As it had been in the past, Spring break trips are usually not planned by me. This left me with the advantage of having the passengers seat...with a longer scenic route ahead due to unusual circumstances.
An historic and very bizarre occurrence took place in the city of Atlanta where I live that week before. These days, startling headlines on the news is not unheard of. However, when live coverage of a raging inferno is being reported it is far more subject to rouse undivided attention. After a fire mysteriously started under a bridge below the most traveled interstate in the Southeast, becoming fully engulfed within minutes, then finally leading to the collapse of the entire section of the bridge, a new course to our destination had to be planned. Though we would be among many inconvenienced travelers and I will likely not be able to go to IKEA and time soon for a while, no one was injured and the whole thing was quite spectacular!
While the idea of traveling anywhere always gives me a rush, the usual excitement, travel preparations from the night before and life right now in general left me exhausted. I woke up with an unusually diminished amount of excitement that following spring morning. The fatigue coupled with dreary weather left me in a dismal mood before the excursion were to begin. I had hoped a detour through the back country roads would turn things around.
The girls guzzled through to the last juice box while mom and I visited as we passed the many roadside produce stands, antique flea markets and every species of donkey, cattle and goat known to man throughout the many farmlands on that road less traveled. We passed through small towns never heard of some of which had no traffic lights. In exchange for gridlock on the highway, our only loss was about one hour of additional time on the road.
After settling into the hotel, sifting through the travel bags for hair ties, locating the tops and or bottoms of the swimsuits before swimming in the pool, a glass of Merlot would finish off the evening. However, routine would the next day be forgotten.
Out on the road the next day, city streets with images of town houses, Home Depots and Taco Bells gradually faded only to become open lands of grass covered marshes, seagulls and palm trees. Bridges and shipyards were now visible and the sun glowed against the waters which we crossed over. We drove for miles and no sign of any buildings, traffic jams or reminders of routine obligation. The dreary clouds of yesterday had blown away with the wind.
Where the land ends and the mystery of the infinite takes over.
Though my responsibilities are many, I find my self here alone.
As I want it to be.
Even if not for long.
The ocean stirs the senses.
Here I create my world.
The sharp edges of broken shells feel good against my feet as I walk along the shore.
Each a different color, shape size and story.
A cargo carrier is but a blur off in the distance. It's grandiose image would appear more clearly as it reaches the inlet.
A seagull visits me only for long enough for me to get a good glimpse of him.
As I walk, the wet sand sucks in my feet like a child with a lollipop.
I see and admire an abandoned sand castle only to later feel angry after I see that someone had kicked it over.
The surf was high and majestic and the water was cold. My hair was sticky from the salt.
The sun left a red spot where the sunscreen would not reach, but a pleasant reminder of where I had been.
Then I was hungry.
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| I think I will! |
Place visited: Tybee Island, GA
Date visited: April 4th, 2017
Original art work was created in place of photography.
"Over The Rainbow" By Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
