One Step

As the old Taoist saying puts it: "A thousand-mile journey starts with one step."

So, in my current thousand-mile journey I took that one step this morning. I awoke at 4:27am - not on purpose mind you. I've been waking up like that at various times in the night for about two weeks now. But today was different, today would be step one and I knew it. You see this journey isn't just about the thousand miles it's also about what I learn about life, and about myself, along the way. But I'm guessing that's what any journey is really about. I thought of all that lay ahead today until I had to get up and go shower. Knowing it was step one I was encouraged and optimistic for the first time in a while as my feet hit the floor.

It has been a LONG day to say the least but not in a disheartening or distressing way. As I write this I have just checked into the La Quinta in Birmingham. It's okay. Not fabulous like the one in Raleigh where I racked up so many points this summer. But, it will do for a night. Since it is late I'm blogging, like promised, so you know I'm still okay. I thought for this post it might be fun to tell you all I realized today - the first day of the journey.

Top Ten Things I Realized On Day One

1. South Carolina has an amazing shortage of palmettos for "the palmetto state." Yet another reason why I find SC intolerable.
2. Krystal Burgers aren't very good. I thought I'd been missing out all these years and stopped to eat there - I wouldn't do it again.
3. It was a good thing no one was in the car with me because I was preoccupied by the varying heights of the barrier wall in SC. It had no pattern to it and didn't make any sense. I tried for miles to figure out the engineering rationale behind this and I know I would have done it even if someone was with me. BUT, anyone else would have assumed I was quiet, preoccupied, etc. because of something to do with them. Made me reflect back on several other moments of obsessive geekdom in my life and how others usually perceive it as having to do with them. Very enlightening to me.
4. I had never driven across a time zone before today. I've always flown. Made me want to drive to California and hit two more.
5. It is fun to turn up the radio to cheesy songs and sing along at the top of your lungs.
6. I do not like grape Laffy Taffy.
7. Nor do I care for green or yellow Swedish fish.
8. I specifically took I-85 through downtown Atlanta to see what it looked like at night and I'm glad I did. It was pretty cool. I am a city girl!
9. Georgia has traffic control sign issues and Alabama has miles of road that ride terribly. And you know what?! The real thing I realized is I can look at all the construction and roadway stuff I want to and there's no one to complain that it doesn't interest them! That thought tickled me. I can't wait to see what I can find tomorrow.
10. Sometimes you need to remind yourself of who you are and who you hope to become.