Well, I'm sitting in a motel room six hours away from home, yet still in the state of Maine. To give you an idea how far north I live, I travel along the Northern Maine and Southern Canadian border every morning to get to work, and of course, back home. During the driest times of the summer, or when the ice on the river is solid enough, you could walk across to Canada. I wouldn't try it, though, that would be considered an illegal entry and you'd get in lots of trouble. Anyhow, in spite of the fact that I live in a beautiful area, we are far from the beaten path, so-to-speak, than if we lived along the I-95.To get to Portland, which is where I am right now, I have to travel two hours, or 1-1/2 depending which route I take, to get to the Maine portion of the I-95. I then have to drive over 1-1/2 hours to get to Bangor, and another couple of hours to get to Portland. However, considering how long my drive was today, I had a relaxing and enjoyable trip. I left home around 7:30 this morning, which is late by my standards, and arrived in Bangor in time to have lunch with my sister. After an hour there, I headed on down to South Portland, and with the help of my father-in-law's GPS, found my motel the first time around. This is unlike the last time I came to the same motel when I ended up a few miles down the road from where I should have been, on a side road headed to God-knows-where. Only when I stopped and asked a safe-looking man in a parking lot of some industrial area where my motel was, did I eventually end up at the right place.
Anyhow, I found my motel before 3:30 PM and even had time for an hour nap. I've always enjoyed the pleasure of sitting alone in a restaurant reading, and I got to do that today. It was relaxing and exciting at the same time. I don't know how to explain it, but it was freeing being someone no one knows, in a city I've only been in perhaps 3 times before, and eating alone in a restaurant reading by myself, alone. It had a mysterious and romantic feel to it. Kind of like being a lone traveler in a foreign country.
I began reading Dewey by Vickie Myron and am already half way done the book. I love being able to just sit in a comfortable chair (a recliner at that!) and read. I can't remember the last time I stayed in a motel alone and just read. I brought nail polish and all my other nail equipment to give myself a pedicure and manicure, but have decided not to bother. I haven't turned the TV on since I've come back from supper. The only other time I turned it on was when I took a nap. Shopping doesn't even interest me (Perhaps I'm sick!). Instead, I've sat in my pj's, grabbed a soda, turned on the lamp, and read, and read, and read. Of course, now I'm not. I'm taking a little break and writing this post instead. I guess I'm trying to capture the moment of this peace.
Considering yesterday's posting about my now passed-on dog, Sandy, and having watched the movie, Marley & Me, this book is only setting me up for an emotional ending. I just know it. One of my students read the book for a book project for my class, and she loved it. She also, accidentally, told me the ending, too. I won't do that to you. All I'll say is it's a page-turner and heartwarming.
As enjoyable as today was, tomorrow may be different. My reason for this trip is a workshop, which I'm looking forward to. However, the 6-hour long ride home, almost non-stop, will be not as relaxing. My workshop ends around 3 PM, which means that, with minimal stops, I should be getting home around 9 tomorrow night, then getting ready for school on Tuesday. I'm exhausting myself already!
