The Road to California


48 hours after I returned to Chicago from teaching in Houston (on election night), we moved out, closed on the sale of our loft, and were on the road driving west. It was cold, dark and raining, but it was such a wonderful feeling to finally close the chapter on a long period of ambiguity, not knowing if or when the short sale would finally be completed. After a long hectic day packing the last boxes and meeting with the lawyer after the closing, we drove to Davenport, Iowa before calling it a night.

 

 

 

 

I woke up feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It was a new day.

The last several years have been hard and I felt renewed and ready to begin the next chapter of my life. A road trip across country was a great way to begin the journey and symbolic to putting the past behind me and starting fresh.



There were few cars on the road, so the driving was easy and left plenty of time to soak in the beauty of the open landscape. It was peaceful and constantly breathtaking.



I wanted to permanently implant the color palettes I saw in my brain. I wish I could have really captured the colors with my photos (quickly snapped from my phone), they barely do justice to the sage greens, dusty corals, earthy rusts, golden yellows, dusky purples and grays.


Yay!!! almost there.


So close and yet so far, lol. We had to stop and buy chains to go over the Donner Pass because of a snow storm that made conditions very slippery.

15 miles with chains and then shortly after we were down the mountain below the snow level.
We drove into the Sacramento area just as the sun was setting, 2058 miles and 3 days after the journey began, to a home cooked meal with celebratory toasts at my parents house.

What a trip and now the next chapter begins…


9 responses to “The Road to California”

  1. Wishing you much fun, success, joy, and creative inspiration on the next leg of your journey. I know what you mean about capturing the colors of an area. I tried in New England and at the Grand Canyon, pretty but not the wowza colors that I saw in person. I look forward to seeing where your journey takes you.

  2. Love the photos! The wide open spaces are difficult to comprehend and cameras simply cannot portray them, but it also takes time to infuse the colours of a new area within your being so that they are reflected in your work. Its a whole new life, and palette for you to explore. Wishing you all the best, and I am sure it will be inspirational and the best is yet to come!

  3. Love the photos, even though they cannot capture the colours or the effects of such wide open spaces. It takes time to learn the colours of any new place, its like they have to infuse inside you before you can use them. Wishing you all the best in the this stage of your journey, and I’m sure that it will soon be reflected in your work as new dreams and goals inspire you even more!

  4. Wow!! All’s I can say is God has led me on an amazing “virtual” journey tonight and much needed. Thank you for an awesome job with your story and descriptions. I could feel so much more with your guidance and began to feel your joy or joy for you but either way it was great. I am new to this blog / hop / etc. stuff but in my book – everything is for a reason and I’m glad I followed so i could end up here and enjoy this. “nice to meet you” and I am so happy for your new beginning.

  5. The photos are BEAUTIFUL! Judy as the New Year approaches I wish all the best with your quilting,new life,and most of all a much needed change. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season. 🙂 *smile*

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