No Stress Days

We are beginning to plan for a long road trip across the upper United States for next summer.  Assuming that we do undertake this adventure, it will be our first long trip since my retirement, which by then would be five years.    I reflected on that this morning, and wondered why I am the only person I know who does not love travel.  What I do love is the daily routine and activities of my current life.

For all the earlier stages of my life,  there was always a lot of stress {and trauma!}.  The list is quite long, of various challenges and struggles, ranging from being a single parent living on the edge,  to raising teens and a toddler at the same time,  to commuting to seminary and serving a church and raising a family at the same time, to meeting all the varied and sundry demands of ministry and being on call all the time. Striving for goals, trying to accomplish, busy, doing, hurrying, worrying.

As a child, my family moved quite a bit, because my father's job required it  (ministry).  In my twenties, we moved a great deal because it was required  (military).  In my own ministry, we moved several times because that is what was called for.  So between moving about [more moves than I can count], and traveling a lot in the process,  these things contribute mightily to my lack of interest in much travel these days.   That is because for the first time in my life, I am enjoying basically stress-free days.  And I am settled down in one place in a house I love, a community I enjoy.

When I look around me at others who do love to travel, often they are people who have lived their whole lives in the same location.

It occurred to me the other day when I was doing it, that I was actually enjoying ironing!  What a surprise.  Ironing was something I avoided like the plague in other days of my life.  I love to read recipes, buy groceries, prepare healthy food.  I love to do the crossword puzzle in the paper every afternoon.  I love going slowly into my day (sitting for a while over coffee).  I love playing tennis with Gerry, or reading books, watching Netflix movies.

I do suppose it is time to bite the bullet and go on a road trip.  I've never been in those particular states, though I have been in about 38 out of 50.

When reading about this kind of road trip, they suggested that if one is driving (which we are),  that it is a good idea to take two months.   Two months away from home??

Stress free travel.  (Is there such a thing?)