Detouring Through a Rough Patch

We hit a rough patch last week. After finishing up our last two weeks in Galveston dealing with significant extended family concerns in Central Texas, we had a very frustrating RV drive day to College Station. Then, on arrival, we had several issues with Koko that prevented us from using the water or propane until we had a tech do some repairs. (I have learned that the only thing more expensive than an RV Tech is when I try and do something that is beyond my skill set.) We then spent the last three days helping move Marlene's 98-year-old Dad into an Assisted Living Facility. In the last two weeks, we drove over 750 miles, including five trips through Houston complete with road construction, rush hour traffic, and traffic accidents on all routes. Yep, it has been a rough patch.

 

I can and do get as frustrated by difficult circumstances as anyone. I am as good or better than most in losing my patience and allowing my frustration to become anger or worse. However, when I tire of the bumping and bouncing in my daily life, I run out of anger and frustration. I resign myself to my fate and keep my hands on the steering wheel, let off the gas a bit, and look at the scenery! When this happens, I take advantage of the right lane. I can pull off the road or slow down without causing too much commotion to the others on the road. Or I can exit the road completely and take a break. Finally, the right lane allows me to keep on going so that others who are more frustrated or angry than I am can pass me on the left.

 

The confusion and uncertainty in the world around me are not nearly as devastating as the conversations between my mind, body, and soul. The world around me is what it is. I have little influence over how it behaves, looks, or feels. However, I have some influence over how I respond to it. If my mind stays focused and my body stays engaged in the matters at hand, my soul can relax and live beyond the anger and frustration that keeps bubbling up. I can take the world as it is, riding out each bump at a time and getting through the rough patch. Life in the right lane makes this much simpler.

 

Another facet of life in the right lane, especially through those rough sections, is knowing that the road will even out in time. By keeping this in mind, I avoid making irreversible decisions based on temporary situations and conditions. Unfortunately, I did not remember this on our last trip through Houston to College Station. Before starting out, I consulted Google Maps and saw that I 45 had a series of wrecks slowing down traffic through downtown. I decided to take the tollway around the city center. However, once on the road, we discovered that the toll road entrance from I-45 had also backed up. So, we exited I45 and drove to HWY 6. This route is much slower, but I assumed it would still be quicker than going through that slowdown. Once on HWY 6, we got to Sugar Land, where we picked up the Grand Parkway (the outermost loop around Houston) and started making our way to US 290 and our destination. After more construction and traffic, our 2-hour drive to College Station was 4 hours. This long trip was due to a detour from a detour from a detour from a detour. If I had stayed in the right lane at the first slowdown, we would have reached our destination far faster than our 4-hour ordeal. In this case, saving time costs us another 2 hours. I was in a hurry and did not weigh my choices carefully. Sometimes, I need to ride it out when I find myself in a rough patch. Even when detouring, the right lane taught me a valuable lesson this week.

 

The next two months will be a slow transition to part-time RV life. We are planning on staying in College Station for the next five weeks while Marlene's Dad settles into his new life in the assisted living facility. In addition, we will be cat-sitting for her brother and sister-in-law while they do some much-delayed travel. While in the area, we look forward to exploring this part of Central Texas. In June, we will move to Stafford in Koko and finish our transition to apartment life. 

 

I hope to share our adventures while we are here and let you know how the transition is going. And yes, I am working on possible trips this Fall and next Winter. Our traveling days are not over. We still have places to go, sights to see, and things to do. The anticipation of these future adventures excites me, and I can't wait to share them with you.

 

Travel well, my friends. Thanks for following along. Your support and interest in our journey mean a lot to us, and we are grateful for each and every one of you.

 

Bob

 

“Life is a journey with almost limitless detours.”
~Ken Poirot