What will you do?

What will you do?

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Here's a story: On June 4, 2019, I was on a morning bus to NYC for my long-awaited visa appointment.  There was a lot of traffic and the guy next to me said, "I hope you are at least doing something fun once you are in the city." I said I had a visa appointment, which I didn't think would be fun, but would lead to fun in the future. A woman standing to my right in the aisle, overheard and asked to which consulate I was going. I replied, "I'm going to the Italian consulate." She was going to the Irish consulate. We chatted a bit about making big changes in our lives. She had graduated college, lived a year in Spain, and worked there as an English teacher and piano tuner. I admired her courage. In turn, she thought my plan was cool. She asked if I was on social media and if she could follow me on Instagram. I was flattered! We swapped contact information. Sarah and I wished each other luck, got off the bus, and went our separate ways. 

When I returned to the bus station and got on line for the 3:00 bus, Sarah got on line shortly after me! On the bus, we sat next to one another and talked about our summer plans. She told me she would be working at the Aspen Music Festival and then house-sitting in Boulder for a week. Yep, the same time I would be in Boulder! We agreed to stay in touch and get together.

So, last night I met up with Sarah and her friend, Karen, for dinner at Centro Mexican Kitchen in Boulder. Karen lives in California and is starting a business to re-purpose clothes. She can sew and has interesting, creative ideas. Our common link was that we were each taking an "alternate" path, which made some people uncomfortable. We talked about how difficult it is to have an answer when someone asks, "But, what are you going to do... in Ireland, in Italy, starting a new company." We thought, "Just live... give it a go"... didn't seem to suffice. We each understood that a person means well, but those kind of questions only added to our own anxiety about starting something new. We agreed the worst that could happen is that we would say, "Oh, well, at least we gave it a try." And then, start again.

The Great American Road Trip

For years, I fantasized about driving cross country, NJ to California.  The southern route, the northern route.  I followed the blogs of the NY Times writer, Matt Gross, as he drove east to west, often to lesser known spots.  It seemed like such a grand adventure.  I had never gone cross-country in my 20's, but I could do it now that my kids were grown.   Then, the negative thoughts would surface:  sitting for endless hours; the cost; safety issues; the wear and tear on my car; maybe too much time alone. 

In April, I traveled to Colorado with a friend.  We went to Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder.  I fell in love with Boulder, which is no surprise to anyone who knows me.  I knew I wanted to return for an extended time.  When I got home, I did some research, weighed out the cost and convenience of flying vs. driving.  I talked with family and friends.  I checked with my mechanic.  Finally, I would take the drive, though ending in Colorado, not California.  Good enough!

Stop #1- Chicago to spend the weekend with my daughter.  Taste of Chicago and the beach (Lake Michigan).  The drive took a bit longer than I thought it would, but overall smooth going.  NJ- Pennsylvania- Ohio- Indiana- Illinois.  Route 80 W. all the Chicago, then route 90 W. into the city.  It's great to be here, for endless reasons.