Well, we have driven across country 5 times now. Twice we were moving, first to Delaware and then back to Colorado, next we had picked up a car (for a friend) in California, and this time we were visiting my family. I am originally from Delaware and my husband is a Colorado native. So we drove 32 hours to Delaware which actually took about 40 hours because of the heavy snow fall in Colorado and then 32 hours back. Many people ask how we could stand to sit in a car for that long, especially when we tell them the first day we were on the road for 24 hours total. Yes, it is a long drive no doubt but I like adventure and I love my family. I guess I would also add that, like mountain climbing and life in general, it’s about the journey not the destination. As cliché as that saying might be, it holds great truth.

Driving that distance proved to be meditative as well. In the weeks before we left I was experiencing a lot of mind chatter but after the first 24 hours of sitting with myself I really did have peace of mind and had worked through the noise. Having no way out forced me to go within and sort through the muck I allowed to build up. So if your bombarded with a noisy mind take a long drive unless of course you already suffer from road rage haha. 

Styx, our very loved rescue pup, came along for the journey. We were worried as to how he would make out as the car has been his biggest obstacle to overcome. When he came to us it was obvious he had a bad association with vehicles. Everything from chasing them, to barking at parked cars, to yelping and attacking the windows while riding. Well, he managed to find a sweet little nook on the center console between my husband and I where he would nestle himself sometimes napping, sometimes watching the road like it was his job. The first 10 hours he still had many new things to adjust to. He wasn’t sure of the turn signal and anytime it was activated he would get worked up until we passed the line of traffic. Not sure if that was his herding instinct coming into play or a new sound causing him anxiety. When we would begin driving again the following day it was as if he had to relearn each sound and feeling in order to be content again. Once on the east coast Styx received so many compliments on his demeanor. It is hard to find words to describe how it feels to watch an animal come into themselves. Styx was a feral dog, he had no socialization and when approached he would bite. He did not tolerate other animals at first either, going straight for the attack. He had even bitten my face, my own fault of course. On our trip he went to 2 holiday parties with many people, he was fantastic at both and didn’t once get overstimulated. I will have to make a separate post on Styx’s progress as it truly is amazing. He’s come so far not because I want him to but because we have offered him an environment that supports his growth and his growing trust. So happy for our boy!

We just returned home yesterday evening after having been traveling for two weeks so please do forgive any excess silliness or grammatical errors as I have not yet caught up on sleep and have a big to do list to chip away at. However, I wanted to make a post and check in with you all as I was not able to write while on the road and will be living off the grid for the next week.  I look forward to sharing conscious living from off the grid.

Stay Tuned!