1. When I first read Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon in the early 1980's, I hadn't traveled more than a few hundred miles from my New York home. I could only imagine the places he was describing. As I re-read it today I realize how far time has taken me. I've now been to many of the places he describes; I recognize the names, the history, and the dialects. I never imagined in a million years this would be my life. What an odd feeling it is, thinking of then and now. Places I thought I would only read about have become my own reality.
2. If you can't taste the scrambled eggs the first night you eat them, then eating them a second night in a row won't matter. It's all new.
3. I leave the shades up, allowing the sunshine to stream into the room. I also move the yellow orchid to a spot where I can see it from my chair. It's all so bright and cheery.
*Another good book along these lines is, Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck. It's rather dated, but that's part of what makes it interesting today.
** I highly recommend, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage . We listened to it on audio. This is the gripping, unforgettable true story of a 1916 Antarctic expedition.
Amazing. I bought Blue Highways in the early 80s - a very introspective time and I've read it a few times. It's sort of a dream of mine to be able to chuck it all and travel like that. The times are different now though. I may just have to reread that soon.
ReplyDeleteI loved Wild by Cheryl Strayed for the same reason.