Context is everything; when circumstances change, the nature of the journey changes.
In 2019, there was a crisis. We packed, donated, and fled Maryland in about a week, taking a week to drive to Nevada. There were problems on top of problems, and a long stretch of Air B’n’B while we waited for an apartment.
(Location mattered; we had narrow constraints.)
In 2020, the crisis had passed, and we took a different route to Maryland. Location didn’t matter, and we found an apartment without any additional drama.
Instead of drama, we had an odd coincidence. We moved back into the apartment we left in 2019. Weird is better than drama. But it doesn’t make for a great novel.
Things have changed again:
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The pandemic is starting to wane.
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My partner and I are both retired.
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There’s no family crisis.
This time, we’re going to see extended family in North Carolina. And we’re going to see family in Texas. We’re going to take our time crossing the continent.
This edition of The Journey will take weeks, a luxury few can afford. We own little, we’ve been able to save some money, so we’re exercising our good fortune by taking the trip in smaller, slower pieces.