traveling | Brain leaks and musings by "Mr. Boomsma," educator and author

We arrived in Sugarcreek late yesterday afternoon after more Interstate incidents. One qualified as a “you can’t get there from here” experience. We did ultimately find our way. Greta Garmin complained a lot and did a lot of “route recalculations.” I think she resented the fact that human interference was required. To her credit, her voice showed no signs of frustration.

That means she also hasn’t experienced the joy of parking inside a garage at our VRBO. She doesn’t care how amazing this place is, but we sure do. We have everything we need and some things we don’t. It might be a new way of looking at “simple.” I did have some difficulty figuring out how to start the coffee maker this morning, but it was there, along with a wide array of coffee choices. The owners clearly have both the desire and skill to make things easy for their guests.

The last time we were in the area was close to forty years ago. I’d been warned that “a lot has changed.” Since my memory is sufficiently cloudy, I’m not confident in making comparisons, plus we haven’t really seen much of the area yet. Greta likes direct routes and is not a fan of meandering. She might even be a little obsessive when it comes to goal orientation. She’s definitely a linear thinker.

Will there ever be a GPS that you can tell, “I’ll like to go for a drive in the country. What do you suggest?”

In anticipation of this trip, I joined a few road trip groups. I scratch my head when I read a request like, “We are traveling from Florida to Maine for two weeks. What are some things we should see along the way?” The comments (answers) are clearly well-intended. If it’s an area I’m familiar with, I may ask about the traveler’s interests before answering. That just seems a bit practical. For example, on our trip here, we did not stop at any places offering ziplining.

It’s not that we’re not open to new experiences.

Whether one is a GPS, VRBO host, or traveler/VRBO guest, life gets simpler when values are clearer. The GPS realizes (admittedly in a mechanical and unemotional way) that it’s important to get you there. The VRBO host realizes that it’s important to make you comfortable. As travelers and guests, we get to decide what’s important. Sometimes, it’s important to get there. Sometimes, it’s important to be comfortable. The list goes on, and it changes.

It works best when we determine what’s important and assume at least some of the responsibility for obtaining it. It might be just that simple.

The view out the front window of our VRBO in Sugarcreek Ohio

It’s just about a half-mile from our house to the paved road. As we settle in our seats, that half-mile is an opportunity for us to clear our heads and remember something we either forgot or didn’t do. At the risk of bragging, we rarely find it necessary to turn around and go back.

Our first break will likely be in Gardiner, where we’ll recycle some coffee. Following the wisdom of serious road trippers, our first day is our most ambitious with a goal of Danbury, CT. It’s all familiar territory, and if we get an early start, the traffic on 495 should be tolerable. Note that we didn’t plan to leave Maine on Sunday.

Are we ready? A common answer is, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” So there might be a theory of relativity on readiness. I just remembered a few minutes ago that I need to pump up the EZ Pass. I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was! (Yes, it does so automatically. But depending on technology is not without hazards. A few years ago, I went through two tolls close together. The balance ran out after the first one, and I didn’t have time to replenish before the second. A $2 toll became $30.)

Have we left? Well, not physically. But in our minds…

So many things are relative. That might mean there are more processes than events, and that’s worth considering.

Many years ago, I attended Berkshire Community College. The first president, Tom O’Connell, was justifiably proud of our motto. “To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.” I remember him talking about it during a “President’s Hour.” I think he planted the seeds of my belief that life is an “unfinishedness.” For that matter, arriving may be relative as well. While planning and goals are important, we live in present moments.

Simple. This trip started months ago. When will it end? Maybe, in the truest sense, it won’t. Those present moments create change.

This portion of life’s journey begins with rereading “The Brook” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

And out again I curve and flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

Brain leaks and musings by "Mr. Boomsma," educator and author

Tag Archives: traveling

Honey, I’m Home!

And Four to Go!

Walter Boomsma (“Mr. Boomsma”) writes on a wide array of topics including personal development, teaching and learning. Course information is also available here!