I’ve explained that my recent travels with Lola the pup to explore Arizona and parts southwest felt like an imperative. Simply put, I had to go.
To accomplish the mission I did a lot of driving over a short period of time. Today, back home, I realize it was unnecessary and possibly even a mistake. At minimum, I could have enlarged my travel time allotment, the better to stop and smell the roses. In hindsight, I barely caught a whiff. At the same time the notion of spending additional nights on the fly in motels of such varying and uneven quality as we encountered does not make me long to get back on the open road. Perhaps next time I’ll opt for cozier private accommodations.
Another possible error: once Lola and I were arrived in Tuscon we basically stayed stationary. In fact, however, even excluding Phoenix, there are multiple worthwhile jaunts within a day’s journey by car. Next time, I will plan more carefully.
Finally, no one can control the weather, but the fact remains that we arrived in Tucson just in time to share Tucson’s coldest and wettest January in nearly a decade. Ironically, back home, citizens were basking in markedly above normal temperatures and snow-free conditions. Indeed, on the whole, the daily temperatures in Tucson remained well below normal for the duration of our stay. Fortunately, normal is a relative concept. Tucson undeniably is a warmer and sunnier clime than we’re accustomed to here.
Taking stock, with these exceptions noted, Lola and I had a most splendid journey.
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The only thing that might have made it better for me would have been to share the full experience with Robyn. (Robyn did manage to make it out for a short visit, which lasted less than a week!)
It’s a subject that we lately have broached. Happily, we are in agreement that the time has come to ratchet up the level of our commitment. It’s not simply a case that absence makes the heart grow fonder, though such an emotional reaction certainly could be a tell. Real commitment also involves careful reflection.
Robyn at long last seems to be warming up to the notion that there needs to be an end point to her (full time) working life. I have resigned myself to the notion that it will not arrive tomorrow. At least we are having a serious discussion.
More important, we have agreed we need to spend more time together– not a great deal more for now, mind you, but this feels like a step in the right direction. This will be an evolving situation for us both, and one that has serious implications. For example, while my home is not a shrine to Lee’s memory, numerous photographs of her, and of us, remain prominently on display. I understand this is something that affects Robyn’s comfort level. She is not being petty in pointing this out to me, and I would be silly to ignore her feelings in this regard.
