Traveling involves both the desire to get lost and be willing to take risk......and why not throw in a little spontaneity. Today, I put all three into
action.
It's fall, the leaves are turning and I had an opportunity to cease. It all started the other day when Madi had informed me that she wanted to have a sleepover with her best friend who recently relocated 40 miles away to
Dawsonville, Ga.
It was a Saturday. It was a cool, brisk day with gusty winds. There were several
breaks in the cloud cover and the sun shone through as the bright blue sky was
visible complementing the colors of the changing leaves. As Madi and I rode, we
talked some but there were quiet times when I began to think. I had a plan. I told
no one.
There is a reason why I write, a reason I take candlelight baths, a reason why
I close my door to listen to Led Zeppelin, and reason I travel. My life.
Though very content, sometimes I just have to get away from the dishes, the sticky
floors, the toys, the work schedule, and the "mom can I have's."
I carried out my plan after I dropped Madi off at her friends house by getting
back into my red minivan and kept going forward in the same direction. With a
dying cell phone that needs an upgrade as it only now holds a charge for about 6
hours, less than a half a tank of gas and only about two hours before I had to get
back home, I kept going.
I followed the winding road past old farm houses, deep valleys and an old filling
station. I wasn't even sure I would end up where I had planned to go but, still, I
was without a care.
The drive was about 15 minutes before I reached the top of the mountain where a
magnificent view of North Georgia could be seen. I drove through the small town
square which was crowded with visitors browsing through the many boutique shops,
candy stores and craft bizarres. Though it seemed charming enough, it was
something I really was not in the mood for. I was looking for something a bit
slower paced and more serene and I was hungry.
A small mom and pop diner looked inviting as I drove further down the highway. It
sat upon a lovely view of the mountainside covered with the many colorful trees
and a distant view of far off hills as they stood and met the sky.
I assumed that a high altitude would bring about cooler temperatures. Having been
spontaneous, I was not prepared once I got out of the car. It was as if I thought
it would snow!
The diner was warm and cozy and the Georgia Florida game was on. It was after 3:00
PM and there was no crowd. I took a window seat and ordered a chicken sandwich.
There was a bit of a wait before it was brought to me. My phone was nearly dead
and I had to save the last of what charge I had in case on an emergency. I had
nothing to do but enjoy the silence. When my oversized sandwich arrived, my only
concern was that I didn't have a mouth big enough to accomodate it. It was all good!
On my way home, I had about enough of a charge to send a text message informing
everyone I would be home soon. Though I knew I was going to be interrogated once I
got home and spent much of the drive home preparing for how I was going to
carefully tiptoe around the fact that I needed to rebel a little, coming home was
not so bad.
I didn't go far, I didn't stay long and I spent very little money, but I took a
risk. I thought I would use the title Autumn, Altitude, and a Chicken Sandwich for
this but since I had listened to Led Zeppelin the night before, I chose
differently.
Location: Dahlonega, GA
Diner: Danny's Restaurant
Date: 11/01/2014
No comments:
Post a Comment