Today marks the end of my 4th week on the road and about the halfway point in miles. I’ve covered over 5000 miles so far and I’m almost done with my scheduled stops on the Eastern seaboard. A week from today, I will start my drive back West.

It’s been a wonderful trip so far, with many awe-inspiring landscapes, especially in the West. The further East I drove, the more urbanized the land became. That being said, some of the cities are also magnificent works of art. I am extremely partial to the ocean, so I find myself often gravitating toward water bodies.

While I have enjoyed catching up with old friends, meeting new people and reading poetry, I suddenly realized I’ve been missing alone time. I do enjoy people, but I equally love my time alone. Even though I spend a good bit of time alone on my drives, that doesn’t count because it’s time spent working. After 5200 miles, I have to give myself a pep talk each time I’m getting ready to hit the road again.

This past weekend was a gift. I got to spend time alone at a friend’s place and did nothing but sleep, eat and watch movies. I also read a bit and journaled, but mostly I just lay on the couch, drifting between varying states of sleep and wakefulness. I’m still excited about getting to see old friends on the rest of my journey and making new ones, but how I miss being home and, of all things, cooking my own meals (not that there’s anything amiss with the meals I get to enjoy on the road)! I don’t even like to cook, for goodness’ sake!

Now, if only I could hire someone to chauffeur me the rest of the way! Wish me luck.