yes I can do it every once in a while! I had breakfast at the hotel and, was on the road by 9 a.m. I drove through Tennessee, Arkansas and then home to Oklahoma. For part of the way, I was able to have the top down, but then rain clouds appeared and for the rest of the journey the top was up. 

Every time I pull into a gas station, men tell me they really like my car. That car is a man magnet! I enjoy listening to their questions about the car. Most often, you can't get a man to talk about anything, but when it comes to talking about cars, you can't get them to shut up. At a gas station in Tennessee, a man came up to me told me he liked my car.  His name was Jerry, he proceeded to tell me that he gambled for a living. Fascinated, I asked how something like that is at all possible? He explained, he signs up for all the free stuff they give away at the casinos and since he is a regular customer, they give him free rooms and often free meals. He had done this for a living for the past ten years. I asked him does he make enough money to live on from this? And, his answer was-- yeah! I do love to hear people stories.

As I was driving through this amazing country, my mind wandered back to the very first cross country trip I had taken with my two young children, my nephew and sister. We set off across the country to Canada from Oklahoma. We were terrified and excited at the same time. The country has changed a lot since that time. Now the homogenization of America has happened. Every town looks like any other town. It used to be that you could go to a relatively small town and find a home town restaurant with unique flavors. Now the hi-ways are littered with Taco Bell, McDonalds, Wendys, my personal favorite Chic-A-Filet (not really, though I do find the name amusing!). The amount of trash generated by these fast food, convenience based "restaurants" is monumental. Every fast food place you go into, everything you buy to eat comes prepackaged in wrappers, or boxes with drinks served in either styrofoam, plastic or paper cups. Add to that, plastic spoons, knives and forks. Top that off with a handful of napkins. One person just added to the landfill at least ten items. Multiply that with millions of people everyday feeding themselves at these fast food places.

I came to a decision, I was not going to frequent the fast food outlets, not that I do very often. I opted to stop for a sit down break where I was served food in a ceramic plate along with silverware not made from plastic. I drank my Coke from a glass made from glass without the aid of a straw. Straws don't biodegrade! I know I am just one person making this choice, at least there will be ten less items going into a landfill somewhere.

As my journey was nearing it's end, I felt sad that it had come to an end so quickly. I was glad to be going home, to sleep in my own bed and to get to see my daughter and son in law. The sorrow over missing my son had abated somewhat and I will see him again during my summer trip... yes, another road trip is coming up. This time I will be in familiar territory-- the west coast. I made myself a promise, I will go back to the east coast and visit the coastline of both the Carolinas and perhaps make it to Monticello too.