Goodbye?

I honestly don’t know if there will be another road trip next year. Together, the Hamster and I have been to all 50 states, including 27 state capitols. We’ve been to 23 National Parks, 20 ballparks, and countless shady motels. Frankly, we’re running out of places to go. We’ve been kicking around a couple of ideas for next summer (the Canadian Rockies, or some parts of Texas we haven’t visited), but they both have flaws and challenges.

This year’s trip was very different from the rest of our trips in certain ways (flying and length, for example), but if indeed this was our last road trip, it was a pretty great one to end with. We looked out from high above Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, and from 282 feet below sea level in Death Valley. We had one rafting trip canceled and another take us by surprise. We hiked until it hurt, and we walked aimlessly in natural serenity. We visited places we’ve been dying to see and we had a great time there.

All of our trips have been pretty extraordinary, each in its own way. We’ve driven almost 30,000 miles, and in the process we’ve learned a tremendous amount about this country, its treasures, and the people and places within it. We’ve also learned a lot about each other, and about ourselves. These trips have brought us closer than I ever thought possible, and have kept us bound and grounded throughout all the times during the rest of the year when we butt heads and frustrate each other.

They say that travel brings people together, and I always thought that meant the bridging of cultures as people from different places interact. These road trips have helped me see that the people travel brings together are also the people in the car.