The Color of Travel
The magic of the road is that there is so much to see. When taking long trips, especially at this time of year, the trees and the colors are quite beautiful. I prefer to be in an area where the sights and sounds fill your mind with pictures that nurture your creativity. Fall is a perfect time for this to happen.
Then again, reality sets in. To get to these places, one has to travel to them. And there’s the rub. Several other people take these roads to travel also. Some are trying to get to destinations that inspire, just like we do. Others do their daily grind to get to work or get home, catch a plane, get wherever they are going as fast as they can, and ignore the scenery around them. That would include ignoring other cars on the road, too.
Then, all the construction zones add discordant sounds and sights of chaos.
If you’re lucky, you can find a radio station that provides calming music that lets you tune out those sounds and focus on the beauty around you. Of course, that presumes that if you are not traveling alone, everyone traveling with you agrees on what music they consider calming.
As the hours pass, thoughts drift to safety and comfort concerns. “Why is this taking so long?” “Next time, we are not taking this route!” “Pull over at the next rest stop,” which is undoubtedly 13 miles away.
The season’s beauty does not become the major focus of this road race. The focus is “Are we there yet?”
John Denver had it right. “Country roads take me home to a place I belong. Off the highway, without traffic. Take me home on country roads. There’s got to be a better way.
Beam me there, Scotty. It would be much more enjoyable.
