I've been driving between the Mid-Atlantic and Atlanta for a decade, since I spent my sophomore year Spring Break carving a long arc through my friends' schools in the Southeast. That trip was broken up into six hour chunks, so nothing too heinous to do in a day, but it was then that I began to notice my indifference to long car rides. I think I spend enough time mulling things over in my head that having uninterrupted miles before me is like designating the time for thinking, all the while closing the distance between me and people I love.
As I tested my love of the road, those six-hour chunks became a two-day drive to Atlanta after graduation, which then became a one-day drive with my roommate Tom to keep me company, until ultimately I was getting up in Washington and going to bed in Atlanta all by myself. In fact, I even added two extra hours to some trips by cruising out I-66 in the dark hours of the morning to drive along Skyline Drive at sunrise. In summer and in winter, that tradition made for some stunning experiences.
This time, Tuesday, July 14, I got a later start than I have in the past, thanks to some last-minute packing to fill out every inch of the interior besides my seat. The sun was up, if a little shy, and I hit a decent chunk of traffic making my way around Atlanta to I-85N. Soon, though, I was coasting along towards South Carolina with podcasts, my Loaded Questions cards, and a barrage of Diplomacy-related e-mails to keep me company.
As before, the thrumming of the road beneath me sparked my thoughts and, for the first time since I'd left work, I was able to contemplate the notion of being done with a job I'd had for nearly eight years. The vacant space in my mind yawned and echoed; what would I put in the place of daily task lists and interest rate movement? Would I be stress-free or would the open-ended plan of mine keep me up at night?
Thankfully, the blue sky and cottony clouds pulled me back into the present and I took in the trees whipping by with a contented sigh. Regardless of what comes next, I am done with that stage of my life for now and the scenery that had often soothed me from the troubles of work now created a Zen-like calm.
I had planned to camp overnight shortly after crossing into Virginia to break up the ride into its former six-hour chunks, but reaching that area at 1:30 in the afternoon, I still felt invincible and so decided to soldier on to make it all in one go. I-81 through Virginia can be a bit of a gauntlet, but the weather was gorgeous and one would have to be pretty hardened not to enjoy the farmland and hillsides backed by the strains of Carbon Leaf (which I always load up for these drives).
The last few hours between DC and Havre de Grace proved the toughest, but thankfully the Nerdist podcast got me through, so at about 8pm, I backed up my mother's driveway and pushed down the parking break. I smiled as her garage door opened for her to come out and greet me. On the verge of this big American adventure, it's nice to know that I can still crush 734 miles in a day and add six hours on a whim. This is going to be a fun few months.
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