Wanderlust Won! A Road Trip through North Carolina, then Istanbul, the Greek Islands and Athens is my Excuse for Six Weeks of Missing my Blog

As soon as school ended, the next morning my best friend and I loaded the car and took off for Asheville, North Carolina antiquing and shooting photos along the way. No electronics allowed. Especially after my friend threw my phone at me. We found so many places to wander that I’m still editing. A week later , my husband and I landed in Istanbul.

Amazing adventures and so much to assimilate. We then cruised the Greek Islands on a motorized yacht and landed in Athens.

Along the way there were so many new ideas, realizations, and lessons, that I’m still trying to retain them and find a way to share experiences without becoming one of those dreaded people with the slides or a pack of photos that you avoid like the plague. As we traveled, I mentally wrote posts so I felt like I took you all along with me.I was only one pound under on baggage so you understand that I mean metaphorically. Over the next few weeks I have lots to share and hope you will tell me if I overdo.

Road Trip Therapy

There is not a better form of escape that comes to mind than other getting in the car with a friend,food, music, and having no one expect you at a certain place and a particular time.If an old water tower signals the location of a forgotten town, you are free to explore. If peeling paint and falling trim catch your eye, you investigate. Driving as far as you want and stopping for no real reason is expected. Curiosity reigns and the mantra is “No Maps, Just Drive”.The long, crazy school year vanishes after the first mile markers. I actually cleaned out my CRV, got new tires and am ready to put on miles! Tomorrow we are heading across Tennessee out towards Asheville, North Carolina, and excited about the opportunities to make discoveries. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share some new adventure in a week or so.

Laundry Days

A side porch in North Carolina is where I borrowed the ancient washing machine and abandoned materials. The weathered siding came from a garage in Tennessee. Together they hint at a time before everything was electric, fast and disposable.Sometimes taking a step backward isn’t wrong. My memories of my grandmother spending all morning with a wringer washer and hanging the clothes on a double line across her front yard are strong. My job was to capture the errant clothespins and corral them in a pouch that waved in the breeze.. The kitchen smelled from warm soapy water and the scent of the clothes was a blend of sunshine and zinnias. Detergents and fabric softeners can’t compete with the memory.