Wanderlust, Runaways, and Blue Highways

My spirit animal is a Bear. As I look back in my past years, I can see this as so. Every year for many now, once November hits, I want to start hibernating. I hate driving at night once that time of year hits. It doesn't wear off until spring officially hits.

But, it starts off slow. Like coming out of the cave and seeing the world anew.

And them comes Memorial Day weekend. That's when my wanderlust hits full force. It's the last weekend of faire. It's move-in weekend for drum corps (has it really been 15  years since I marched?). That's the weekend I see before me a full and invincible summer. I start playing my summer playlist. I pull out tattered and underlined copies of Travels with Charley and Blue Highways. I bring out more Steinbeck novels that are stuffed in an old Doc Marten box and Kate Chopin's The Awakening.

I long to drive again at night. I long for putting the radio on and good songs just start pouring out and I just keep driving. Anywhere. Everywhere.

I dream of my wanderlust and need to run away to merge and I drive until morning finds me and a new perspective. That's the real reason I so often want to run away.

I did once. Run. I was 10 and it was after my first big move from my home town and state to a new town in a completely different state. Fast forward about 10 years and I start dreaming of running away again. I just wanted to get away and start over. I needed to get away from people. I started dreaming of the routes I'd take. I'm over a decade older and maybe none the wiser; but the routes are still there and still the same.

Some days I do still dream of running away. When things start going crazy and I just need to leave the two hour comfort zone that DFW provides. I want to follow William Least-Heat Moon's blue highways. Follow the road Steinbeck took with Charley. Find a way to Chicago and route 66. Go my own run away routes and just see what happens.

I always know the problems and worries will still be around. But sometimes, it feels like running away for even just a little while will help. New perspectives. Time to just walk away for a moment and think. Ask myself the big questions and maybe find answers.

Quo vadimus?