Road Trippin'

Driving; in the right frame of mind can be very peaceful and quite centering.  Just you and the nothingness of the road, openness of the sky, and of course the joy of completion!  In the wrong frame of mind you can end up on the roof, engine through the hood of your truck and wondering why those people are just pointing instead of helping you and your significant other up the embankment (didn't seem very missionary like...I won't hold that against all Mormons).  I was in the right frame of mind on this one.

Day one, night one, extremely uneventful.  Learned the Super 8 in Dalhart, TX is quite nice despite the town smelling like Greely, CO with added heat.  It was wonderfully exciting to eat at an actual Texas steakhouse again!  Soup and salad bar and a serve your self ice cream cone machine included with meat and potatoes...excellent.

Day two began with an attack from a deadly raptor (bird, not dinosaur)...luckily it wasn't me that was attacked; but my buddy Joe.  No overtime for him but it allowed me the opportunity to drink his beer, eat his sausage (now children...we don't joke like that about our Andouille in TX), and drive his Porsche.

Drinking Painkillers while playing a little frisbee with Joe (photo by Rita - a REAL photographer!).  What a trooper - attacked by a vicious raptor but still managed to play frisbee with one hand and hold his Painkiller with the injured hand.  Joe invented a new type of Painkiller; by switching the amounts of the Pineapple and OJ we now have the yummy "Orange Joelius".

Two home brews on tap...both amazingly delicious.

Super fun drive!  Never really thought much of Porsche, but it was amazingly roomy and comfortable in there.  Center of gravity is right behind you in the Cayman S, just feels like it's part of the road...a really really fast part.

After a two night detour at the Short Farm I finally made it to Kingwood, TX.  Time to move some stuff in, store some stuff in the attic and prep for the final international move.  I'm a little worried about my truck down here.  She's so much older than all the neighbor cars; a Mercedes-Benz was yelling at her earlier cause she wasn't going through a light quick enough (okay maybe my fault, cause she's still a supercharged beast and is really breathing fire down here a sea level!!).  I just hope these fancy schmancy cars around here don't make too much fun of her.  

I've done the important stuff today; went to a place called HEB for food stuffs, fixed my bikes, learned some piano, and finished my travel blog.  Time to do some real work - apparently my bosses aren't happy with me doing nothing (I got the text - "don't you have anything better to do?" earlier today)!  Though I did stock their pantry...rolled in and my options were water and ketchup.  Thank God for Aunt Kathy and Uncle John - great dinner. Sure beat ketchup packet a la aqua.   

Ending of and era, turning of a page...never easy.

I've had several significant life transitions over the years; none on a scale like this.  I'm sitting here at 35 and leaving everything I've known in hopes that these dreams are solid enough to hold my future.  An 11 year marriage over, easy corporate gig left behind, so many friends, so much family, and no real idea when (realistically "if") I'll ever see many of them again.

I recall moving to Colorado as a tyke, going away to college, and coming back to Colorado upon completing college, along with a few other minor life changes.  I remember many friends and many relationships that I so nonchalantly assumed would just continue on into eternity...I was so wrong.  So as much as I'd love to think that I will see all my friends again, and that all my great relationships will stay at a status quo; I cannot ignore what history has taught me - things will change.

I will be replaced, and I will replace people.  I've already seen it...been witness to the treatment of the "new guy" in a fashion that I used to receive.  It sparks such a mixture of feelings that I really can't sort them (mental note - topic for another blog).  As painful as it initially is, it actually brings me a sense of calm to see the world move on, to see my spots filled, to be a replaceable cog.

There is no denying that this move to Belize ends a era for me.  I do believe that so many people and relationships will continue to be a part of my life.  Some may drift, some may strengthen.  There is however only a single unwavering fact; that as this page is turned...everything will change.