Travel - I miss it so!

Jim and I both miss our travel adventures so much. But even though my travels are near and not far these days, I still find joy in the short trips we are able to take.

This weekend I drove to North Carolina to write in the woods. The drive from Nashville was beautiful. The sun was shining. About an hour from my destination, Jim called me. He often checks on me through Friend Finders when I travel alone to ensure my travels are going well. He saw I was in the mountains in North Carolina and called to talk about my drive. As we were talking, I glanced to the right shoulder of the road. Right at the edge of the road I saw four large animals. They were similar to deer. But larger. With darker manes. I said hello and waved to them and described them to Jim. Jim politely and quietly said, "Honey, those are elk". His patience with me is admirable.

I arrived at the lodge hotel and was quite pleased. The lobby rooms were large and airy with plenty of seating that allowed for social distancing. My room was pleasant. Nothing spectacular but it was large with a very nice view.

After I settled in, I decided to go down to the restaurant. There was a sign at the entrance to the restaurant asking people to see the bar attendant for ordering and being seated. I went to the bar. I met Kim, the bar attendant. She told me I would have my choice of seats in the restaurant because no one was there. That did not sound very appealing to me so I chose to sit at the bar with Kim. I found that Kim was a very interesting person. From Minnesota. We talked about writing and she told me the classes she had taken in college before she dropped out. She talked about how much she enjoyed writing but her computer had died. I encouraged her to grab a pen and paper and get busy. She smiled politely and hung her head. She seemed to be scared to try. Or embarrassed. I finished my meal and we said our goodbyes. I know I will think of her in the future, hoping she picks up that pen. One should never give up something that gives them joy.

As I left, I smiled at the young girls at the bar in their pajamas having a drink and giggling...

The following morning I was sitting working on my laptop. My son called to ask me a question. As we were talking I happened to look out the window. Something caught my eye and I took a harder look. There was someone ziplining past my window. You just never know what you will see when you travel.

Happy trails to all! And much love!