Final Thoughts

Well, I have returned home, happy and vacated. I had a wonderful trip, and I believe that the most important part of this trip was the process. I enjoyed putting together my itinerary, meeting wonderful people along the way, slogging my way through New England traffic, and most of all seeing la Juanita bonita again.
As I was driving yesterday, I was very mindful of how many folks make the metaphor of life as a highway. You may have heard the song, "Life is a highway, and I want to ride it all night long." Also, the first term used to describe Christianity was "ho hodos" or "the Way."
In life, there are impediments that are natural, which on a highway we could represent as bad weather, an accident, potholes, or construction. In life there are also people who just don't get it, i.e. those drivers who don't know the rules of the road, don't move to the right lane when they are poking along and no one else is near them except for you, or just want to see how goshdarn fast their new car will go on the expressway. In life there are goals, just as on the road, you can choose your own destination. Sometimes the goals or destinations we choose are the ones we need to get to, othertimes, they are a detour on our route. Sometimes we make a wrong turn and head in the wrong direction. Sometimes we think we have it all figured out, and we find out we've been driving for the last half hour towards Lancaster, PA.
Anyways, it's a classic metaphor that has stood the test of time, and it seems quite appropo. However, as all metaphors go, it's important not to take them too seriously. I'm just glad that I'm back here in VA, healthy, alive, and richer for the experience.