After Otto and I broke up, I had a few decisions to make (as mentioned in my last post). I was trying to figure out what I felt like doing – go to Hawaii for a few months, take a road trip, sign a lease in San Diego, go to Australia… I really had 0 idea.
I ended up deciding to go on a new road trip. I know it sounds ridiculous, but one of the main reasons I wanted to do it was to go back to Half Price Books in Dallas. I LOVED that store on my last trip and met some incredible life-long friends while browsing.
There are a few locations for HFP, but the Dallas one is HUGE (it’s the main one) and just incredible.
I left on Monday, and for the most part, the trip has been phenomenal. There is SO MUCH beauty to check out on the drive from California to Scottsdale (where I got a place for a week so I could think/catch up on work/explore) and I was reveling in it the entire time.
I also got to listen to a few audiobooks (Caroline Myss’ Primal Nature – I don’t recommend that, and started Caroline Myss’ Energy Of Anatomy which seems a *lot* better), listen to great music, and just relax.
The place I got in Scottsdale is awesome. It’s actually an extended living place for executives, so there’s a refrigerator, a toaster, utensils and plates. I’m using the kitchen table as a desk and have my full setup – the 24 inch monitor, the MacBook Pro, and the PC. The coolest part is, I got some tips from Mark Anthony on how to use Priceline, and I ended up scoring the place for only $21/night, and it’s right in the heart of everything!!!
Every time I see someone in passing, I smile at them. In much of SoCal and here in Scottsdale, people obligatorily fake smile back, but it doesn’t feel “real”.
When I stop at random areas in my journeys, I flash back to “average” America. I don’t say that at all to be elitist – it’s just a weird experience. I got off in El Centro, California on Monday and smiled at a few people, and they got these huuuge smiles on their faces, like I made their entire day. It almost feels much easier to make a difference there.
Scenery was a lot different, people seemed a lot more introverted, and there were a lot more unhealthy-looking people.
I know Eben Pagan mentioned (I think in Altitude) that sometimes he drives to the local Wal-Mart just to sit and listen to people, to get more of an idea of what the “average” American is like. I don’t blame him.
Although I generally feel grateful to live in fake “bubbles” of America (more pleasant to look at, more healthy food, more successful people), I appreciate getting to go to other places. It makes for a more well-rounded world view.
Jaime and I joked the last time we were here that this was almost a mini-L.A., maybe even more plastic. While I *love* the streets around here and how central it is to everything, I still believe that’s the truth. There’s even places that have big signs for “Walk-In Botox”.
I’m not complaining, just observing. What I mainly wanted to get out of this first stop I’ve gotten easily – the relaxation, the centering, and the feeling calm. :)
The only other thing I can report so far is the Master Cleanse.
I made it through the day fine without eating (I made it inevitable that I’d succeed by having books around if I started thinking of wanting to eat, had the TV, etc…). At night though, things were nuts. I kept waking up with hot flashes, then cold flashes. This is TMI but – I also dry vomited throughout the night, and just felt generally awful.
I couldn’t stand up for more than a few seconds, had a small headache than went on and off, and felt ridiculously dizzy.
Jaime, Taj, and Caleb have all reported incredible things with it… but it’s definitely not for me, at least not on a road trip.
Anyway, I guess that’s it for now. Just wanted to get myself back in the groove of posting blogs.
I thought it could be cool, in the future, to maybe do 50 states in 50 weeks… spend a week in a new state each week… and blog about it. Seeing as I still don’t know where I want to go next, maybe that’ll be my next adventure. :)
Have a great day, and don’t forget to post at 5PositiveThings!
9 thoughts on “Road Trip Updates…”
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Hey Rachael,
Many thanks for your last post. Enjoyed reading how you dealt with the various things you’re dealing with. Your “advice” is definitely good food for thought. And I, like your other readers, are very happy to hear things are going well and that you are refreshed from your recent road trip.
BTW, I really look forward to your new “Get Them Online Mentoring Program”
Take care – Randall
Are you able to share some of those tips for grabbing an exec apartment for low cost?
I just kind of clicked the zones I wanted, and put in a really low bid. When it got denied, I raised it by $1, and it worked. ;) I wasn’t attached to the outcome, or even really Phoenix… just figured I’d see if I could get a killer deal.
BetterBidding.com has some awesome strategies – I’d check that out :)
Is this your alter-ego? ;-)
http://twitter.com/RachelPasse/status/3268436704
haaha… no, I guess Master Cleanse is inflicting it’s misery on everyone!
Hey Rach,
For some reason, I think you’ll really like this poem:
“Keys” by Nancy Henry
When things got hard
I used to drive and keep on driving—
once to North Carolina
once to Arizona—
I’m through with all that now, I hope.
The last time was years ago.
But oh, how I would drive
and keep on driving!
The universe around me
all well in my control;
anything I wanted on the radio,
the air blasting hot or cold;
sobbing as loudly as I cared to sob,
screaming as loudly as I needed to scream.
I would live on apples and black coffee,
shower at truck stops,
sleep curled up
in the cozy back seat I loved.
The last time, I left at 3 a.m.
By New York state,
I stopped screaming;
by Tulsa
I stopped sobbing;
by the time I pulled into Flagstaff
I was thinking
about the Canyon,
I was so empty.
Thinking about the canyon
I was.
I sat on the rim at dawn,
let all the colors fill me.
It was cold. I saw my breath
like steam from a soup pot.
I saw small fossils in the gravel.
I saw how much world there was?
how much darkness
could be swept out
by the sun. ?
Hey Rach,
For some reason, I think you’ll really like this poem:
“Keys” by Nancy Henry
When things got hard
I used to drive and keep on driving—
once to North Carolina
once to Arizona—
I’m through with all that now, I hope.
The last time was years ago.
But oh, how I would drive
and keep on driving!
The universe around me
all well in my control;
anything I wanted on the radio,
the air blasting hot or cold;
sobbing as loudly as I cared to sob,
screaming as loudly as I needed to scream.
I would live on apples and black coffee,
shower at truck stops,
sleep curled up
in the cozy back seat I loved.
The last time, I left at 3 a.m.
By New York state,
I stopped screaming;
by Tulsa
I stopped sobbing;
by the time I pulled into Flagstaff
I was thinking
about the Canyon,
I was so empty.
Thinking about the canyon
I was.
I sat on the rim at dawn,
let all the colors fill me.
It was cold. I saw my breath
like steam from a soup pot.
I saw small fossils in the gravel.
I saw how much world there was?
how much darkness
could be swept out
by the sun. ?
Thanks, Bruce :) That really is a beautiful poem!
I love driving so much. I remember when I was in L.A. I was having an awful time with a guy I liked, and I would just drive and bawl in my car…
And then there are the amazing road trips like I’m on now. I remember when Woman’s World called me and asked me to be on their cover as I was driving… and I just screamed with happiness inside my car.
It’s really an incredible place for all emotions :)
Nancy Henry does some beautiful work – thank you very much for introducing me to her!! :)