Yesterday was a surprise. Decorah, Iowa struck me as the “Mayberry” I’ve been looking for. A beautiful small town with a vibrant, appealing downtown. The town boasts a Unitarian Universalist congregation and a Democratic party headquarters (that share space). A Korean/sushi restaurant. Multiple coffee shops. And, to my knowledge, a downtown that has not a single “brand” retail outlet; everything is unique and owner-operated, it seems. Just a lovely place. Residential areas just blocks from downtown are filled with attractive, well-maintained houses. Many, many of those well-maintained houses have “yards” with little to no grass; instead, they are filled with lush, colorful gardens. The only downside, as far as I can tell, is the town’s paucity of available real estate. Ach! I could live there, easily, if only I could find the right house. We spoke to several people, including a gentleman (75-years-old) who was extremely friendly and obviously progressive in his world-view. He suggested that the town was split 60-40, progressive-conservative; people get along, though, regardless of their political perspectives, he said. Mostly. There are a few die-hard hyper-conservatives who trumpet their loathing of all things and people who adhere to a liberal attitude, but they are few and far between. Oh, what I would give to pick up and move there tomorrow!
But we picked up and left, after a delightful several hours there, heading in the direction of Madison, Wisconsin. Last night, we stayed on the western fringes of Madison. Today, I will steer the car south and east, intentionally bypassing the greater Chicago area. No need to fight the traffic when there’s nothing drawing me to the city and region where I once lived and that I once loved.
After breakfast and packing up the car, I’ll direct it generally eastward. I expect a motel somewhere in Indiana will be home tonight; or, if I push it hard, a motel in Ohio, near the shore of Lake Erie. The car’s odometer surpassed 100,000 miles during the drive yesterday (or was it the day before?), without notice; I saw that I had left that milestone in the dust only fifteen miles after it occurred. It’s well beyond that, now. And it will rack up quite a few more before this long, aimless trip is done. As I watch the miles drift by, I think to myself that it seems I am running away from something. Perhaps it is a clutch of memories I am trying to ease or a longing I am attempting to erase. Or, maybe, I am running toward something; something new and exciting and energizing. One of these days, I’ll look back and determine just what it was that prompted that sense of running away from or toward something.
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Road trips tend to require the consumption of junk food; pretzels, crackers, chips, etc. I have to slow down on that stuff if I hope to maintain the direction my weight is taking. That is, down. We shall see. We always do.
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I could spend the day writing, but I have roads to follow and distances to leave behind. Off we go. I will long remember and treasure this trip. But I know it is only one of many more to come. I enjoy the highway and all it offers. I’ve learned a lot about the beauty of corn fields and the designs they make in the earth. I’ve seen many things I want to explore more deeply. And I will. Perhaps not today. But someday.
