It's week 5 of being "on the road" - away from home and friends and all that's familiar. the trip to date has been filled with views, vistas, adventure and experiences that i would never have traveling by other means and with others. in the past month i've dipped my toes in the ocean on both sides of the continent and at varying latitudes both in and out of the country. i've hiked, scrambled and strolled up to amazing peaks bearing far reaching vistas, following rocky cairns along slabby granite trails and passing through wildflower meadows, dense forests and clear streams. i've seen waterfalls and ocean waves and tidal flats and dense forests...even immersed myself in the noise of urban landscapes, plus so much more. And considering that, there's still more to come.
Acadia National Park
Canada...
Above: Bay of Fundy, Right: Cape Split
it's been an amazing experience so far in that i've seen and done so much. on one hand, traveling alone is empowering. the freedom to go where you want, when you want and the prospects of seeing so much enthralls and stimulates. traveling alone reinforces the confidence fueled by true independence. it is liberating. And there is a certain rush associated with reaching each new place and space. however, traveling solo is not without its down moments. there are times when i completely forget about the world and am immersed in amazing moments engulfed by a breathtaking landscape. And in those same moments, at times, these feelings of solitary hollowness emerge - where the realization that no one really knows where you are and being without company, no one can really understand the power of that particular experience. so the experience is filed in a little compartment that feeds your ever expanding self to be remembered and absorbed and perhaps shared with others later one via word and image. still it's not the same as sharing that moment.and no one really knows... or understands.
ABOVE: Bay of Fundy
there are other times when you become exceedingly self-aware in a moment of discomfort when things aren't feeling quite right. this could be interactions with others - strange and uncertain, or traversing delicate or precarious landscapes. it is in these moments, exacerbated by being female in the company of strange men, that your own vulnerability and mortality smacks you in the face and you are as alert and on edge as you can possibly be. however, as uncomfortable as these adrenaline filled moments are, i'm not sure i'd trade them in for a less engaging and more conservative experience.
Left: Scotts Bay; Right: Duncans Cove / Chebucto Head
i've certainly learned a lot on this trip. both professionally working with and processing my data - day and night, and personally just me and my pup, traveling here and there without a solid plan, living out of my car, eating cold food, wondering where i may wake up next. it's been exciting. this may be all the data processing talking but admittedly i'm feeling a bit tired. i can't remember a night's sleep of greater than 5 or so hours and I'm thinking more and more about friendly, familiar and caring faces, hugs and laughs, and all that is associated with the familiar. funny enough i don't miss the physical space i call home, just the interactions with the few who i care about. I'll get there though - i think during week 6 as there is much more left to see and do...
TBC...
summer has flown by... filled with travel and exploration... but dominated by work. i feel drained and detached and secluded from the false warmth of the bubbles in which i once resided.
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