This past weekend, I hit the road with my youngest son and traveled to Lexington, Kentucky for a soccer tournament.
We live in Michigan, so it was about a 6 hour drive. It was a very pleasant drive, even though many people do not enjoy driving through Ohio. The thing I dislike the most about Ohio is the constant highway patrol that await you in hidden places. Anyway, I must say driving that distance in my new Ford Escape was a very nice experience. Very smooth, very roomy, and it handled great in the pouring rain.
While on my trip, several things struck me that I thought I would share. None of my observations are earth shattering, just ordinary:
- I love getting glimpses of a different type of life. Lexington is full of beautiful estates that are on acres and acres of property, many of which have horses. I often wonder what life is like for the people living in those homes. Do they get up at the crack of dawn to tend to the animals? Do they wake up each morning, drink a cup of coffee on the front porch, and just look out on their property thinking they are the luckiest people in the world? What do those very same people think when they come up to Metro Detroit and see how we live up here?
- Why do the police love to sit and wait to pull over the average speeder (the person behind me got pulled over in Ohio, it could have just as easily have been me as I was going about 8 miles over the speed limit, and the person was pacing me)? Instead, the police need to be in the hilly areas of Kentucky pulling over the maniac semi drivers that whip past you at 80 miles an hour, splashing rainwater all over your vehicle. (Well, my point really is, how come the police are never around when someone is driving like an absolute idiot? One young woman almost hit me on the way home because she was texting while driving in a construction zone on I-75. I wanted to call 911 and report her, but I figured she would be done with her texting by the time the police ever caught up to her.)
- I love southern accents. I could listen to the people talk in the south all day long. It is so soothing. I also love English/Scottish accents too, but I didn’t notice many of those in the south, except from my son’s soccer coach.
- It can be hard to come home sometimes! When we left Kentucky, it was 73 and sunny. It was the nicest weather I had seen in ages. By the time I got to northern Ohio, it was 38 degrees and pouring rain. I will say though our homecoming was wonderful. My daughter was baking banana bread, so the house smelled fantastic. Plus, my husband and 2 kids that were at home cleaned the house beautifully. (Thanks guys!) I really am glad to be home with everyone, but I just loved that Kentucky weather!! Not to mention the high for the week here in Michigan is 39. Blech.
- Candlewood Suites are really pretty nice. Consider them next time you are traveling. Our hotel was brand new, but it had a full kitchen, including full sized refrigerator, sink, dishwasher, disposal, and 2 burner stove.
- Even though it is March, you still need sunscreen! I got a little pink, but the soccer referees all looked like tomatoes! I completely forgot to bring sunscreen or sunglasses, as the sun hasn’t been much of a factor where I live lately.
So, do you ever have similar thoughts about what life is like for those who live in the places you travel to? I love traveling to new places, even if the locale is not an ‘exciting’ or bustling place. There are so many wonderful, little things you get to see when you are on the road, I just love it! (Although I am not sure how excited I will be on our upcoming 20 hour drive to Florida….)