On the Road

By Des Moines, all we could think about was getting to Chicago. We were psyched. But we weren’t there yet. We wanted to save ourselves up and get strong. We chanced on a place to spend the night that must be what the RV Gods begin to dole out to you once you’ve got a few thousand miles and one or two waste hose accidents under your belt. There was a lake (that remained visible at night), an indoor heated pool and a hot tub with a view. We stayed 2 nights and did much that was restorative and strength-building. I’m still a city boy at heart, so it’s still a little weird for me to walk around in woodsy places at night. Of course I know there’s nothing out there… intellectually. But I guess I just don’t have enough experience listening to the sound of my own twig-snapping feet in the middle of the night to chase away the Bogey Man inside my head. On the 2nd night, I made myself walk all the way around the lake in the dead of night. When I was almost back to the RV and feeling all self-congratulatory, I reminded myself that I was not really in the woods. Nevertheless, the triumph meant something to me.